National Catholic Youth Conference and Responding to Hurricane Katrina

TO: All Dioceses and Parishes Participating in 2005 NCYC

FROM: The Catholic Youth Foundation USA

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of the Gulf Coast as they begin their recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It is estimated that this region will feel the effects of this storm for months and years to come.

Through the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, Catholic Youth Foundation USA (CYFUSA) is networking dioceses and parishes participating in NCYC with young people from Katrina-affected dioceses. Nearly 600 participants from the Gulf Coast were expected to attend the NCYC this October. The reports from the affected dioceses indicate that this number is down to a fraction of this number due to the economic hardship the storm has caused. We would like to help, and we invite you step up to the challenge by agreeing to sponsor at least one person from the Gulf Coast.

Your sponsorship of $500 will cover the cost of registration, housing, and a portion of travel and/or meal money for an individual going to NCYC.

Though the scope of the tragedy and the needs of the people are overwhelming, helping those who still want to attend 2005 NCYC is certainly within our combined sphere of influence.

The directors of youth ministry in the affected dioceses have all been contacted and have indicated their ability and willingness to contact and distribute financial resources to their NCYC delegations. Sponsorships will be extended, as well, to those young people who have been re-located to other cities as a result of the hurricane.

Please help us spread the word and actively recruit sponsorships for these young people.

We have set up the following process:

Process

  1. NCYC delegation leaders share this proposal with their participating parishes as soon as possible. Parishes could partner to provide a pledge.
  2. NCYC delegation leaders email CYFUSA at Katrina@nfcym.org with the number of pledges by September 26.
  3. CYFUSA contacts the coast dioceses with the number of pledges available and distributes the finances.
  4. NCYC delegation leaders send a check payable to CYFUSA:

    CYFUSA
    415 Michigan Avenue, NE, #40
    Washington, D.C. 20017
  1. CYFUSA will send a check to the gulf coast dioceses and a notification to sponsoring dioceses about which dioceses and parishes they are helping to sponsor.

CYFUSA is committed to making this process as smooth as possible. We will provide individual attention to connect those in need of assistance with those who can provide sponsorships.