|
MARCH 6, 2008
Building a community of care for 75 years
This year, Catholic Charities is celebrating 75 years of service in nearly every community of the diocese. That’s really something worth celebrating, especially during the Easter season.
For 75 years, we have been bringing help, hope and new life to children and families at a time of great need in their lives. Our journey of 75 years has not always been an easy one. We have encountered numerous challenges — most often related to funding our programs and services. But our mission, rooted in our Catholic faith, has given us the will to push through challenges, find solutions and make a positive difference in the lives of the people we have served.
On this journey, we have developed many new programs and services. Each has been the result of observing an unmet community need and looking for ways to meet that need.
One example is our Flagstaff shelter for homeless families, which we opened in 2006. The Flagstaff community was experiencing high rates of homelessness, not just for single men and women, but for families too. There was no place homeless families could stay together while they worked to get back on their feet. That meant that they were living out of cars, crowded in with family or friends, or split apart in different shelters. It also meant that children were suffering with fear and instability, while parents were struggling with stress and discouragement.
The City of Flagstaff committed the initial funding. We found an existing building to renovate; raised support and much-needed money with the help of individual, business and public donors; and called on the time and talents of numerous volunteers.
In the summer of 2006, our seven-unit family shelter was ready to open. It was immediately filled with families. With the stress of finding a place to live gone, parents could focus on getting their lives back on track, and we were able to link families with many community resources.
Another example of finding solutions to community needs is our Refugee Family Strengthening Program. Our refugee staff members, most of them former refugees themselves, saw that many refugee families were struggling to adapt culturally. Conflicts were arising when children started adopting American behaviors that displeased their parents or when women took jobs to support their families and in doing so upset traditional gender roles. And some families were having problems because they weren’t aware of what values and behaviors are unacceptable or illegal in the United States.
So we started the Refugee Family Strengthening program, which teaches families about American laws and customs, which increases understanding between family members, reduces tension, and helps them navigate successfully through a complex society. It’s made a big difference for refugee families.
These are just two examples of how we have worked in our communities to find solutions. There are so many others.
Restoring dignity, with help
I recall a day in 1995 when Maureen Webster, then regional director for Catholic Charities in Phoenix, came to me with an unusual request. She had been approached by Kathleen Mitchell, who had been working with incarcerated female prostitutes. Kathleen knew she could help many women get off the streets and rebuild their lives, but just needed the backing of an organization like Catholic Charities. We invested $50,000 of Charity and Development Appeal funding to get the DIGNITY (Developing Individual Growth and New Independence Through Yourself) program started — a solution that has grown to a major program that helps more than 500 women a year leave prostitution and rebuild their lives.
You, too, have been part of the solutions by supporting us in so many ways as we have developed programs and services to meet community needs. In fact, involving you is absolutely necessary to our work of service and of building just and caring communities. Your donations of time, talent and treasure have made our work possible.
There will always be new paths to take on our journey because there will always be needs in our communities that must be met. Just as we have during the last 75 years, we will be working to find solutions. We hope you will continue with us on the Easter journey!
Back to Top
FEBRUARY 21, 2008
Privilege, race and poverty
More than 30 years ago, I walked into a local barbershop for a haircut. I noticed a Native American man also waiting. When the barber motioned for me to sit in the chair, I said, “This man was here first.” The barber replied, “He’s from the reservation. He can wait.”
I am ashamed to this day that I got up and sat in the chair.
It was the first time I realized that my white skin gives me an advantage in our society. Scholars call this phenomenon “white privilege.” I have since learned so many ways that racism operates in this country to the benefit of white people and to the detriment of non-white people. Sometimes it is blatant, often it is very subtle.
One of the most devastating effects of racism is widespread poverty among non-whites. Many Americans believe that poor people are poor because of bad choices. The truth is that public policy and cultural practices preserving white privilege have played a vastly greater role. Economic advantages have been conferred on whites, enabling them to advance, while people of color have been left behind. Consider the following examples:
-- Slavery created wealth for the white slave-holding elite and for all those who benefited from a “slavery-centered” economy, while enslaved Africans and Native Americans gained nothing.
-- The Indian Removal Act of 1830 allowed the government to forcibly remove Native Americans from their lands, resettle them on land of little value, and then redistribute the stolen land to whites.
-- The Supreme Court’s Plessy v. Ferguson decision enshrined segregation, second-class citizenship, and “separate but equal” services, which resulted in the creation of inferior educational opportunities for African Americans and an economic disadvantage in the labor market.
-- The Federal Housing Administration (1940s and 1950s) provided low-cost government-guaranteed home loans to working class families, enabling them to build assets. Ninety-eight percent of these loans went to whites, while less than two percent went to blacks.
While we as a society have worked to eliminate the long-term effects of these and other unjust policies, racism still exists. We at Catholic Charities see its effects every day, when a disproportionate number of non-whites who are poor come to us for help. We join with Catholic Charities USA in calling on our society “to repair the economic injuries and material deprivation that has been inflicted upon communities of color.”
We also call upon all of us to dig deeply into our souls to identify our own blind and overt racism. Talking about racism isn’t easy. It may cause us to feel guilt, anger or denial, but we must still engage in this discussion to reduce poverty in our country and change our society for the better.
Back to Top
Partners in a common cause
Catholic Charities, parishes team up
Posted January 18, 2008
A few months ago, a group of parishioners from St. Timothy Parish in Mesa gathered to listen as refugees shared their stories — from the hardship, death, and destruction they had witnessed in their homelands to the fears, hopes, and challenges they experienced as they struggled to rebuild their lives in a new country. The group of parishioners, participants in the JustFaith program, wanted to find ways to welcome these “strangers,” indeed, making them strangers no longer.
Jesus left His disciples with a mandate to care for the poor and vulnerable in our midst. One of the ways the Church fulfills this mandate is through Catholic Charities. On behalf of the Church, we minister to poor and vulnerable people among us through programs and services which affirm human dignity. And yet, the work of charity and justice is not, and should not be, solely an institutional endeavor. As Catholics, we are each called to minister in the same spirit, offering help and hope through our own individual efforts.
With so many more people coming to Catholic Charities for help than we can serve, and many faithful parishioners desiring to be engaged in works of charity, Catholic Charities and parishes are natural partners in a common cause.
Our Office of Peace and Justice (OPJ) works to provide parishes with opportunities to support people in need who are also served by Catholic Charities. Parishioners have the opportunity to put their faith into action, and the vulnerable people we serve receive an added measure of much needed support.
One of OPJ’s exciting programs is JustFaith — a parish-based social justice education program designed to inspire individuals to act on behalf of poor and vulnerable people in our communities. Participants meet as a group for two hours each week for 30 weeks to learn about and discuss Scripture, Catholic social teaching, and social issues. The program invites members of the community to speak and participate in “immersion experiences” — field trips that bring them in personal contact with marginalized people in need of help. When the participants finish the course, they are challenged to find ways to help.
A desire to help is what motivated the JustFaith group at St. Timothy’s to learn more about the challenges new refugees face in this country and how they could help alleviate them. As new and former refugees shared their stories, the JustFaith participants began to see how discrimination and isolation were impacting the refugees.
Saul Solis, a JustFaith participant, commented, “It made us humble and brought meaning to the word poverty. Lack of community and isolation is also poverty…We thank [them] for the sharing and making us aware of things that we didn’t know. In spite of suffering, we can still have compassion to love and care for one another.”
The JustFaith participants at the gathering committed to taking a more active role in supporting refugees. Some volunteered to be English as a second language coaches, others pledged to donate household items and furniture, and still others offered services and resources that could ease the challenges of finding affordable housing and good jobs.
Our Refugee Program director, Jeanne Nizigiyimana was so pleased to see people welcoming our refugees. She commented, “Our clients want to feel welcomed. It means so much to them to have compassionate, understanding people who accept them and want to support them.”
Parishes are finding ways to make a difference. In Flagstaff, a coalition of four JustFaith groups affirmed the dignity of homeless people by pushing for changes in the way the local newspaper reports on homeless people. Another group at my own St. Jerome’s parish began a foster care ministry to recruit families and provide support for foster parents and foster children. During Advent, a Christmas tree in the foyer of the church held 100 cards with first names, ages, and desires of the foster children for Christmas gifts. The gifts brought a moment of joy to the children and to those who provided the gifts — the fruits of charity!
Back to Top
The unnatural disaster
of poverty
What will be our response?
Imagine this scenario: A natural disaster occurs, wreaking havoc not just on the landscape, but in people’s lives.
The local government determines that 827,837 people are affected, including 316,973 children, and that more than 20,000 are immediately homeless. The rest have lost their jobs because of the extensive damage or have lost a significant portion of their income and cannot afford the basics — food, shelter, clothing, health care, and transportation. They need our help.
When an event like this occurs, we immediately spring into action. We erect shelters, set up emergency food distribution, and call in FEMA. Overall, we respond with generosity and compassion. Our responses to hurricanes Katrina and Rita are great examples of our community response Another example, more recently, was our response to the wildfires in Southern California. Even as FEMA, Catholic Charities agencies in Southern California, and other organizations reached out to victims directly, we here in the Phoenix Diocese took up collections in our parishes to assist them.
Natural disasters, however, are not the only kind there are. We are experiencing an unnatural disaster in Arizona today. It is ongoing and continually impacting people’s lives for the worse. It is poverty.
In Arizona, more than 827,000 people live in poverty — 14.2 percent of our population. Close to 317,000 are children, which means that one in five children in our state lives in poverty. In addition, 20,000 to 30,000 people are homeless.
Poverty is a disaster, and yet people do not respond with the same generosity and compassion. In fact, many people believe that poverty is the result of failures and deficiencies of people. They accept the conventional wisdom that most poor people spend most of their lives in poverty, do little or no work, and depend on government assistance for their livelihood.
The reality is quite different. Nearly half of Americans experience poverty by age 60. Nearly two-thirds of families below the poverty line ($20,650 in annual income for a family of four in 2007) include one or more workers. Only 3 percent of individuals receive more than half of their income from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (for which there is a maximum 5-year lifetime eligibility), Food Stamps, and Supplemental Security Income (for the disabled). Among developed nations, the United States has the highest rate of poverty and the lowest rate of success in reducing poverty.
Because of the damage that poverty causes to our people and our nation as a whole, we must respond to this disaster with the same energy with which we respond to natural disasters. Catholic Charities USA has set a goal of reducing poverty in the United States by 50 percent by the year 2020. To accomplish this goal, we need to focus on these four issues:
-- Living wage jobs: We see families where both parents work, many doing multiple jobs, but still can’t afford the basics.
-- Health care for all Americans: Our emergency service workers tell us that a health crisis by an uninsured family is the number one reason for needing help.
-- Economic security: Help in a time of crisis is essential. It costs eight times more to move a family from homelessness to permanent affordable housing than to assist with rent and utilities in a time of crisis.
-- Affordable housing: The number one barrier to getting out of poverty for the people we serve is affordable housing. Despite the effort to expand the supply, the demand continues to grow, especially as home prices have risen dramatically in the past five years. Our own emergency and transitional housing units do not begin to meet the growing need.
In addition to these, we need a commitment from each of us to eliminate this unnatural disaster in our midst. Poverty is a violation of our moral and democratic values, and its existence is a constant reminder that our commitment to love one another is not being realized. Reducing poverty must become a national priority.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us remember that when Jesus was born, he was laid not in a beautiful cradle, but in a humble manger. The poor were his earthly companions, and for their welfare He was constantly concerned. Let us also remember that after Jesus died on the cross for us, the early Christian community was animated by prayer and works of charity: “and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need” (Acts 2: 45).
Paul Martodam is CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.
Catholic Charities Community Services
For more information on reducing poverty, visit: www.catholiccharitiesaz.org, www.catholiccharitiesusa.org and www.cchd.org
The gift of adoption
For 75 years, Catholic Charities helps find loving homes for children
A happy event took place at a community center in the East Valley Nov. 2: More than 120 people gathered to celebrate a beautiful gift in their lives — the gift of adoption.
The evening, with dinner and fun activities, was a way for Catholic Charities to thank the many families there for adopting their children who otherwise would have grown up without a “forever” family.
One of the families at the gathering was Brett and Susie Jackson and their seven children — two biological, two adopted and three foster children.
When Brett and Susie’s hope for a large family faded because of medical reasons, they decided that they would adopt. They became foster parents, and while doing that, adopted a 1-year-old baby girl. She had suffered from neglect and would need special love and care, but Brett and Susie did not hesitate.
“It was just meant to be,” said Susie.
Not long after, a 4-month-old baby boy came into their lives as a foster child. He had been born drug-exposed and had entered foster care at 4 days old. When the rights of his biological parents were severed, Brett and Susie didn’t hesitate, again.
“We had fallen in love with him,” said Susie.
The whole experience of being foster parents and then adopting for Brett and Susie has been at times overwhelming and taxing, but they feel so rewarded.
“It’s worth it. The children benefit so much. They are in a better place,” said Susie. “And we too are blessed. Children bring so much into lives.”
Stories like these are common among the families that have adopted through Catholic Charities.
For 75 years now, Catholic Charities has been looking after the welfare of children. In 1933, the director of Catholic Charities Community Services advocated to stop the practice of placing orphaned children in reformatories. The result was an attorney general’s opinion ending the practice.
That first accomplishment led to the development of adoption services, especially for orphaned children. Later, pregnancy services were added to address the needs of women with unplanned pregnancies. Both services have expanded over the years as our population has grown dramatically, and the needs have risen.
Today, we continue to reach out to women with unplanned pregnancies — to extend compassion and support at a difficult time and to offer adoption as a responsible alternative to abortion.
There are many, many more adoptive parents willing to share their love, their lives, and their homes than there are infants available for adoption, and yet we are so very grateful for the faith and commitment of these couples and their desire to share God’s many blessings.
We make an effort to help these couples adopt, understanding that the process can be expensive. We charge a sliding fee, with a subsidy from the Charity and Development Appeal for families unable to pay the full fee.
Adoptions bring blessings
Catholic Charities also helps facilitate adoptions for children who are wards of the state. Arizona has 2,500 children in the foster care system who are available for adoption — they are not able to return home to their parents because of neglect, abuse or abandonment.
We are always searching for loving adoptive parents and safe, secure homes for these children. They range in age from newborn to teenager, and some are siblings that we try to keep together. Some children may have psychological, medical, or other special needs, and families are often granted an adoption subsidy to assist in their care. Unlike infant adoptions, these adoptions cost little to nothing.
We truly believe in and seek to follow Jesus’ call to love His little ones. Adoption blesses people’s lives, especially the lives of children. If you are interested in adoption or foster care, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We may be able to bring into your lives a beautiful child who needs your love.
How you can help women living with domestic violence
Catholic Charities advocates for women, promotes domestic violence awareness
September 6, 2007
You may not know it, but it is likely you are acquainted with someone who is a victim of domestic violence.
Nearly 25 percent of American women report being raped or assaulted by a current or former intimate partner or by someone they date. That’s a startling number of women, and it reveals the magnitude of this problem, which cuts across all ethnic, racial, and socio-economic groups.
At some point, one of the women you know may tell you that she is being abused or excessively controlled. What should you do?
First and foremost — believe her. You may know the spouse or partner and find abuse unbelievable. Men who exhibit abuse and control to their spouse are often charming and gracious to outsiders.
Acknowledge and support her. She is likely fearful of reprisal from her partner if he were ever to find out that she spoke to you — she is taking a risk.
Be a good listener. You don’t need to have answers, but she needs to know you care, so take her fears seriously. Let her know if you fear for her safety.
Let her know abuse is not her fault. Abuse is never justifiable.
Remind her of her strengths and positive attributes. She may feel inadequate or like a failure. Her self-esteem is likely very low.
Let her move at her own pace. If it is necessary, leaving her home for safety will be one of the most difficult decisions she will ever make.
Offer your help. Help her locate community resources to assist with protection, advocacy, or support.
Pray for her. And pray for the wisdom to help her.
Raising awareness
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Catholic Charities will be participating in a number of community events to raise awareness and advocate for help for victims of domestic violence.
Also this month, we hope to complete the long-needed expansion of My Sisters’ Place, our domestic violence shelter. In the past, we have had to turn many women away because we didn’t have the room to house them. With the expansion from 17 to 25 beds, we will be able to provide 2,920 additional safe nights of shelter to approximately 100 more women and children in crisis each year.
To further enhance My Sisters’ Place, we have begun a campaign to raise funds to renovate and upgrade appliances for the kitchen, increase the capacity of the laundry facility, upgrade the children’s playground, and complete the landscaping.
Our domestic violence services are so very important. They support women who are living or who have lived in desperate circumstances. One of these women shared her experience in a letter to Catholic Charities (her name has been changed):
“My name is Faith. My abuser, my spouse, has abused me for over 35 years. I have been in domestic violence shelters in three states. When I came to Arizona in June for vacation, I did not intend to return to my home state.
“I heard of My Sisters’ Place from a family member. I was drawn here because my own sisters (who live in Arizona) are so special to me. The moment I walked in the front door, I knew I had made the right decision. My heavy heart felt so much lighter. Because it is a smaller shelter, the staff becomes your “family.” The staff members here make me feel like I am a human being and that I do make a difference. It is important to me to feel safe, have a bed to sleep in at night and have healthy food to eat. The support group meetings are helpful and encouraging to me and all those who participate. I am sleeping better here than I have in a long time.
“My Sisters’ Place has already become a safe and special home to me. I would recommend My Sisters’ Place to others in need as a place to start their new life. I am a survivor and My Sisters’ Place has helped me to strive harder to stay that way. Thank you so very much for My Sisters’ Place.”
My Sisters’ Place and all our domestic violence services seek to help women find safety, peace, and hope in their lives, things that many of us take for granted. Please join with us in supporting women and children in crisis. Your donation will help provide counseling, advocacy, and an inviting place for women and children to heal from domestic violence. Please call (602) 285-1999, ext. 3927 or visit www.catholiccharitiesaz.org, if you can help us in this effort.
Back to Top
No child should go hungry — Catholic Charities aims to reduce poverty, hunger
September 6, 2007
It is the first day of school and the students are full of excitement and anticipation after the long, hot summer months. In a kindergarten classroom, the teacher asks the children, “How many of you had breakfast this morning?”
Nearly all hands go up.
The teacher then asks those who did not raise their hands, “Why did you not eat breakfast today?” All give an answer, except one little boy.
“And why did you not eat breakfast this morning?” the teacher asks him.
“Because it wasn’t my turn.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we don’t have enough money to buy food so that everyone can eat,” the boy said. “We take turns. Today, it wasn’t my turn.”
Today it wasn’t my turn. Seems a bit unreal, doesn’t it? That a child, in the United States today, should have to wait until it’s his turn to eat because his family can’t afford enough food. The sad truth, however, is that it’s very real, and it is primarily a result of poverty.
In Arizona, more than 314,000 children live in poverty, which the federal government defined in 2007 as a family of four with a total annual income of less than $20,650. Fifteen percent of families who received emergency food in Arizona reported that their children skip meals because there is not enough money for food.
Nearly 35 million people in the United States struggle with hunger. Hunger does not discriminate. It impacts children, the elderly and many working adults. Children account for 12.4 million (16.9 percent of all children) of those who go hungry each year. Senior citizens are also disproportionately affected by hunger; over three-quarters of a million senior Americans experience difficulty meeting their daily nutritional needs.
The face of hunger also belongs to the working poor, among whom 36 percent must turn to emergency food assistance to fight off hunger. Faced with low wages and rising housing, health care, and utility costs, low-income households may cut meals and/or buy less expensive food, which is often less nutritious, to make ends meet.
We at Catholic Charities are doing our best to alleviate the suffering of hunger. Last year, we provided food and emergency assistance to more than 77,000 people throughout central and northern Arizona. These efforts help many people through a crisis moment, but we must do more to ensure that families are able to provide food for themselves over the long term.
Hunger is the symptom of a much greater and debilitating disease — poverty. It is poverty that we must address if we are ever to be effective in alleviating hunger. This year, Catholic Charities joined Catholic Charities USA in a national campaign to reduce poverty in our country. We are committed to our national goal of cutting the poverty rate in half by 2020. To accomplish this, we will need to do much more than help people with a crisis.
Our first major event to address poverty in our diocese is a two-day conference on Oct. 5-6 at St. Paul Parish, 330 W. Coral Gables Drive, in Phoenix. On Friday, Oct. 5, training will be provided for Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul and parish staff and volunteers who work directly with people in poverty. Nationally recognized trainer Monica Bein will present “Bridges over Poverty” to help participants develop a thorough understanding of generational poverty and provide tools to help people overcome poverty.
The morning of Saturday, Oct. 6, will be devoted to a series of simultaneous workshops, each highlighting an aspect of poverty and connecting our Catholic faith to these issues. The afternoon will be devoted to planning sessions that focus on concrete actions to reduce poverty. Saturday’s session is open to all parishioners of the diocese, as well as catechists, teachers, community organizers, pastors, Just Faith students and graduates, and social justice activists.
Let us work to create a society that is free of poverty and free of hunger. Let’s build a society that communicates to every child, “It’s your turn to eat, today and every day.”
AUGUST 16, 2007
More than just the three R’s
Catholic Charities educates students about making good choices
It’s that time of year again. Kids are heading back to school, after scrambling for new backpacks and clothes and school supplies, and parents are glad that things are settling down after the activity of the summer months.
I remember sending our own children off to school, eager for them to learn and develop their minds, but also concerned about what they might encounter at school. Indeed, our children experienced bullying, profanity and “friends” who got them in trouble.
I’m sure that parents today sending their kids off to school feel the same wariness — but even more so. Our culture is saturated with images and messages that condone sexual promiscuity, pornography, alcohol and drugs, and in addition, there is the very real threat of sexual predators and violent peers with access to weapons.
Programs prepare kids
While we cannot prevent our children from being exposed to harmful influences, we can prepare them to make wise choices that will keep them safe and maximize their potential. At Catholic Charities, we strive to do just that through our Youth Education and Skill Building programs that we offer at public and private schools in our diocese. Youth heading back to school in the East Valley and in Yavapai and Coconino Counties can learn a lot more than reading, writing and arithmetic.
In East Valley schools, we offer our PAVE program — Preventing Abuse and Violence Education — for youth in junior high and high school. Abuse and violence can leave lasting scars in the hearts and minds of our youth, so we help them avoid abusive and violent relationships by teaching them to identify threatening behaviors. We show them constructive and healthy ways to resolve conflicts, change their own behavior, and get out of abusive relationships.
We also offer our Family Life Abstinence Education program in schools that helps youth understand the value and importance of waiting until marriage to become sexually active. We not only cover the unintended physical consequences for sexually active teens, such as sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, but discuss the emotional and psychological consequences as well. In addition, we reinforce the intimacy-building power that sex can have within a loving marriage relationship.
Our TAPP program — Teen Age Pregnancy Prevention — is an enhanced abstinence program that reaches youth in Yavapai and Coconino Counties. In addition to abstinence education offered in local schools, the program organizes numerous youth development activities that build self-esteem, leadership skills, and emotional and physical health. Studies show that when youth are involved in such activities, they are less likely to experiment with drugs and sex.
While we always hope that youth will make wise decisions, some do not and find themselves in difficult circumstances. We still seek to protect and nurture these youth by providing counseling, shelter, education and any other service that will help them overcome their challenges and thrive. For example, our Casa Linda Lodge helps pregnant teens or teens with infants adjust to becoming parents and prepare themselves for a career and independent living.
Consistency key
The reality is that our children spend much more time in school than they spend with us as parents in the home. When youth are armed with strong moral values and information that can protect them, they are much better equipped to take on the challenges of life and have the best possible chance for success. This happens when there is consistency in the messages and lessons from parents and school.
I pray that your children and grandchildren will have a very successful school year. I also pray that you are very involved in your child’s education — at school and at home.
Paul Martodam is CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. For more, visit the Web at www.catholiccharitiesaz.org.
Back to Top
JULY 19, 2007
Freedom for all: Helping refugees find new hope in a new home
Freedom is something we in the United States often take for granted. We are free to form our own opinions, to worship as we please, and to pursue our life’s goals.
For many of our brothers and sisters around the world, however, freedom is just a dream. They are persecuted because of their political and religious beliefs, uprooted from their homes by war, separated from their families, and in many cases abused and tortured.
Some are lucky enough to make it to new countries, where they are given an opportunity to rebuild their lives in freedom. Catholic Charities is proud and blessed to be a part of this process.
Several years ago, Wilfred Smallwood fled his native Liberia to escape persecution because of his religious beliefs. He and his son Oliver ended up in a refugee camp. While there, Wilfred found out that he had a massive brain tumor that threatened his life. Medical care was not available, and all Wilfred could do is pray.
Wilfred’s prayers were answered when a visiting brain surgeon from the United States came across Wilfred’s case. As a result, Wilfred’s resettlement process was expedited, and within days, he and his 13-year-old son were on their way to Phoenix.
When Wilfred and Oliver arrived at the airport, Catholic Charities Community Services’ Refugee Resettlement staff took Wilfred to St. Joseph’s Barrow Neurological Institute for immediate surgery. Oliver was taken to a foster home, arranged through our Refugee Foster Care Program, where he stayed while Wilfred recuperated.
When Wilfred was finally discharged, Catholic Charities, with the help of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, provided a furnished apartment. The Refugee Resettlement staff helped Wilfred learn about living in his new country and find a job. Oliver’s foster parents brought him to visit his father regularly, and returned him to Wilfred as soon as he was able to parent.
Today, Wilfred is feeling great, working, and enjoying life with his son again. “The people at Catholic Charities are God’s appointed servants,” said Wilfred. “It is by God’s mercy that we were sent to them.”
Wilfred is now free — free from religious persecution, free to support himself and his son, free from a life-threatening health problem, and free to hope for the future.
We can be proud as Catholics that we help people like Wilfred and Oliver to know freedom. In the past year, Catholic Charities helped to resettle 553 people from 12 trouble spots in the world.
But we can do much more.
Currently, about 9.9 million people are living in refugee camps across the world, languishing for an average of seven years before being resettled. Among them are 1.2 million Iraqis — some come from persecuted religious minority groups, while others are people who assisted the United States as translators and would be shot on sight if they went back home. The United States has indicated that it will begin to process and admit only 7,000 of these refugees.
As people of faith and hope, we should be proud of the help we provide, but we should also be deeply troubled by the number of refugees who are living in camps, without hope of returning home, but facing years of delay before being able to make a new home elsewhere. The United States can do more. Our Congressional leaders need to hear from us.
Freedom can be more than a dream, especially for people who must flee their country to protect themselves and their family. As we celebrate our freedom, let’s also recommit ourselves to freedom for all!
Paul Martodam is CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. For more, visit the Web at www.catholiccharitiesaz.org.
Back to Top
MAY 17, 2007
A bushel of apples for our teachers
Catholic Charities honors outstanding educators
Who’s not familiar with the image of a young, bashful student carefully placing a bright shiny apple on the teacher’s desk? Perhaps that student was you.
May is Teacher Appreciation Month. Every day at Catholic Charities, our staff members see how vital good teachers are to our society. Education has a tremendous impact on our ability as adults to be productive, contributing members of society. We know that education is the key to breaking cycles of violence and poverty.
This month, we especially value our wonderful Head Start teachers. Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that increases the school readiness of young children ages 3-5 from low-income families. While providing quality classroom instruction to these children, our teachers, just as importantly, help parents learn to work with them to support the educational process. Kids do better in school when parents are involved in their education.
Catholic Charities has been serving children and their parents through Head Start since the program was established in 1965. More than 23 million children are enrolled nationwide. Catholic Charities serves 970 children in 33 classrooms throughout western Maricopa County. We also serve 82 children in Early Head Start, which serves low-income families with children from birth to age 3.
One teacher’s story
Loreta Adame is one of our outstanding teachers. She has been teaching in our Head Start program for more than 25 years. “Teacher Dora,” as she is known to her students, has a model classroom and she often mentors new staff.
Loreta first got involved by volunteering in the classroom when her own children were in Head Start. When Loreta saw the benefits that both she and her children were receiving, she knew she wanted to help other children and families.
“I would watch the teachers, and I learned from them how to interact with my children in positive ways,” said Loreta. “They gave me a lot of good ideas.” Those ideas have been the foundation for Loreta’s work with her students in the classroom.
“Every year we have a different group of kids who have a variety of needs, so we work with each child one on one to help them learn,” said Loreta.
One of Loreta’s goals is to help children feel comfortable so that they can learn. She organizes the room in an inviting way, establishes a routine so that children know what to expect, and encourages the children to express themselves. She also takes time just to play with them. All the effort pays off.
“The kids come in at the beginning of the year very shy and quiet, but by the end of the year, they are giving us hugs and laughing,” said Loreta. “They make tremendous progress — academically, physically and socially — and they feel good about themselves.”
Loreta also supports the parents of her students by inviting them into the classroom, teaching them how to get involved with their child’s education, and supporting them in their own educational and work-related pursuits.
After 25 years, Loreta says the most rewarding part of her job is hearing that her former students are doing well in school.
Thank you, Loreta, for making a difference for so many children in our community, especially for those who would not otherwise receive a quality pre-school education.
And special thanks to all you teachers in our communities who give so much of yourselves for our children. You all deserve a bushel of apples.
Paul Martodam is CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.
To learn more about Catholic Charities Head Start, visit www.catholiccharitiesaz.org or call Linda Brown, program director, at (623) 486-9868.
Back to Top
APRIL 19, 2007
On a journey to healing
Catholic Charities works with children, families to end child abuse and neglect
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Every hour, a child is abused or neglected in Arizona — 24 children a day, 8,760 children each year. Arizona ranks fifth nationally in the number of children with substantiated reports of abuse and neglect, almost twice the national average.
I hope this is startling to you. The stories that our Catholic Charities staff hear from children about the abuse they have endured are at times unbelievable. Scars, cigarette burns, broken bones and injured bodies testify to the physical abuse. The fear in the children’s eyes, the desperation, and all too often, the blank stare of a child who has become numb to abuse attest to the psychological trauma.
When Catholic Charities was founded in 1933, our first official action was to advocate for changing a state policy that sent abused, neglected and abandoned children to state reformatories. Our success initiated the development of services to provide child victims with out-of-home care, work intensively with families to keep children at home or reunite families when a child has been removed, and prevent abuse and neglect from happening in the first place.
Providing safe homes is our first priority in protecting abused and neglected children. Catholic Charities has 344 licensed foster families throughout the diocese who care for about 1,500 children each year. In these homes, children who are often troubled, angry, and ashamed find love, stability, and encouragement and begin to heal emotionally and physically. We also operate two group homes that serve youth aging out of foster care and pregnant and parenting teens who cannot live at home or on their own.
While these out-of-home services are absolutely necessary, we believe that children do best when they are well cared for in their own homes by their own parents. Our trained staff provides intensive in-home counseling to help families identify and resolve problem areas before a child is removed or while the child is living in a foster or group home. Families are also connected with community supports that can alleviate the day-to-day stresses that may contribute to abuse and neglect.
When families are serious about changing behaviors, children benefit immensely — they can stay in their homes or be reunited with their families. When children cannot be reunited with their birth parents, Catholic Charities finds loving adoptive homes for them, giving them a chance to experience what God intended for family life.
In addition to these services, Catholic Charities works to prevent child abuse and neglect from happening at all. Through our abstinence education and teen pregnancy prevention programs, we educate youth about the importance of marriage, stability and maturity in providing a nurturing home for children, encourage them to make responsible choices so that they do not become parents before they are ready, and prepare them for the challenges of marriage and family life.
We also prevent child abuse and neglect by addressing the needs of families living in poverty, which is a significant risk factor for abuse or neglect. A study by the federal government compared families with an annual income of under $15,000 to families with an annual income over $30,000. They found that abuse is 14 times more common in poor families, and neglect is 44 times more common in poor families.
Therefore, one of the most effective abuse and neglect prevention strategies is to help families out of poverty. Several Catholic Charities programs — case management, emergency assistance, job development, emergency and transitional housing, domestic violence services — help families access community resources, find stability, and take advantage of job training and placement opportunities. When families are stable financially, they are better able to function in healthy and nurturing ways.
Inspired by our faith, we at Catholic Charities strive to emulate Jesus’ love for children. And yet, many of the children who come to us for care cannot fathom a Jesus who loves them. That’s why we’re here. The journey to healing for abused and neglected children begins with our foster parents and staff who love and care for them. The journey to healing for the families we work with — often torn by poverty, violence, and substance abuse — begins with our staff members who bring help, hope, and a vision for a different future. The journey is not easy, but with compassion, love, skill and faith, children and their families can become whole again.
Special thanks to our thousands of contributors who support these and other services. You make a tremendous difference in the lives of children every day.
Martodam is CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. Visit www.catholiccharitiesaz.org.
MARCH 15, 2007
The basics of a dignified life
Why all people deserve and should have access to health care
When I was about 5 years old, I remember my mother suddenly hemorrhaging one afternoon. My dad rushed her to the hospital, where she was taken care of immediately. When the medical bills came, my parents paid for them with meat from our farm animals.
We were fortunate. We had a way to pay for the services my mother needed. That is not the case, however, for so many people in our country today. The costs of health care have risen tremendously and most families cannot access affordable health care without health insurance. And yet, 46.6 million Americans do not have it. More than 8 million are children. In Arizona, there are 1 million uninsured; 251,000 are children.
Of the uninsured, 36 percent live below the federal poverty level, which in 2006 was about $20,000 in annual income for a family of four. This isn’t a problem just for the poor, however. Thirty-one percent live above 200 percent of the poverty level. Most of the uninsured — eight out of 10 — are in working families, but they do not make enough money to cover their basic expenses and pay costly insurance premiums.
Sadly, health care in our society is viewed as a commodity, instead of a basic need. It is available to those who can pay. And to those that can’t, well, tough luck.
Our Catholic faith teaches us something different. Health care is absolutely essential to human dignity, one of our bedrock values. Our dignity is a gift of God, and must be protected.
Pope Benedict XVI said, “Within the community of believers, there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life” (“God is Love,” 2005, 20). Lack of access to health care is a form of poverty that denies people what is needed for a dignified life.
Every day at Catholic Charities, we see how the lack of health care impacts people. Some people come asking for food because they spent their food money on medication for their sick child. Others are in dire financial stress because they incurred high medical bills at the emergency room. Some need help paying rent so they can pay to see a doctor and continue working.
The lack of health care, however, has a far greater impact than that on people’s wallets. People’s ability to function productively throughout their lives is hampered. Children without access to health care do not get immunizations or well-check visits, get ill more often and stay ill longer, grow more slowly, and perform poorly in school. Adults avoid seeking care and often go to work ill, which affects their job performance. Because they do not get annual exams and consistent care, chronic problems and diseases are not discovered until they are very serious, even life-threatening.
It doesn’t have to be this way. As a society, we can do much more for people without health insurance. With government, private agencies, and businesses working together, we can supply what is needed for a dignified life, including health care.
Take, for example, the story of Wilfred Smallwood, a Liberian refugee suffering from a massive brain tumor. As soon as he arrived in Phoenix from Africa, he was whisked away for life-saving surgery at St. Joseph’s Barrow Neurological Institute. His care was paid for in part by a health insurance program for newly arrived refugees funded by our federal and state governments. At the same time, St. Joseph Hospital and Wilfred’s surgeon provided several services at no cost. And while Wilfred was in surgery, Catholic Charities provided foster care for his 13-year-old son. When Wilfred had recuperated, we provided a furnished apartment, and a local business stepped up to give Wilfred a job. Today, Wilfred is feeling great, working, and being a father again. He thinks his story is a miracle.
As a community of faith and as members of our larger communities, we need to come together to repeat this miracle for the 1 million people in our state who may lack the conditions necessary for a dignified life. Our theme this year at Catholic Charities is, “It takes all of us.” If we all work together in faith and prayer, we can ensure health care for everyone. God is counting on us!
Paul Martodam is CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. Visit www.catholiccharitiesaz.org.
HOW TO HELP
Each year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Health Association of America and Catholic Charities USA co-sponsor the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Cover the Uninsured Week, a public awareness and policy campaign in support of providing health care for those who cannot afford it. Cover the Uninsured Week will be held April 23-29.
For information about how to support this campaign:
www.usccb.org/sdwp/aboutctuw.htm
www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
www.covertheuninsured.org
Perspectives
January 18, 2007
A nation without poverty
Catholic Charities joins national Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America
Most of us took a holiday a few weeks ago as we celebrated Christmas and the New Year. But many of us did not. If you are poor, you probably didn’t take much of a holiday, because poverty itself never takes a vacation.
More than 37 million Americans live in poverty — that’s nearly 13 percent of our population. In 2006, the federal poverty level for a family of four was about $20,000 in annual income. And yet, this measure of poverty is woefully low, disguising millions of Americans who struggle to meet basic needs.
Poverty is not a stranger to many of us. In fact, more than half of all Americans will experience poverty for at least one year during their adult lives (from ages 20 to 65). Children are especially vulnerable to the pain of poverty — about one in four children in the United States lives in these conditions. Among developed nations, our child poverty rate of 21.9 percent is second only to Mexico, where 27.7 percent of children live in poverty. In contrast, the countries of Scandinavia have child poverty levels of less than 5 percent (UNICEF 2005).
This month, Catholic Charities USA, the national organization of Catholic Charities agencies, launches the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America. Our goal is to educate the public about poverty, engage people in our communities to find solutions, and influence policymakers to implement measures that will reduce the poverty rate by half by 2020.
Why should we, as Catholics, care about poverty? Because the existence of poverty is first and foremost a moral issue that our faith calls us to act upon.
Pope Benedict XVI states the moral case clearly: “Within the community of believers, there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life” (“God is Love,” 2005, 20). Among the conditions for dignified life are work that pays a living wage, decent housing, health care and education.
The existence of poverty in our country, however, is not just a moral failing. It is a diminution of our nation’s democratic values. Our country was founded as a commonwealth, built on the principle that the government exists to preserve the common good for its people. Sadly, that founding principle has lost much support in our country today.
Pope John Paul II, speaking at Giants Stadium in 1995, said, “Is present-day America becoming less sensitive, less caring towards the poor, the weak, the stranger, and the needy? It must not! …If America were to turn in on itself, would this not be the beginning of the end of what constitutes the essence of the ‘American experience’?”
The United States is the wealthiest nation on earth, yet we have one of the highest rates of poverty among first world countries. Why is that? Because we have failed as a society to make social and political choices that would alleviate poverty.
The Catholic Charities USA Campaign to Reduce Poverty begins with the education of policy makers and the public about poverty. It seeks to engage those most impacted by government policies to be active participants in developing solutions. It calls upon government (that’s all of us — working together) to improve and adopt public policies that strengthen and support families. Finally, the campaign seeks to engage every one of us in solving the problem of poverty.
The goal of cutting poverty in half by 2020 is not unrealistic. We simply need to make the choice to do it. We are a country of great determination, and we can accomplish anything if only we commit ourselves and our resources to the cause.
Imagine a nation without poverty. Imagine an economy that produces decent jobs at livable wages so that people can support themselves and their families. Imagine a system that provides a good education for every child, and ensures adequate nutrition and health care for all of us. We can achieve it.
Martin Luther King Jr., said, “We are called to play the Good Samaritan on life’s roadside, but that will be only an initial act. One day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through life. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”
I invite you to join us on this important journey of faith and hope!
More Information
Read “Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good”: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
Learn more about how Catholic Charities is working to end poverty: www.catholiccharitiesaz.org
Learn more about poverty and the work of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development: www.usccb.org/sdwp/placeatthetable
For paper copies, call Catholic Charities’ Office of Peace and Justice: (602) 285-1999, ext. 3940.
Struck by ‘frequent and overwhelming episodes of appreciation’
Many thanks for your support, from Catholic Charities
December 21, 2006
Recently, a message titled “Advent Virus” appeared in my e-mail inbox. I immediately envisioned a virus that would cripple my computer and went to hit the “delete” button. Instead, I hit the “open” button and the message popped up on my screen. Much to my surprise (and relief), the message warned of the hearts of a great many people being infected with hope, peace, joy, and love — a threat to the status quo.
I learned that some signs and symptoms of the Advent Virus include:
-- A tendency to think and act spontaneously, rather than on fears based on past experiences;
-- An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment;
-- A loss of interest in judging other people;
-- A loss of interest in conflict;
-- A loss of the ability to worry (this is a very serious symptom);
-- Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation;
-- Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature;
-- Frequent attacks of smiling; and
-- An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.
I think it’s possible that I have caught the Advent Virus, because I must admit to being smitten with frequent and overwhelming episodes of appreciation lately. As the year draws to a close during this Advent Season, I feel so much gratitude for:
-- The generous donors who provide critical financial support for Catholic Charities’ ministry of love;
-- The thousands of volunteers who give of their time and talent to help make a difference in people’s lives;
-- Our board of directors and advisory boards that give us vision, direction and ongoing support;
-- Our gifted staff leaders who manage and direct the 52 programs throughout the diocese; and
-- Our 600 staff members who pour out their love and care to the thousands of people who seek help from us each year.
All these wonderful contributors make it possible for us to do our work. Just as the theme of our annual report — “It Takes All of Us” — declares: the work of Catholic Charities is the work of the entire Catholic community and beyond, and it takes all of us to accomplish our mission to build just and caring communities — to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth.
In his first encyclical, “God Is Love,” Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that “love is now no longer a mere ‘command;’ it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us.” As we give of our time, talent and treasure during Advent, the joy within our hearts builds. That joy is God drawing near to us. But feeling this joy is not limited to the holiday season. Our mission continues throughout the year, and so do the opportunities for God to draw nearer to us, as we pour out our love to others. We encourage you to seek out these opportunities and through them invite God’s presence into your lives.
May your Advent and Christmas be filled with joy. Thank you for all you do to support the work of Catholic Charities and the 210,000 people who each year trust us enough to come seeking help and hope.
And watch out for that Advent Virus — you might want to catch it!
Peace and blessings.
Paul Martodam is the CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. Visit the Web at: www.catholiccharitiesaz.org.
Rescued from the dark world of commercial sex exploitation
Catholic Charities’ DIGNITY program aids women, children
November 16, 2006
When we hear the word “prostitution,” many of us think of the glamorized version presented on television and in movies. Or we think of sin, disgust and degradation. Few of us think about kidnapping, coercion and slavery.
I recall a day in 1995 when Maureen Webster, then regional director for Catholic Charities in Phoenix, came to me with an unusual request. She had been approached by a woman named Kathleen Mitchell, who had been visiting prostitutes in jail. Kathleen knew she could help many women get off the streets, but just needed the backing of an organization like Catholic Charities. We invested $50,000 to get the DIGNITY program started.
We learned quickly that prostitution is not an occupation of choice for most women involved. In fact, 87 percent want to leave. Prostitution is dark, ugly and oppressive. Most women are beaten, drugged and threatened by pimps to remain in the business.
DIGNITY supports women in leaving prostitution. Staff members go to areas of frequent prostitution to offer information. They also conduct an education group in Estrella Jail, where they encourage women to enroll, as an alternative to jail time, in DIGNITY’s 36-hour intensive educational program that aims to move women from prostitution to productive societal integration. In addition, women can participate in a year-long residential program that includes life skills education, counseling, drug and alcohol recovery, case management, and employment. Each year, DIGNITY helps nearly 600 women escape prostitution.
Our work through DIGNITY has led us into the darker and even more destructive world of human trafficking. It is nothing short of modern day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Every year, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people — 80 percent of whom are female, and 50 percent of whom are under the age of 18 — are trafficked across international borders. Add to that another 125,000 to 300,000 American children who are trafficked within the United States.
In May 2005, we started our DIGNITY Trafficking Outreach and Rescue program to identify victims of human sex trafficking and help them safely escape. In the last 18 months, we have worked with 152 individuals, including children as young as 9 years old. Thirty-two percent come from Mexico and 6 percent from other countries. A staggering 62 percent come from within the United States.
We work very closely with local law enforcement to combat sex trafficking. The Phoenix Police Department is actively working on 11 cases. In one case, three 15-year-old girls were being worked by six pimps. In another case, a 15-year-old girl was beaten, put in a cage, threatened with death, and forced to sleep under a waterbed at night so she could not escape. Her trafficker asked how she wanted to die — with a shot to the head or the heart. She chose the heart so that at least her parents would be able to identify her body.
Sadly, we are limited in what we can do for many of these women and children. While there is funding to help those who are trafficked internationally, there is no money to help American women that have been trafficked into the sex trade. And, while American children under the age of 18 who are sexually exploited are considered to be victims of a severe form of trafficking and are eligible for services under federal law, there are no shelters for these children in Arizona.
Kathleen Mitchell, founder and coordinator of the DIGNITY programs, said, “When we meet children on the streets who are victims of sex trafficking, we provide them with snacks and personal hygiene necessities. We talk to them and give them referrals to other programs that can help. The problem is that they have nowhere to go once we talk to them. We must expand our services and open new shelters to provide a safe escape or they will only continue to go back to the auction block, the buyers and the trafficker.”
Funding is desperately needed if we are to save these women and children from exploitation. We must not only keep them safe, but also teach them a new way of life. At Catholic Charities, we are doing as much as we can for women and children in the bondage of the sex trade. Your assistance can help us do more.
For more information about Catholic Charities’ DIGNITY program, call (602) 224-5457 or (602) 486-4973 or contact Kathleen Mitchell at kmitchell@cc-az.org.
Paul Martodam is the CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. Visit www.catholiccharitiesaz.com.
Navigating the two P’s through adolescence
October 19, 2006
Those of us who have parented teenagers know well the lure of sex and sexual activity for our children during their formative adolescent years. Already experiencing a natural curiosity and excitement about sex, our children are bombarded by TV shows, music lyrics and videos, and movies that glamorize free sex and promiscuity. Our stores market it, our institutions accept it and some in our society even applaud it.
What we don’t see that often, at least not in the popular media, are the effects of teenage sexual activity. But they are readily apparent to anyone who looks beyond the flash and glamour. Teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and emotional damage beset our young people who become sexually active too early. And these effects can last a lifetime.
-- Young women are becoming mothers when they are least able to take on the challenge, most often resulting in poverty for both mother and child;
-- In the state of Arizona, 38 teen girls become pregnant every day, ranking Arizona fourth for the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation;
-- One out of two sexually active youth will contract a sexually transmitted disease by age 25;
-- Sexually active youth often experience guilt, regret, and low self-esteem. Many young women who choose abortions live with emotional scars for years to come.
The only way for young people to absolutely avoid these effects is by remaining sexually abstinent. Abstinence education fortifies our children with information about their health and well-being and strengthens their resolve to save sexual activity for a loving relationship with a committed spouse. The alternative, comprehensive sex education (read: contraceptive education) has proven to be less effective. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, teen pregnancy rates increased at an alarming 23 percent from 1972 to 1990 — the period during which comprehensive sex education began and became widespread.
Thankfully, the abstinence message is getting through. Studies show that teen sex has decreased in the past decade and the number is continuing to fall. The Heritage Foundation found that teens who abstain from sex during high school are 60 percent less likely to be expelled from school, 50 percent less likely to drop out of high school, and almost twice as likely to graduate from college.
The two most powerful influences on youth are the two P’s — parents and peers. All the best research shows that parents are the single most important influence on whether their teens become sexually active, but experts estimate that only 10 to 15 percent of today’s youth have discussed sex with their parents, even though more than half of sexually active teens wish they could, according to a Roper Starch Survey. Too many parents have been convinced that teenage sexual activity is inevitable and uncontrollable. Others just don’t know how to go about it, so they don’t.
Catholic Charities’ Abstinence Education and Teen Age Pregnancy Prevention programs address the other P — peers. Last year, our abstinence education programs reached almost 25,000 youth in Maricopa County and over 5,000 youth in Yavapai County.
These programs do much more than teach youth about the risks of sexual activity and the benefits of abstinence until marriage. They teach responsible decision making skills in the context of values that uphold the dignity of each person. They teach youth responsibility to themselves and others. They also teach youth about fundamental leadership skills, which can make an incredible difference in their future lives.
We are doing our best to hold up our P — helping youth and their peers to make the right choice about sexual activity. But you parents must hold up your P! Talk to your teens and pre-teens about sex and the importance of abstinence. If you don’t know how to do it, we can help. But either way, it must be done. Your children’s health and well-being depend on it.
Paul Martodam is the CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. Visit www.catholiccharitiesaz.org.
Sept. 21, 2006
‘See how they love others’
Catholic Charities engages, supports parishes in the works of charity
Imagine bringing a friend to your parish. Eager to share, you would tell your friend about all the wonderful ministries there.
But what evidence would your friend find that the Eucharist we celebrate on Sunday is lived out in the parish community during the week? Would your friend say, “See those Catholics, see how they love others!”?
In his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), Pope Benedict XVI said, “Love of neighbor, grounded in love of God, is first and foremost a responsibility of each individual member of the faithful, but it is also a responsibility of the entire ecclesial community at every level: from the local community (parish) to the particular Church (diocese) and to the Church universal in its entirety (global). As a community, the Church must practice love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community.”
As Pope Benedict reminds us, works of charity are not an option for us. We are obligated to serve individually, in our parishes and in the diocese. Catholic Charities is one part of the diocese’s response to the poor and vulnerable. We offer a number of services that simply cannot be provided by parishes. However, we work to engage and support parishes in programs of service throughout the diocese via our Parish Social Ministry program, a major focus of our Office of Peace and Justice.
There are so many opportunities to serve. The St. Vincent de Paul Society, which operates in many of our parishes, brings the love of Christ to people in our communities living in poverty. Many parishes are engaged in Andre House, Habitat for Humanity and other social ministries. In addition, 28 parishes have developed one or more parish social ministries in partnership with our Office of Peace and Justice.
Many have entered into a formal partnership with a Catholic Charities service. Ten parishes have, or are developing, a foster care support ministry, where members support some of the 430 Catholic Charities foster families across the diocese who care for vulnerable children. Two parishes support refugee families through our Refugee Resettlement program and three others partner with our Domestic Violence programs.
Teams of committed volunteers from 18 parishes educate people on poverty in the United States and promote the work of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which grants funds to community projects that reduce poverty.
Global solidarity is a focus for five parishes. Teenagers from these parishes recently joined in an Office of Peace and Justice-sponsored trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico, where they met migrants, learned about the underlying causes of migration, and engaged in an evening of sharing with teens from a local parish.
Twenty parishes are engaged in community organizing. Leadership training empowers parishioners by giving them the skills to raise their voices to change systemic injustices. These parishioners educate political leaders and the public about the need for comprehensive immigration reform, adequate affordable housing, health care for vulnerable children and families, and improved public transportation.
The Office of Peace and Justice has also initiated the JustFaith program for adults and the Justice Walking program for youth in 14 parishes. These nationally recognized social formation programs seek to expand parishioners’ commitment to social ministry. Participants study together the Church’s commitment to the poor and vulnerable in a lively, challenging, multifaceted process, all experienced in the context of a small community of faith. As a result of this formation program, a group of 30 JustFaith graduates are working to formally organize Catholic Charities social ministries in parishes to better organize, support, and develop parish-based services.
Catholic Charities is committed to working together with every parish to become a beacon of faith, hope and charity. Let it be said of us, “See those Catholics, see how they love others!”
Please call our Office of Peace and Justice at (602) 285-1999 ext. 3940 to learn how you and your parish can become a part of the great work we are called to do.
Paul Martodam is the CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services.
Aug. 17, 2006
Into open arms:
Katrina evacuees find help, hope through Catholic Charities
As the nation enters another hurricane season, my thoughts drift back to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The country’s worst natural disaster uprooted thousands of lives. Many individuals and families are now living in our state, and one year later, they still need our help.
Arizona is probably one of the last places that hurricane evacuees thought they’d end up, yet the need to get people out of the devastated Gulf Coast region was urgent. Shelters in Gulf States were already overrun. It became necessary for cities all over the country to open their arms to people whose lives had been turned upside down overnight.
When Arizonans heard that evacuees were coming, the outpouring of charity was tremendous and immediate. Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum was filled with row after row of cots. Help stations for health care, food, clothing, social services and government benefits were set up along the perimeter. Food and clothing poured into the arena.
Catholic Charities is a long-time member of the Arizona Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, so I was called in to assess how our organization could help. I was anxious to join other volunteers as well as city and state officials to provide relief.
Shortly after the evacuees arrived, I had lunch with a couple who had lost everything. Their remaining possessions consisted of a bag of items they had collected along the way. With dazed looks in their eyes, they told us that two of their five children were with them; they had no idea where two of their children were but hoped and prayed that they had made it to their oldest daughter’s home in Atlanta. Relief workers were already working to secure bus tickets to Atlanta for them, but the family had no cash for the three-day trip.
Catholic Charities immediately made cash available to St. Vincent de Paul’s Traveler’s Aid program, which was already set up at the coliseum. That program provided cash for food and other essentials to people leaving by bus to join family members around the country. Our contact at Alltel gave us free cell phones for evacuees to use to call their family members. In addition, we sent counselors to the coliseum to help evacuees deal with the trauma they had experienced.
That was just the beginning. In conjunction with the Diocese of Phoenix, we helped organize a collection in parishes for hurricane victims. More than $84,000 was sent to Catholic Charities USA, the national Catholic disaster response agency.
I serve on the Board of Trustees for CCUSA, which oversees the management of disaster funds. Nationally, CCUSA has served nearly one million people with more than $160 million in funds. Our focus is on long-term recovery, so our efforts to help people devastated by the hurricanes rebuild their lives and their homes are just beginning.
Locally, Catholic Charities assisted evacuees who decided to remain in our Diocese. We have helped hundreds of people secure apartments, find jobs, make utility and rent payments and buy necessities like clothing. We have also provided case management services, connecting individuals and families to community resources and services.
Furthermore, we worked with parishes and the St. Vincent de Paul Society to coordinate the pick-up of furniture donations from people all over the Valley to help our new neighbors set up comfortable apartments as they began their new lives.
In the last year, we have spent more than $42,000 to assist hurricane victims, even though we didn’t have any funding when we started. Our Board of Directors determined that assisting these victims was central to our mission, and board members committed reserves to fund needed services if donations did not cover expenses. Donations have helped tremendously, but as we expected, when the publicity died down, so did donations.
Our efforts, however, have not subsided. We continue to dedicate a full time case manager and resources to serve families who have no prospect of returning to New Orleans or the Gulf Coast. One year later, they still need assistance in rebuilding their lives, and at Catholic Charities, we still need additional financial support to provide that assistance.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were indeed devastating disasters for our country and for hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens. But the tragedies have also brought out the best in us — generosity, caring and hard work. Your support has helped us provide help and create hope for hurricane victims as they rebuild their lives. If you are able to help support these efforts, please visit our Web site, www.catholiccharitiesaz.org, and click on “How to Help” at the top of the page. You can also call us at (602) 285-1999, ext. 3951.
May God bless you.
Martodam is the CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services.
|
