Christmas Gala Honors Women Religious Who Served at Catholic

February 2008
www.CatholicCharitiesLA.org • ISSN 1551-9112
Dave Shorey (forefront) instructs aspiring musicians
at the Guadalupe Center in Canoga Park where the
poverty rate for children is 37%.
T
he Rotary Club of Warner Center
sponsors “The Blues Lab” at
Catholic Charities’ Guadalupe Center
in the San Fernando Region. It is a
10-week music course that teaches
children from low-income families
basic skills in guitar, bass and drums.
The classes are taught by a professional
guitarist, Dave Shorey. “The Blues
Lab” was founded to provide at-risk
children with access to arts instruction.
The classes have been available at
Guadalupe Center since 2002.
“The Blues Lab” provides a means for
the children to express their feelings
and creativity while participating in
a safe and wholesome after-school
activity. Over the years, students
from Guadalupe Center have
performed at the Musicians Institute,
at the first anniversary of Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s “Arnold’s Kids”
program and at the annual Guadalupe
Center Christmas parties. ✤
Christmas Gala Honors Women Religious
Who Served at Catholic Charities
I
n December, at the historic
Crystal Ballroom of the
Millennium Biltmore Hotel,
Catholic Charities held its annual
City of Angels Christmas Gala with
proceeds to be used to provide food,
clothing, shelter and employment
services for the homeless and
working poor. The event celebrated
the women religious who have served
at Catholic Charities in the persons
of Sister Georgianna Cahill, S.S.S,
and Sister Julia Mary Farley, C.S.J.
Photo: Thomas Wilmshurst
Rotary Club Sponsors
Music Classes at
Guadalupe Center
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony is pictured with Sister Julia Mary Farley,
C.S.J. (left center), Sister Georgianna Cahill, S.S.S. (right center) and
Monsignor Gregory A. Cox, Catholic Charities’ Executive Director.
Cardinal Roger Mahony greeted guests as
they arrived at the formal event and Catholic
Charities’ Board President, Paul D. Tosetti,
served as Master of Ceremonies. During
the dessert, Madrigal Singers from Beverly
Hills High School performed a selection
of traditional Christmas songs. The music
during dinner, and for dancing, was provided
by the Jay Sterling Orchestra.
Sister Georgianna Cahill entered the
Sisters of Social Service in 1946 and
served at Catholic Charities for 40 years
from 1952-1992. Sister Julia Mary Farley
entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1952
and has served at Catholic Charities as
the Director of Good Shepherd Center
for Homeless Women and Children
for 23 years since 1984. On behalf
of Good Shepherd Center, Sister Julia
Mary accepted a check in the amount of
$100,000, from an anonymous donor, to
be used for programs at Good Shepherd
Center’s Women’s Village. ✤
In This Issue...
Executive Director’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2
A Season for Sharing in Santa Barbara Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2
Family Benefits from Reading Newsletter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3
OC Board of Supervisors Honors Catholic Charities’ Employee . . . . . . page 3
OASIS Assists With Benefits Increase for Senior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3
College Students Intern at Catholic Charities’ San Pedro. . . . . . . . . . . . page 4
Message from the Executive Director,
Monsignor Gregory A. Cox
R
ecently, Jewish Family Services invited me to share some thoughts
concerning the relationship between faith and social work. They
graciously sent me a number of questions and one of them was: “How
do faith and religion impact the way your agency provides services?” This
question became the main topic for the discussion.
In a recent article entitled “Integrating Spirituality, Faith, and Social Justice in
Social Work Practice and Education: A Pilot Study,” the authors Eun-Kyoung
Lee and Callan Barrett stated that 50% of their sample of social workers agreed
that their faith and spirituality motivated them to enter the field of social
work. Furthermore, those in their sample asserted that their personal sense of
spirituality extends to their altruistic behaviors, such as donating funds and
volunteering their time to religious, social, and cultural causes. The content
analysis of the responses among the sample identified a link between spirituality
and social justice. The majority of respondents valued the spiritual dimensions
of their own lives and respected spirituality’s importance for their clients.
Accreditations, audits, annual reports and self-evaluations are instruments
that agencies make available to society to show the quality of their services.
Catholic Charities and other faith-based organizations have another invaluable
component called “religious faith” which deals with the internal nature of those
who work for them. This faith motivation is not only a factor for those who are
working directly with clients but also for those who work indirectly through
administrative positions of Catholic Charities.
What a wonderful motivating thought for all who work at Catholic Charities:
“Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least among you, you did it
for me.” (Matthew 25:40) ✤
DONATE THAT OLD CAR!
IT CAN WORK MIRACLES!
Help Catholic Charities to end
hunger and homelessness.
IT’S EASY!
Call us and we’ll arrange to sell your car.
You get a tax benefit for your
contribution and your gift will help us in
caring for thousands of needy people.
VEHICLE DONATION PROGRAM
(213) 251-3494
Save thE date!
Twelfth Annual
Monday, July 7, 2008 at
Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake.
For more information, call
(213) 251-3495 or (213) 251-3494.
A Season For Sharing In Santa Barbara Region
T
he Santa Barbara Region was alive with the Christmas
spirit as people worked together to make the season a
memorable one for families most in need. Santa Barbara
Community Services Center partnered with Our Lady
of Mount Carmel Church and Rose Story Farms so
that poor families could celebrate Christmas with gifts.
In Lompoc, staff and volunteers distributed over 135 turkeys
and other food items and the “Angel’s Program” made 100
toys available for children of needy families. An additional
50 children received toys donated through the Federal
Correction Institution and 30 children benefited from gifts
donated by anonymous donors.
Christmas wishes came true for 35 children, living in the most impoverished communities
of Santa Barbara County, when they found shiny new bicycles under their trees.
In Santa Maria, the “Navidad En El Barrio” program offered
more than 450 Christmas baskets containing food, small
toys and treats to families in Guadalupe and Santa Maria. A
wonderful surprise occurred when a group of girls and their
sponsors dropped off 35 new bicycles. The bicycles were
distributed to extremely needy families in Santa Maria and the
outlying areas of the Cuyama Valley, where children have little
chance of having a new bike on Christmas morning. ✤
Family Benefits from Reading Newsletter
T
he O’Neills live in Monrovia
and were fraught with mounting
medical bills resulting from
the multiple hospitalizations of their
five-year-old daughter. Although both
hard-working parents devoted full days
to maintaining their family, they were
still unable to cover basic daily needs
and outstanding healthcare expenses.
Their eight children require a substantial
amount of money as well as time
and energy.
OASIS Assists
With Benefits Increase
for Senior
R
Caring community members from the Volunteer Center of
San Gabriel Valley donated their time to bring a fresh look
to the O’Neills’ home.
While reading about the help offered to struggling families and individuals in Catholic
Charities’ quarterly newsletter, The Sage, John O’Neill first understood the depth of support
offered by Catholic Charities. With their eighth child on the way, and having already received
aid from their home parish, the O’Neills decided to turn to Catholic Charities for assistance.
ecently at Catholic Charities’
OASIS (Older Adults Services
and Intervention Systems) office in
Camarillo, long-time administrative
assistant, Linda, was reviewing
client applications when she noticed
something unusual. The stated
income on the application of an
80 year-old widow, Judy, appeared
to be extraordinarily high.
Catholic Charities’ staff members in the San Gabriel Region assessed the family’s needs and
a Client Resources Coordinator sought the means to assist with the outstanding medical
expenses, home repairs, childcare, and other necessities. Catholic Charities was able to provide
a financial subsidy to help with existing medical bills, and sponsored several hours of care for
their daughter from the Mast Sisters, an order of religious in Long Beach who offer low-cost
professional in-home care. Support groups, free in-home medical equipment providers and
cancer services were also secured for the O’Neills. The Angel Interfaith Network in South
Pasadena provided baby items, clothing and shoes for the children.
The Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley agreed to make the O’Neills a beneficiary of their
annual “Make a Difference Day” event. The Center recruited professional home-repair men,
painters and independent businesses to donate manpower and supplies. Other volunteers
worked with the O’Neills to clean up the yard. The new paint, back porch covering and
gardening help to revive the look of the home and the spirits of the O’Neill family. ✤
Orange County Board of Supervisors
Honors Catholic Charities’ Employee
L
oc Nam Nguyen, Catholic Charities’
Immigration and Refugee Services’
program director, was honored during a
regular meeting of the Orange County
Board of Supervisors. He has served at the
agency for 32 years since arriving from Viet
Nam where he was an attorney.
A resolution commending Mr. Nguyen’s
commitment and service to the public was
introduced and presented by Supervisor
Janet Nguyen of the First District. For the
first time in its 50 year history, the Board
presented this recognition to a person who
was a refugee to the United States. ✤
Loc Nguyen (center) is pictured with Christopher Norby, Chairman
of the Orange County Board of Supervisors (left) and Supervisor
Janet Nguyen.
Linda Esparza, administrative assistant for OASIS
Camarillo (pictured), reviews applications to determine
eligibility for services to low-income, homebound seniors.
After more investigation, the staff
learned that a substantial annuity
belonging to Judy was depleted,
leaving her with an income well
below poverty level. Judy’s daughter
had been paying her mortgage so that
her mother could stay in her home
and remain independent.
OASIS staff worked with Judy and
the Social Security Administration
to have an adjustment made to her
benefits including a reduction in her
Medicare premiums. The correction
allowed Judy to increase her monthly
income by $450. With the assistance
of OASIS’ staff, Judy can now
comfortably enjoy a greater measure
of life in her own home. ✤
College Students Intern at Catholic Charities’
San Pedro Region
T
he San Pedro Region
of Catholic Charities
is benefiting from a
collaboration with several local
colleges and universities. Catholic
Charities provides internship sites
and supervision for students who
are seeking degrees in social work.
The internships enhance student
skills in human services while giving
additional support to Catholic
Charities’ programs and services.
The interns are developing their professional skills while
serving those in need. Pictured, left to right, are Glenna Hobbs,
Lindsay Parker, Brenda Carigma and Edna Carvalho.
Glenna Hobbs is a Master’s level social work student from
California State University Fullerton who is assigned to
Project Achieve, a Catholic Charities’ homeless shelter for
single men and women in Long Beach. Lindsay Parker and
1531 James M. Wood Blvd.
Post Office Box 15095
Los Angeles, CA 90015-0095
www.CatholicCharitiesLA.org
Address Service Requested
Designate your 2008 United Way donation for
Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. and help
families, like the O’Neills, when they need it most.
Brenda Carigma, also Master’s degree
students from the same university,
provide case management services to
clients at Long Beach Community
Services’ Center. Edna Carvalho,
studying for her Bachelor’s degree
in human services at California
State University Dominguez Hills,
is interning as a case manager for the
homebound elderly through Catholic
Charities’ Gatekeeper project.
“We are impressed by the students’
dedication and willingness to learn from our clients and
about our clients. They perform a great deal of invaluable
service to the poor and homeless community,” explained
Anna Totta, Regional Director. ✤