MIDDLETON — Catholic Charities (CC) in the Diocese of Madison held its 24th annual Faith in Action Celebration November 7 at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
Jackson Fonder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, welcomed the 550 guests, noting that this marks 24 years of recognizing community leaders and sharing stories of Catholic Charities’ clients and volunteers.
On October 26, I will be making a very long run through the Arizona desert. The Javelina Jundred (pronounced “havelina hundred”) is an intense 100-mile race that takes place each October.
What makes this race a “race” is not that one runner competes against a group of other runners. Instead, each runner competes against the clock and with their ability to withstand physical and emotional pain. All participants are given 30 hours to complete the course, so at its core, this race is about finishing not winning.
For the past year, I have been training for this race. I have worked one-on-one with a trainer. I have run five progressively more challenging races, tracked my food intake, and completed more night-time runs then I can count. I have every detail worked out, from what I will wear as I run through the desert at night to how much food I will consume at each aid station.
MIDDLETON — Catholic Charities (CC) in the Diocese of Madison held its 23rd annual Faith in Action Celebration November 8 at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
Jackson Fonder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, welcomed the guests, noting that this marks 23 years of recognizing community leaders and sharing stories of Catholic Charities’ clients and volunteers.
He thanked the Edgewood High School Jazz Band for providing music during the cocktail time and thanked the Edgewood High School Honor Society students for helping check coats and the volunteer greeters from St. Ambrose Academy.
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.
 |
||
| 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.
Joining Fonder at the press conference was Renee Moe, CEO of United Way of Madison.
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.
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.
MIDDLETON — For the past 70 years, Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Madison has put faith in action through its many programs.
At the annual Catholic Charities Faith in Action Celebration held on November 9, President/CEO Jackson Fonder emphasized that it is people who make those programs possible, including staff, clients, and volunteers.
The plans originally called for an outdoor ceremony — a grand opening with guest speakers, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremonially opening the next phase in the All Saints Neighborhood in Madison.
 |
||
| Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison talks at a September 7 press conference at Holy Name Heights in Madison announcing a partnership between Dane County and Catholic Charities Madison for a new homeless day resource center in Madison that will open next year. Also pictured with the bishop are Derrick Smith, director of strategic planning and special projects, Catholic Charities Madison (seated far left), and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi (seated second from left). (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino called it a way to “deepen our effort to be good neighbors, one to another in these days.”
On September 7, the bishop, along with city and county leaders, leaders with Catholic Charities Madison, and other organizations that help the area homeless announced and praised a new partnership during a press conference at Holy Name Heights in Madison.
The partnership is between Catholic Charities and Dane County to operate a homeless day resource center to be housed at 615 East Washington Ave. in Madison, near the downtown area.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said the county has been committed to solving the challenge of helping the homeless in the area.
Parisi called it the “ideal location to help our homeless friends in need” and decided to partner with Catholic Charities because “we want to do this right and we want to do this right the first time.”
Catholic Charities Madison was selected as the center operator of the new facility by Dane County through a request for proposals submission process.
The goals for the new partnership include support for those suffering from poverty; refuge from the elements; offering referrals to appropriate services as needed by each individual; providing direct services such as a computer lab, laundry, showers, and storage; and building trusting relationships.
MADISON — A recent report shows that 3,370 people need homeless services in Dane County. The survey included 473 families with 946 children under the age of 18.
“These are disturbing numbers,” said Jackson Fonder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Madison in an interview. “It catches us in Madison off guard.”
