In his latest monthly dispatch, Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services, looks at the current economic crisis from the perspective of working poor in developing nations.

As we Americans watch the financial crisis unfold, and our investments and retirement accounts plunge in value day by day, many of us are approaching the New Year with an overwhelming sense of fear and helplessness.

We are beginning to reassess plans we’ve made, wondering whether we’ve saved enough for retirement or college tuitions. And in our neighborhoods and communities, we are seeing signs of economic stress. People are out of work. Auction signs are sprouting up in front of foreclosed homes. And food pantries are reporting depleted stocks as demand for their services rises.
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