Vatican City, November 22 (CNA).-"The time has come to ensure, for the sake of peace, that no man, woman and child will ever be hungry again!" the Pope told members of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), gathered in Rome for their 34th general conference today.

Benedict XVI decried the paradox of "the relentless spread of poverty in a world that is also experiencing unprecedented prosperity, not only in the economic sphere but also in the rapidly developing fields of science and technology."

November is a month where we show thanksgiving for the gifts in our lives. We take the time to recognize the ways in which we've been blessed, and we share these blessings. Consequently, it is fitting that November is designated National Adoption Month. Adoptive families come together through love, compassion, and a desire to share the gifts of life.

Good Shepherd Children & Family Services is dedicated to "helping children connect to families and helping families stay connected." Through a continuum of services that includes expectant parent support, foster care, residential care, youth and family mentoring, and adoption, our ultimate goal is to find a true family for each child. Our definition of family begins with one child and one loving adult but also includes siblings and the myriad of other people who will act as shepherds, guiding and watching over the child.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has awarded a Catholic Charities Federation Agency, St. Patrick Center, a $2.5 million grant for Project Protect, to enhance the safety and well-being of children affected by parental substance abuse.

"Parents are meant to protect their children, but when parents abuse alcohol and drugs, they need help," said St. Patrick Center CEO Dan Buck. "Project Protect will assist children who are mistreated in substance abusing homes, and help stabilize these families."

SSI is a life-sustaining federal income supplement program that is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income, meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. In some states SSI is supplemented and/or linked to Medicaid eligibility. This coverage is essential for people with health problems and disabilities.

Sadly, thousands of refugees, asylees, and legal immigrants in the United States are now being left destitute as a result of losing their SSI benefits due to a change in the mid-1990s welfare reform law.