Lifestyles of the Rich and Pious

And Now, A Public-Service Announcement For The Catholic Charities Of Orange County

Last year, the Diocese of Orange contributed $398,500 to its charitable arm, Catholic Charities of Orange County. This amount is one-third of what Brown's Santa Ana house costs and constitutes 8 percent of the organization's total assets (other revenue came from government grants and fund-raising). To put into perspective how much of a difference the sale of the 10 properties listed in this article would make, here's a brief excerpt from the call for donations from Catholic Charities:

A Gift of $20 will:

• Purchase half a case of nutritional formula to feed a child

• Subsidize a motel room for a family facing homelessness

A Gift of $200 will:

• Pay the health-insurance premiums for a low-income family with two children

• Purchase 1,500 pounds of food from the Second Harvest Food Bank for families at risk of hunger

A Gift of $2,000 will:

• Sponsor 200 underprivileged children for one week of a summer-camp program

• Fund the annual material costs for one learning center in a neighborhood

A Gift of $20,000 will:

• Provide job-placement counseling and assistance to 100 individuals

• Help purchase a new vehicle to pick up and deliver donated food and other items for people in need

A Gift of $200,000 will:

• Provide one day per week of on-site school counseling in eight elementary schools for three years

• Start a new parish-based Family Support Center in an underserved part of the county