Available to parishes and other small groups, Think and Act Anew is a 5-week study and action program based on the book Think and Act Anew: How Poverty in America Affects Us All and What We Can Do About It, by Fr Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA.

When the global economic crisis began in 2008, millions of Americans lost their jobs, and families lost their homes. The number of people living in poverty in America rose by nearly 4 million to 43.6 million, or 1 in 7 Americans, in 2009 -- the largest figure in the 51 years the Census Bureau has been tracking poverty levels. Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), through its nationwide network of more than 1,700 agencies and institutions, provided services to 9.1 million people in 2009 alone--an increase from 7.7 million people in 2007.

In response to this crisis, Fr Larry Snyder, president of CCUSA, issued a call for the United States to rethink its economic and social priorities and to place the dignity of every person at the center of our decision making. His book, Think and Act Anew, was intended not to offer solutions, but to use the principles of Catholic social teaching to generate vigorous discussion and surface ideas for how we can rebuild an America that includes everyone.

The five-week study and action program includes a facilitator's workbook, weekly handouts for group members, and an interactive blog with Fr. Snyder. Readings and discussion invite participants to examine our daily lives as individuals, as businesses, and as a government of people in light of Scripture and Catholic social teaching. Participants are encouraged to post their thoughts and interact with other groups on Fr Larry Snyder's blog, www.thinkandactanew.org, throughout the program. At the fifth meeting, groups are urged to create innovative programs to address issues linked to poverty in their communities and join with other parishes around the country in calling for change.