WASHINGTON, D.C. – A unified group of 24 concerned Catholic organizations is calling on a Washington, D.C. community organizing group, Empower D.C., to return its $50,000 grant to the Catholic Church. The coalition, Reform CCHD Now (RCN), claims that the D.C. Grassroots Empowerment Project (Empower D.C.) defrauded the Catholic Campaign for Human Development by directly engaging in the promotion of abortion, prostitution, and homosexuality contrary to grant requirements.
“According to the CCHD’s grant guidelines, applicants must agree that they do not participate in or promote activities that contradict the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church,” said RCN spokesperson, Michael Hichborn. “Empower D.C. knowingly violated that agreement and lied about its activities. Empower D.C. owes $50,000 to the Catholic Church for this breach of contract.”
According to Reform CCHD Now’s report, in addition to promoting abortion and homosexuality, Empower D.C. also endorsed, promoted, and distributed a guide entitled, Hey Grrl! that instructs young girls on how to get away with prostitution, truancy, car sex, and illegal drug possession.
RCN says that since the release of its report, Empower D.C. scrubbed its website, removing the incriminating links. However, RCN says it catalogued screen captures and the Hey Grrl! instruction booklet proving that Empower D.C. took the grant money under false pretenses.
For RCN’s full report, please visit www.reformcchdnow.com.
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American Life League, cofounded by Judie Brown in 1979, is the oldest national Catholic pro-life education and advocacy organization in the United States. For more information, please visit https://www.all.org.
