by Therese Horvat
Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — With the vision of building a world free from poverty, Unbound — a faith-based human development organization headquartered here — is empowering families in 16 countries across the world to become self-sufficient.
In the process, the nonprofit is exemplifying the spirit of the World Day of the Poor, established by Pope Francis 10 years ago and proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV for Nov. 15 this year.
“The poor of our day are the forgotten and the marginalized: robbed not only of bread but also of a voice and a face,” Pope Leo said.
He urged people to listen to the poor and walk with them.
Embodying the mission
Throughout its 45-year history, Unbound has strived to put the pope’s message into action.
“Our mission is to support families and communities worldwide on self-directed paths out of poverty by providing them with resources and support,” said Ashley Hufft, president and CEO of Unbound. “We believe in the limitless potential of the poor and are committed to freeing people from poverty.”
Unbound accomplishes this through the generosity of sponsors, donors and foundations.
“We establish bonds across oceans and borders to connect people of faith with families and communities,” Hufft said.
Since its founding in 1981, the nonprofit has sent over $2.5 billion to its programs that benefit families. More than one million youth and elders worldwide have benefited from sponsorship. People have furthered their education, enhanced their livelihoods and improved the well-being of their communities.
Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching
Unbound was initially founded as the Christian Foundation for Children (CFC) by five Catholic laypeople. CFC invited donors to sponsor individual children and youth living in poverty. A few years later, sponsorship expanded to the aging (CFCA). In 1998, CFCA launched a scholarship program. Both of these programs continue today.
Hufft described 2001 as a seminal year in the organization’s history.
“We introduced the direct cash transfer model through which each family of a sponsored youth or elder has an account with a local financial institution and receives a monthly cash transfer of donor funds,” she said.
“This new level of accountability has helped families direct their own paths out of poverty,” she added.
That same year, mothers of sponsored families in India began meeting in small groups that broadened the circle of impact to local communities. Women in other countries chose to adopt this model.
Today, Unbound has 11,700 mothers groups worldwide. These groups foster leadership and mutual support and encourage entrepreneurship and accountability.
To reflect its expanded approach and commitments, CFCA changed its name to Unbound in 2014. Catholic Social Teaching informs the nonprofit’s mission: active engagement of the marginalized and vulnerable, innovation and a strong link with Catholic faith communities in the United States.
Self-directed path to potential
Today, Unbound has 260,000 sponsored families in 16 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Sponsorship funds largely come from appeals in U.S. Catholic parishes by a network of priests who give personal testimony to Unbound’s approach and outcomes.
Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who is a sponsor, has endorsed the organization and encouraged pastors to invite Unbound priests to speak at archdiocesan parishes.
Sponsors donate $45 per month per youth or elder to fund the recipient family’s goals. Sponsors and those sponsored have the opportunity to communicate regularly, and sponsors have opportunities to make awareness trips to meet their international friends in person.
Donors can also give directly to other Unbound programs targeted toward specific needs. These include the scholarship program and emergency disaster relief.
“Every day, Unbound is connecting people of faith with the faces of poverty,” Hufft said. “We want the poor to be seen, valued, listened to and given the chance to realize their potential.
“We tell them, ‘We believe in you, and we’ll walk alongside you.’”
For more information about Unbound, visit: unbound.org.
World Day of the Poor
In his message for the 10th World Day of the Poor on Nov. 15, Pope Leo XIV called attention to the central place the poor have in Christian life. He also highlighted the responsibility of building relationships founded on justice, dignity and fraternity.
The pope wrote that no one wants to feel abandoned and that Christians need to put themselves in the shoes of the poor and listen to them rather than merely speaking about them.
The Christian community, Pope Leo said, “cannot remain indifferent to the many who today stand at the door but remain invisible to those who are shut within their own walls.”
Pope Leo used a verse from Psalm 14 to ground his teaching: “The Lord is the refuge of the poor.” He noted that Christians are called to become a refuge for others in God. “We must be a church of the Beatitudes, one that … walks with the poor,” Pope Leo said.
To read the full text of the Holy Father’s message, click here.
