Katie Couric's Notebook: Bowery Mission

By: Katie Couric
Topics: Katie Couric's Notebook

You know, in this recession, about one in 10 Americans sought help from a church or religious group to get by. That comes from a new Pew poll on attitudes about faith-based initiatives.

It isn't surprising that millions of people would need a helping hand in tough times, but within that poll was an interesting finding. Overall, Americans believe religious organizations are better at providing care to the needy than the government.

As Hillary Clinton said, it takes a village, but churches are a vital part of our communities.

Here in New York, The Bowery Mission serves 800 meals every day...and expects to dish up three thousand Thanksgiving dinners this year. That's 600 turkeys and a whole lot of trimmings.

Groups like Bowery Mission need help from you...so reach out to your church or religious group if you have one. Money of course, is always welcome...but time is just as valuable.

Your smile or holiday greeting might be just the gift someone really needs this year.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

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by casey_abbott November 27, 2009 11:30 AM EST: Merry Christmas; Reply to this comment


by BettyMingLiu November 27, 2009 9:08 AM EST: I totally relate to the objections folks have to organizations with religious ties. That's why, even though I've known about the Bowery Mission for ages, I've never helped out there. That is, until yesterday. My teen daughter and I spent Thanksgiving with the mission folks. What a great experience. Like the Pew study that Katie mentioned, this group showed us that it was a faith-based org that cares. Btw, as a single mom who struggles with the family-oriented holiday season, helping the homeless gave us a new way of celebrating community. If it's okay, I'd like to leave a link here to my blog, BettyMingLiu.com, where I wrote about our day. http://******/5BjjHj; Reply to this comment


by petersemkiw November 26, 2009 2:14 PM EST: I couldn't take too much more of those coconuts.
Happy Thanksgiving !!; Reply to this comment


by petersemkiw November 26, 2009 2:14 PM EST: I couldn't take too much more of those coconuts.
Happy Thanksgiving !!; Reply to this comment


by casey_abbott November 26, 2009 10:21 AM EST: The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.; Reply to this comment


by jsfitzgerrel November 26, 2009 3:53 AM EST: Thanks for your encouragement. Happy holidays to you and yours.; Reply to this comment


by shylove2 November 25, 2009 6:42 PM EST: Really, I'm afraid I don't trust some of them to keep their religion out of it and if they don't they are using my tax dollars to help the propagate. Heck, some of them won't even let me into their heaven. So on top of that it seem to me they can get gov't money for programs that don't have Federal Employee standards or wages, they can even be patronage for political advantage. I'm sorry I see problem with joining Church and State no matter the good intentions of some involved. The reason for Federal employee protection is to keep political patronage out of the system. But worse yet if they are promoting religious bias while they work I would think a tax exemption might have to be revoked.; Reply to this comment


by lazzari-rm November 25, 2009 4:28 PM EST: Miss. Katie Couric, I'm your fan a long time, mainly because of his wit as a journalist, but now, poking around the Internet, I discovered a talent hitherto unknown to me, and it is precisely because of this talent that I have congratulated her: I really liked it see you singing "Somethin' Stupid" in duo with Michael Buble. =) Nice! Cute!

Sorry about the joke (but it was actually beautiful) and also my english "pasta".

Hugs!; Reply to this comment


by RedemptionArt November 24, 2009 11:21 PM EST: One of the things I love most in life, outside of raising my children, is to volunteer in helping underprivileged, addicted and neglected people. I volunteer through my church and various organizations in my own region, but I also travel from North Carolina every chance I get to volunteer at The Bowery Mission. I have seen, over time, how The Bowery Mission reaches out and helps people, and I have seen how they utilize donations wisely to truly help those in need. I would encourage anyone reading this to financially support The Bowery Mission, and other rescue missions like them, during this turbulent economic time. They are fully supported through private donations and depend on the generosity of people who desire to help others.

Thank you for shedding light on how faith-based organizations help people in need, Ms. Couric.; Reply to this comment


by rodeorocky November 24, 2009 8:54 PM EST: Very true - Thanks Katie for the reminder to help those in need during the holidays and always. I've believed that religious organizations are better at helping the needy than the government. Funny though, when taxes go up contributions to the church and charitable organizations go down. I would rather chose the organization to contribute my money to than have the government take my money and put it where they see fit.; Reply to this comment