President Announces $43 Million in Grants from Compassion Capital Fund

President Announces $43 Million in Grants from Compassion Capital Fund; Faith and Community-Based Groups to Help Youth, Couples, Needy

To: National Desk

Contact: ACF Press Office, 202-401-9215

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- President Bush today announced $42,957,597 in 145 grants to organizations that provide services and support through soup kitchens, homeless shelters, drug treatment centers, job training programs, and other compassionate programs. Faith-based and community-based organizations will receive the federal funding from the Compassion Capital Fund, which is in its third year of existence.

"The Compassion Capital Fund provides local and faith-based groups with important resources to help those most in need," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "By further empowering organizations to perform works of mercy in their neighborhoods, we are continuing our goal of putting compassion in action."

Today's announcement consists of two sets of grants. The first totals $38 million. $6.9 million -- the first installment of a three-year grant award -- will go to 14 new intermediary organizations, including the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty in New York; Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma; the Governor's Office for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in Ohio; and Mission West Virginia, Inc. $31.1 million will be used for 31 second and third-year continuation awards from the Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Program. The intermediaries will assist grass-root, faith and community-based organizations so they may increase their effectiveness, enhance their ability to provide social services and create collaborations to better serve those in need.

The second set of grants totals $4.9 million under the Compassion Capital Fund Targeted Capacity Building Program. They will be given to 100 organizations that work on priority issues such as at-risk youth, homelessness, healthy marriages and serving people in rural communities. Organizations include Hope Partnership for Education in Pennsylvania; Prevent Child Abuse in Minnesota; the Community Partnership for the Homeless in Texas; EnFamilia in Florida; and Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota.

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=145-08032004

The Cherokee Nation portion of that $ won't come anywhere close to the $ amount the Bush* admin cut from the tribes' funding (starting in March of 2001), which supported after-school programs and child health initiatives.

What a crock!

tens of billions, and the "little people" get a few million to split among millions of themselves?

because compassionate conservatism is actually corporate welfare, cronyism, and theft of the treasury.

CHIMPEACH!

already, our money, under the flag of religion getting tax payer money without ANY oversight, is a recipe for infighting, politicking and cronyism. The president now has power over these organisations whether they like it or not. It is religious welfare now, instead of single mom welfare.

Look at the disgruntling already in evidence here. Look who got money--Texas, Florida, South Dakota and see how many of these organisations are privatly owned soon and look for CEO fraud, or lobbying with tax payer money, as does the Salvation Army

I, as a taxpayer, can go to any one of those organisations and demand they serve me and if they attempt to proselytyze I can state my atheism and tell them to go Cheney themself. Otherwise the poor and the hungry atheist, who is desperate, will be forced to lie, or even think he/she has to lie, in order to be served.

This is just an awful program and once out of the gate this horse will not be put back.

Guess I might as well just find a way to get some return for my money other than have little children and marriage hopefuls be taught a religion that villifies me.

Milk the system will be my goal, as long as I am paying for it.