Mass today brought us a visit by Father Robert McAleer, a retired priest from Iowa. He was there as part of his new mission, serving as a traveling priest extolling the virtues of Unbound.
Unbound is a Kansas City-based organization that allows Catholics to provide financial assistance directly to a child or adult living in poverty around the world. Children are eligible for participation as long as they remain in school. Each sponsor contributes to the health and welfare of an individual with a monthly contribution of $40.
Just as important, it’s not simply money sent off with no knowledge of how it’s being spent. Regular communication with the sponsored individual is available, with letters and photos sent between the parties, allowing the sponsor a personal connection to the individual being helped.
And as is worth noting with all charitable efforts, Unbound has a strong rating from the Better Business Bureau, Charity Navigator and other watchdog groups. More than 93 percent of all contributions go directly to the sponsored individual.
My support for this organization is not just digital. Our family has been sponsoring Erika since Unbound was known as the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. We’ve seen her grow into a confident, bright young girl with a promising future. It’s extraordinarily gratifying to think we might have played a small part in that.
For more information, visit www.unbound.org.
52 Masses 