The local share of $1 of every $4 contributed to the bishops' collection for Human Development amounted to $6,675 for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

This money was used to fund the following programs for the poor in the rural areas of North Georgia under the leadership of Father Frank Ruff. Each of these programs work in conjunction with other helping groups:

No. 1) Tuition aid for day care -- Lumpkin County -- Amount funded: $1,645.

This money will be used as tuition aid for as many children of poor families as possible. These children come from families where many of the adults have less than five years of schooling and in most cases do not offer the children any intellectual stimulation. Many of their homes have no books, no magazines and no newspapers.

No. 2) Assistance in craft training over seven county areas -- Amount funded: $1,750.

To supplement family income and to enhance the dignity of the mountain people, a Craft Co-op was formed. There is a need to train low-income persons to make items which have current sales appeal. The training will be done by low-income persons themselves. The profit share for the sale of test items will be funneled back in to the co-op to train additional members.

No. 3) Program for the elderly in Habersham County -- Amount funded: $870.

In a rural community, the elderly live a very isolated life. Most are not on Social Security and so live on extremely small incomes, eat inadequate meals, and live lonely uncreative lives. This program will bring low-income, elderly persons together twice a month, have a good meal with them, make things and let them share with each other. Food assistance for this program will be secured through the United States Agriculture Subsidy Program. This program will serve thirty-five persons.

No. 4) Glasses for school children over sixteen county areas -- Amount funded: $2,000.

The purpose of this program is to assist the neediest children in each county who are in need of eyeglasses to be able to have them. This program is to be supplemented by the Lions' Club who also work to this end.

No. 5) Day camp in Lumpkin County -- Amount funded: $300.

This proposal is to assist in a ministerial project for furnishing two weeks day camp for eighty-five very poor children.

No. 6) Seed money contribution towards the establishment of a Credit Union in Toccoa, Georgia -- Amount funded: $200.

In distributing these funds to the various administering bodies, it was requested that the monies be used to serve the poor without regard for race, creed or color.

The Human Development collection this year has proved to be the largest second collection ever taken up in the archdiocese. This is a tribute to efforts to break " the hellish circle of poverty" that blights our country amidst a people of wealth and riches.

These meager funds to assist the poor of the rural area of the archdiocese is one way of saying our Christian concern for the poor with us extends beyond the Atlanta metropolitan area to all our suffering and needy people of the archdiocese.