PORTLAND — Parish Social Ministry, a Catholic Charities Maine program, has announced that six local parishes will receive Catholic Campaign for Human Development parish grants totaling $18,550.

The mission of Parish Social Ministry is to provide leadership, guidance, Catholic social teaching education, and training to empower parishioners to compassionately serve people of all faiths living in their communities. The CCHD parish grants support community-based initiatives that aim to solve community-wide problems, empowering those in need to make ongoing life changes and to become more self-sufficient while offering parishioners the opportunity to serve those less fortunate.

The local parishes receiving grants in 2016 are St. Michael Parish of Winthrop, Augusta, Gardiner, Hallowell and Whitefield, and St. Rose of Lima Parish of Jay. Each were awarded $2,500 to collaborate with the Kennebec Valley Organization to work on systemic change in their communities through listening sessions, training and convening statewide groups to collectively work on a common community issue. The mission of KVO is to bring people together to act on issues of shared concern including job saving and creation, affordable housing and public services.