Pope Francis writes in Evangelii Gaudium, "Our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of society's most neglected members" [186]. He goes on to say, “In this context we can understand Jesus' command to his disciples: 'You yourselves give them something to eat!' (Mark 6:37): It means working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of the poor, as well as small daily acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs which we encounter" [188].
In the model of our founder, Father McGivney, councils will lead efforts to assist those most in need. The Helping Hands program is designed to recognize the important work many councils already do to care for the most disadvantaged members of our communities — the homeless, the addicted, the elderly who may feel isolated and abandoned, and many others. Through this program, councils will aid the needy through the activities they feel best suit their community, such as serving at or running a soup kitchen, repairing the facilities of a local service organization or something entirely unique. The requirements for this program are very broad in order to allow councils to serve their community in whatever way is most needed. Council participation in Helping Hands is required to qualify for the Columbian award. |