The St Vincent de Paul Society, in partnership with CAFOD, have come together to encourage Catholics across the country to engage with their local candidates ahead of the next general election
A Year of Encounter is a joint initiative by the two faith charities which aims to inspire supporters to reach out to their local candidates to help advocate for to tackle domestic and global poverty issues including the cost-of-living crisis, offering a warm welcome and compassion to people seeking asylum, as well as tackling regional inequalities.
Tackling domestic and global poverty is a main priority for both charities, something which the SVP and CAFOD advocate for through their social justice work.
“We’re hoping that our joint initiative will strengthen community participation and be the foundation for starting to build strong community links through local faith groups,” explains Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the SVP, Alessandra Sciarra.
“This is great way to encourage the Catholic community in England and Wales to reach out to their local candidates. Together we hope our guide will give people the tools to find out issues in their local areas for themselves and start building their own relationships so they can make their own choice when it comes to voting in the next General Election later this year.”
This year marks the 180th anniversary of the SVP, which will be a year-long celebration of the work the society has done in that time of tackling poverty in all its forms and supporting people most in need.
There are currently 2 free online training sessions which will offer a step-by-step process of how your parish can engage with your local candidates in simple ways. Both event details can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/svp-and-cafod-78655520313
More information can be found about A Year of Encounter by visiting: https://svp.org.uk/encounter.