Forty-five million people are living in poverty in the U.S. today and to help raise awareness of this important issue, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is leading a national movement called #End45 – Raise a Hand to End Poverty in America that will coincide with the Pope’s visit to the U.S. in late September. #End45 – Raise a Hand to End Poverty in America launches this week and asks individuals to show support by simply taking a picture of their hand with “#End45” written on their palm and posting to their social media channels using the hashtag #End45. Please refer to these simple steps to participate:

• Take a picture of your raised hand with “#End45” written on your palm
• Tag your picture with the hashtag #End45
• Post the image to your social media channels (i.e., Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)
• Encourage family and friends to join in on the cause by sharing your image and/or posting one of their own

You can visit www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org/End45 to watch and learn how many have overcome hardship through their own perseverance and with the support of the Catholic Charities agency network.