Stephanie Dickrell

sdickrell@stcloudtimes.com

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP — A billboard will likely come down in St. Joseph Township after an organization says it includes inaccurate information regarding refugee resettlement.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud asked Franklin Outdoor Advertising on Tuesday to take down a billboard that reads: "Catholic Charities Resettles Islamists: EVIL or INSANITY?"

That statement is inaccurate, said Beth Cummings, communications and public relations manager at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud. The local organization does not participate in refugee resettlement.

Elsewhere in the state and nation, Catholic Charities is involved in resettlement.

Franklin will make efforts to remove the sign "around tomorrow," meaning Wednesday, said James Braith, the company's chief financial officer. It has been up a day or two, he said.

It's located on the south side of Stearns County Road 75, just west of Stearns County Road 134.

"In this particular instance, we were made aware that it was factually wrong," he said. "That is the reason that we're taking it down, not because we believe it to be offensive."

A Catholic Charities employee saw the billboard on the way home from work last night and told staff.

Braith said the company doesn't release information on who pays for the billboards. Cummings said Franklin did not release the information to them either.

It's up to the company what they choose to allow on their signs, following general taste, Braith said.

"It's freedom of speech. We like to play both sides. Somebody may have one angle, and we allow the other side to promote equally," he said.

The decision whether a billboard is appropriate is made internally.

"I often tell people, there's things we do turn away. But it's usually pretty extreme," he said. There is no internal policy on what's acceptable. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Braith said he couldn't remember any instances in recent memory where billboards were taken down because of inaccuracies.

"Believe it or not, the most common reason we take (them) down is for grammatical or spelling errors," he said.

Costs for billboards depend on location, size, availability and length of time. On that end of town, Braith gave a general estimate of about $300 to $1,300 for a billboard, depending on variables.

Cummings said Catholic Charities provides services from its more than 40 programs to people of all faiths, backgrounds and ethnicities. They serve a wide variety of people, from low-income families to mothers who are homeless as well as youth, senior citizens and veterans.

"We do serve people of all faiths, colors and creeds. That's part of our mission," she said.

Local Catholic Charities staff has heard the rumor that it resettles refugees more than once.

"It's an ongoing thing, and just in the last few weeks, it's heightened," she said, perhaps because of the current climate and political rhetoric.

Part of the confusion likely comes from the activities of other organizations. Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Catholic Charities in Winona are designated as local voluntary agencies that assist with resettlement for refugees, through the U.S. Department of State. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is also a voluntary agency. For more on those and other volunteer agencies, visit www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/refugee/topics/resettlement.html.

The St. Cloud, St. Paul and Minneapolis and Winona organizations are part of the Catholic Charities USA network.

Cummings said she can't directly say that rumors about resettlement have affected charitable donations.

"But we have the anecdotal belief that it might," she said.

She also clarified that although they asked for the billboard to be taken down because it was inaccurate, it does not mean Catholic Charities opposes resettlement.

Follow Stephanie Dickrell on Twitter @SctimesSteph, call her at 255-8749 or find more stories at www.sctimes.com/sdickrell.