Scottish Catholic Observer

During Lent next year, for every pound you donate to the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, SCIAF will receive another through the UK Department for International Development’s UK Aid Match scheme.

SCIAF, which was started in Rutherglen in 1965, is now a household name nationally and an expert in its field. As part of the Catholic Caritas Internationalis charity network, SCIAF can effectively get emergency aid through to epicentres at times of crisis by working with its Caritas partners, as well as working towards long term solutions to the problems in the less developed world.

The Scottish Church and Scotland as a whole are proud of SCIAF, whose backers from the world of media, sport, politics and entertainment grow year-on-year, as does the call on its resources.

Supporters of the charity now have the opportunity to help make SCIAF’s 50th anniversary Wee Box appeal a record-breaker, to give the international development work of Scotland’s Bishops a huge boost and to make every pound donated double its worth.

Pope Francis knows that intervention and prayer go a long ways to helping those in need, but he too sees that campaigns to help need financial support. The Holy Father recently made a substantial financial donation to help alleviate the suffering of persecuted Christians in Iraq and surrounding areas.

Given the significant amount of lead time to prepare before next Lent, schools, parishes and community organisations can really get their thinking caps on now as to what to do to raises funds for next year’s SCIAF Wee Box campaign.

Anyone making plans will be bolstered in the knowledge that all donations will be doubled. What an ideal opportunity to put faith into action for maximum results, a real gift at a time when so many feel called to action yet powerless to help given the scale of international need and problems.