ET Ey (NAPSA)—Thecharitable gifts of an international Catholic ser- vice organization reached all-time record highs in 2003. The finan- cial donations of its 1.7 million members—knownfor their com- mitment to charitable works— totaled $130 million. Members also performed over 61 million hours of volunteer service. According to the Knights of Columbus’ annual Survey of Fraternal Activity, Knights at all levels reported raising and contributing to charity $130 million—$1.5 million more than the previousyear. The total includes $21.5 million disbursed by the Knights’ international office through various foundations, including funds earmarkedfor the pope, Christians in the Holy Land and the programs of the bishops’ conferences of the United States, Canada and Mexico, amongothers. In 2003 the Knights partnered with the Wheelchair Foundation to send several thousand wheelchairs to land mine victims and people with disabilities in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries. Additionally, working with the Archdiocese for the Military Ser- vices, USA, the Knights published 200,000 copies of a Catholic prayer book for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. “Charity is the first lesson a member learns when he joins the Knights, and these figures show how much that meansto him,” said Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight of the Catholic fraternal benefit society andchief executive officer. Knights of Columbusgifts went Membersof the largest Catholic family fraternal service organization gave 61 million hours of their time in 2003. beyond money, as members reported volunteering an all-time high of 61 million hoursof time in 2003. “We are committed to our communities,” said Anderson. “Whether it is volunteering at Special Olympics games, visiting veterans in hospitals, or helping out in our local Catholic parishes and schools, we seek to better the lives of our neighbors.” The Knights of Columbusis the largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It offers toprated life insurance and related products to its members and their families through approximately 1,500 Knights of Columbusagents. Through its more than 15,000 local units, it offers a wide variety of opportunities for volunteer ser- vice to the church and community. Founded in New Haven, Conn., in 1882, the Knights of Columbus has members throughout North America, the Philippines and sev- eral other countries. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.kofc.org.
