Tag: Catholic Charities

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Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service

Catholic groups helping after Harvey

texas flooding
A Texas National Guard soldier carries a woman during rescue operations in flooded areas around Houston, Texas. (CNS photo/courtesy Texas Military Department)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) — Catholic dioceses and charities are quickly organizing to help in the aftermath of a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall with heavy rains and winds of 130 miles per hour late August 25 into the Rockport, Texas, area, northeast of Corpus Christi.

The hurricane, named Harvey, is said to be the strongest one to hit the United States in more than a decade and perhaps the strongest one to make landfall in Texas.

Mobilizing to help
Bishop Robert C. Morlino has authorized a mandatory special collection at the parish level for flood victims in Texas. Here is the link for more information: www.madisondiocese.org/donate

Catholic Charities USA, as well as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Disaster Services, announced early on August 26 that they’re mobilizing to help an as-yet-unknown number of persons affected by the hurricane. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has a list of charities helping with the disaster listed on its website at https://tx catholic.org/harvey

Authorities reported at least five casualties as of August 27, but because of safety issues, not many emergency teams have been yet able to respond to the aftermath and much of the damage is unknown. Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared the state a disaster area, which will allow federal money to help in reconstruction. Catholic groups said they want to help with the immediate needs of the communities affected.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Here’s a way to help the homeless

The National Alliance to End Homelessness states that there are 564,708 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the U.S.: 36,907 (6.38 percent) are children, 47,725 (8.33 percent) are veterans, and 269,991 (47.6 percent) are disabled and unable to work.

Many factors can contribute to a person becoming homeless. These factors include (but are not limited to):

• Poverty

• Lack of affordable housing

• Job loss

• Lack of health care

• Mental illness

• Substance abuse

• Domestic violence

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Name chosen for homeless day resource center

the beacon
Partners in the homeless day resource center project gather to announce its name as “The Beacon” during a press conference on May 2 in Madison. Pictured from left are: Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, Catholic Charities of Madison President and CEO Jackson Fonder, President and CEO of United Way of Dane County Renee Moe, president of J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. Dave Beck-Engel, and Madison Deputy Mayor Katie Crawley. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)

MADISON — “The homeless day resource center will be known as . . . The Beacon.”

The words of Catholic Charities of Madison President and CEO Jackson Fonder marked the next step in the project to open said resource center near downtown Madison.

The name was announced at a May 2 press conference at the United Way of Dane County in Madison.

The announcement came after more than 400 people submitted naming ideas online and more than 400 people voted on the name finalists, which were: The Beacon, The Net, The Opportunity Place, and The Turning Point Center.

At the press conference, Fonder said “The Beacon” was submitted first by former Catholic Charities board member Diane Ballweg. Other people also submitted the name as an idea later in the process.

Working together

Joining Fonder at the press conference was Renee Moe, CEO of United Way of Madison.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

And the name is . . . The Beacon

It is a sad fact that many men, women, and children continue to be homeless in the city of Madison and Dane County.

Here we are in the capital city of Wisconsin, a city known for its progressive character. Yet each year, about 3,500 people experience homelessness, nearly half of them being children.

Working together

How can we reduce or even eliminate homelessness in our city? A bold effort is underway to work on this problem. It is a collaboration of the faith, business, nonprofit, government, and neighborhood communities working together.

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Chris Lee

Contest to name homeless center

MADISON — A contest is being held to name the new homeless day resource center operated by Catholic Charities with submissions being accepted from March 22 to April 7.

Groups, businesses, schools, clubs, and individuals can enter a naming idea and be eligible to win a gift with recognition at the ribbon cutting when the center opens in the fall.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Support the Annual Catholic Appeal

This is the time of year when Catholics throughout the Diocese of Madison are hearing and reading about the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA).

Members of parishes have received a letter and pledge form from Bishop Robert C. Morlino. An insert about the appeal was distributed in parishes and also included in the Catholic Herald. This past weekend, we watched a video message from the Diocese of Madison in our parishes.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Continue to welcome immigrants

In the 1970s, I remember going to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin to do a story on refugees from Vietnam who were settling in the Diocese of Madison.

One of our parishes — St. Joseph Parish in Dodgeville — helped sponsor a number of these Vietnamese refugees.

Over the years, refugees from other countries received assistance settling in our diocese through the Catholic Charities resettlement program.

Programs such as this continue throughout the United States through Catholic Charities and other religious-based agencies.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Warming Center for Homeless seeks volunteers

MADISON — Catholic Charities Madison is partnering with Bethel Lutheran Church to operate the Warming Center for the Homeless in downtown Madison this winter.

The center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Catholic Charities has committed to working at the center on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, said Derrick L. Smith, director of strategic planning and special projects for Catholic Charities. Bethel Lutheran is covering Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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