Mysterious $17-Million Fund for Detroit’s Poor to Wind Down

An anonymously financed fund that has provided $17-million in assistance to needy Detroit residents since 2005 is set to end on April 30, only weeks after its existence became publicly known, writes the Detroit Free Press.

The unidentified philanthropist decided that the 10th year of the “Angel Fund” will be its last, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit, which has distributed the money through parish pastors to help low-income people pay for rent, medicine, and other necessities in times of need. Diocesan officials said the donor, who is known to be male and has a long record of Catholic giving, made clear from the start that the fund was not permanent but plans to continue contributing in other unspecified ways.

The Angel Fund’s existence became public in February when a local priest, the Rev. Timothy Kane, 58, was charged with stealing from the pot. The Detroit diocese’s Msgr. Michael Bugarin said the fund’s winding down is unrelated to the alleged fraud.