MADISON — Catholic Charities Madison is leading the effort to financially assist recent flood impacted households with matching funding from Catholic Charities USA and The Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation’s Saint Mother Teresa Mercy Endowment Fund.
Each entity has contributed $10,000 for a combined $30,000 available to individuals and families who have experienced hardships from the August flooding.
As it happens so many times in places throughout the world, the Catholic Church has come to the rescue of more than one million people taking shelter in relief camps after floods ravaged Kerala state in southwest India.
The Indian effort is the biggest rescue and relief operation the Catholic Church in Kerala has ever undertaken, reported Catholic News Service. All 32 Catholic dioceses in Kerala have joined in the relief work.
As it happens so many times in places throughout the world, the Catholic Church has come to the rescue of more than one million people taking shelter in relief camps after floods ravaged Kerala state in southwest India.
The Indian effort is the biggest rescue and relief operation the Catholic Church in Kerala has ever undertaken, reported Catholic News Service. All 32 Catholic dioceses in Kerala have joined in the relief work.
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| Volunteers Darrell and Janie help out in the kitchen at The Beacon in Madison. (Contributed photo) | ||
MADISON — “There’s nothing better you can do with your time than to help people who are suffering, have a decent life, [and be] able to lead the life they want,” said volunteer coordinator Tami Fleming from The Beacon.
The Beacon is a comprehensive day resource center for people who are experiencing homelessness in Dane County.
It is a joint venture among Catholic Charities Madison, Dane County, the City of Madison, and United Way of Dane County.
In addition to its staff, The Beacon needs about 20 volunteers per day — half in a morning shift and half in an afternoon shift — to run the normal day-to-day operations. Shifts are about four hours long.
The Beacon is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has volunteer opportunities as a front desk greeter, laundry and shower manager, computer lab assistant, guest and child and family advocate, among many others.
“We need volunteers every day,” said Fleming.
The first step in becoming a volunteer at The Beacon is attending an orientation session. They are held at The Beacon (615 E. Washington Ave., Madison) Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Fridays at 9 a.m.
Fleming said these two-hour sessions give prospective volunteers a chance to “get a real feel for it” and “hear what it’s about [and] see the place.”
She admitted she is “real frank with people” about the challenges they may face working with homeless people who need help.
As a child, Rosie Arbittier participated in walkathons sponsored by her local synagogue and placed flags on soldiers’ graves on Veterans Day.
Rosie’s story is one of those shared on the Points of Light website (www.pointsoflight.org). This week (April 15-21) is National Volunteer Week.
MADISON — On April 4, staff members of The Beacon, along with members of the Madison Police Department, presented stories of successes and challenges from its first few months of operation.
A comprehensive day resource center for people experiencing homelessness in Dane County, The Beacon opened in October of 2017. It is a joint venture among Catholic Charities Madison, Dane County, the City of Madison, and United Way of Dane County.
MIDDLETON — Catholic Charities (CC) in the Diocese of Madison held its 22nd annual Faith in Action Celebration on November 9 at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
“This annual event touches my heart,” said Toni Prestigiacomo, Catholic Charities Board chair and co-chair of the event, in welcoming the guests. “This event is a reminder of why we choose to support Catholic Charities. It truly makes me proud.”
As we observe Thanksgiving this week, of course it’s a time to give thanks for the blessings we have received in our lives.
While it is good to give thanks, it may be more difficult for us to go beyond giving thanks.
For the past year, we’ve been anticipating the opening of The Beacon, the new homeless day resource center operated by Catholic Charities.
The day finally happened, and The Beacon shined as a light of hope in the lives of over 200 men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in Dane County.
“This is more than a shelter. This is more than a hangout. This is where people come so that we can help them remove obstacles, get connected to services, and get out of homelessness,” said Jackson Fonder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Madison.
