For Immediate Release July 1, 2013

Contact: Patricia Cole pcole@catholiccharitiesusa.org 703-236-6218

Catholic Charities USA Launches Internship Program with Bethlehem University Students from the Holy Land to Spend Summer Learning from Catholic Charities Agencies across the Country Alexandria, Va. Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is partnering with Bethlehem University, a Catholic university located in the Holy Land, to sponsor a select group of students to spend the summer learning and serving with Catholic Charities agencies across America. The eight Palestinian students will spend a one week orientation at CCUSA before spending six weeks working at local Catholic Charities agencies across the country. This cross-cultural internship program will give the visiting students an introduction to poverty on both a micro- and macro-level, as well as share their own experiences with the staff and volunteers of local agencies. By inaugurating this first-of-its-kind program, CCUSA will continue to pursue innovative partnerships that will add to a holistic understanding of the root causes of poverty, offering the students the chance to share their lessons with their communities in Palestine. We are very happy to be able to offer these students with opportunities for on-the-ground experience helping others through social services, said Father Larry Snyder, president of CCUSA. This internship program is an opportunity to students to engage with the mission of the Catholic Church and apply it to the real-world challenges facing so many. We hope they will take these life-altering experiences and stories back to Palestine and call others to meet the needs of their community. The visiting Bethlehem University students are: Yara Al Adili, studying business administration, who will be interning with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas; Christina Jueejat, an accounting major who will be spending the summer at Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona; Nagib Kasbary, business administration, Catholic Charities of California, Inc; Areej Masoud, religious studies, Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas; Bahaa Nairoukh, accounting, Catholic Charities Diocese of La Crosse; Mirna Nassar, accounting, Catholic Charities of Des Moines, Iowa, Fadi Saleh, a computer information systems major who will be interning with Catholic Charities Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio; and John Bader, studying accounting, will be spending the summer with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In addition, accounting student Hussam Al-Joulany will be spending the summer at Georgetown University and Dima Al Mukarker, also studying accounting, will be spending the summer in Seattle, Washington, working with Coastal Environmental Systems. Bethlehem University is a Catholic institution in the Lasallian tradition whose mission is to provide quality higher education to the people of Palestine. Please visit www.bethlehemblog.org throughout the summer for regular blog posts from these students about their internship experience. About Catholic Charities USA Catholic Charities USA is the national office for Catholic Charities agencies nationwide. Catholic Charities USAs members provide help and create hope for more than 10 million people a year regardless of their religious, social, or economic background. To learn more about CCUSA, please visit www.catholiccharitiesusa.org ###