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IOWA CITY — College student Clare Loussaert is passionate about helping Spanish speakers break through language barriers. She did not speak Spanish growing up — “No one in my family speaks it,” she told The Catholic Messenger. Yet, when she started volunteering at the Iowa City Catholic Worker hospitality house seven years ago, “I saw how it could be useful to learn and help me communicate better with others.” The hospitality house primarily supports Spanish-speaking immigrants as they transition to life in the United States.

The diocesan Office of Social Action is now accepting applications for the 2026/2027 Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) internship. This internship provides a unique opportunity to support those who live on the margins of society.

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger Mayra Hernandez is passionate about empowering immigrants and other vulnerable populations as a community organizer for Quad Cities Interfaith, a nonprofit organization funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Hernandez, an immigrant and DACA recipient, said the Catholic Church’s work toward justice “really speaks to me.” Her advocacy work began five years ago as a CCHD intern in the Diocese of Davenport. She applied for the internship hoping to learn more about community organizing and working with immigration issues. While finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa in Iowa City she served the Center For Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa assisting clients with labor, immigration, housing and other social justice issues.

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger Keokuk native Rachel Dunlap entered religious life with the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubuque, Iowa, last fall at the age of 25. As a candidate, she lived with sisters, sharing their way of life and getting to know the community members better. Last month, she began her novitiate journey with the Rite of Initiation. “Novitiate is a two-year period focused on prayer, deeper vocation discernment, study and ministry,” she explained.

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger DAVENPORT — St. Am­brose University student Corrigan Goldsmith always enjoyed going on mission trips and doing service projects. But after starting her Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) internship in 2014 and taking part in mandatory leadership training, she began to realize that helping people with immediate needs is just the beginning. Fighting for systemic change is also essential.

DAVENPORT — St. Am­brose University student Corrigan Goldsmith always enjoyed going on mission trips and doing service projects. But after starting her Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) internship in 2014 and taking part in mandatory leadership training, she began to realize that helping people with immediate needs is just the beginning. Fighting for systemic change is also essential. “I started thinking about who I was benefitting,” she said. “People don’t always think about who is being impacted and what they need. We need to make sure we do both (social) action and charity and make both a systemic and immediate impact. That change in thinking is big.”