Filling More Than an Empty Stomach

SUMMER 2010
On June 24th, the Board of
Directors, staff, and colleagues of
Kathleen McGowan celebrated her
retirement from Catholic Charities
of the Diocese of Joliet. We are
truly grateful for her service and
dedication for the past 15 years.
C
Today, a search committee comprised
of Board members and
representatives from the Diocese of
Joliet is working tirelessly to hire a
new Executive Director. While our
search continues, I am pleased to
announce that Deb Darzinskis, the
Assistant Executive Director for the
past 13 years, has been appointed
Interim Executive Director and is
capably managing the day-to-day
operations of the organization.
Catholic Charities is full of vigor and
energy. Staff continues to help those
in crisis with incredible
determination, and everyday we
thank God for your support and
compassion. It is that very support
that makes our work possible.
Please keep us in your prayers as our
search for a new director continues,
and as always, pray for those we
serve.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Esch
Chairman, Board of Directors
Filling More Than an
Empty Stomach
ecilia Zabala knows what it’s like to
be hungry. She and her grandchildren
eat at Shepherd’s Table soup kitchen
almost every day. “2010 just ain’t my year,”
she said. “But Catholic Charities has come to
my rescue many times.”
Cecilia and her two grandkids live with her
brother. She gained custody of the children after
their mother, who was recently released from
prison, became homeless and unable to care for
the children. Cecilia currently receives $222 in
Public Aid benefits each month and after she
pays $200 in rent, she is left with $22 to cover
all of her other expenses. Having a government
LINK card does help with food, but the card
Cecilia Zabala and her granddaughter, Taliyah,
cannot be used to purchase non-food items.
“It’s never enough, but at least I know I can give share a moment with Gail Flatness, kitchen
coordinator at Catholic Charities’ Shepherd’s Table.
them one good meal a day at Shepherd’s Table
– and the food is pretty good too!”
There are many more like Cecilia who are turning to Catholic Charities for help in feeding their
families. As part of the Emergency Services Program, families who are struggling can get boxes of food
and vouchers or gift cards for fresh foods like milk and vegetables. The vouchers and gift cards can also
be used for products that can’t be purchased with a LINK card such as cleaning products, toilet paper and
feminine hygiene products. They are also key in helping people who are diabetic and usually cannot eat
the food provided in the food boxes from the food bank. “We have seen more and more people with food
restrictions and the only way to get them healthy food is through a voucher or gift card to a local store,”
said Sherry Young, a case manager in the program. “We just don’t have enough of them to go around.”
Individuals and families are also getting more than help with food. A few months ago, David T. was
unemployed and living on the streets. When he finally mustered up the courage to ask for help from
Catholic Charities he shared with staff that he couldn’t look for a job because he didn’t have clothing
suitable for an interview. Immediately, staff took him to the Resource Exchange room where he picked out
several new shirts and pants. Soon after, David got a job. Later he came back indicating that he needed
steel-toed boots to actually start working. God provides – earlier that week a donation of boots had been
made and David left with a skip in his step and a smile on his face.
David and Cecilia are not alone. Each year thousands of individuals and families rely on Catholic
Charities for basics like food, clothing and shelter. “Catholic Charities has helped me and the kids out a
lot,” said Cecilia. “As a senior citizen raising my two grandkids I have to reach out wherever I can for help
and these folks are always here for me.”
Donations of gift cards to any local food store are desperately needed.
Denominations of $20-25 are best so they can be distributed based on family size and need.
Cash gifts can also be restricted to purchase gift cards. Send your gift card or monetary donations to:
Catholic Charities Emergency Relief Fund • 203 N. Ottawa Street, Joliet IL 60432
*All donations will be restricted to the county that you live in unless otherwise specified.
Pay It Forward
“P
ay it forward” is a concept that
is familiar to Stephanie
Palubicki Kennedy. She, and
many others, believe that when something
good happens to you, you should do
something good for another person even if
they are a complete stranger. Her parents,
who adopted her through a Catholic
Charities agency in Minnesota, believed in
the concept and passed it on to her so when
she read about the “Angel Fund” matching
gift program at Catholic Charities, she knew
she had to do something. The Angel Fund
was sponsored by an anonymous donor who
agreed to match every donation, dollar for
dollar, up to $50,000 from February
throughout the Lenten Season.
Stephanie “rallied the troops” and
reached out to good friend Kathy Gaydos.
“Kathy always knows how to gather people,”
said Stephanie. Together, the ladies hosted a
jewelry party sponsored by a company where
Stephanie works as a sales representative.
The end result – over $1,000 (Stephanie’s
proceeds from the party) was donated to the
Angel Fund for a total gift of $2,000! Thank
you Stephanie, Kathy and all of your guests
for paying it forward to Catholic Charities!
Angel Fund
Brings Hope
T
he Angel Fund raised almost
$130,000 for Catholic
Charities. It was established
by a special donor who recognized the
challenges of serving nearly 60,000
people each year, the unmet needs in
our communities, and the lack of
financial resources to address these
needs. Because of his pledge to match
every donation received (up to $50,000)
from mid-February through April 30th,
Catholic Charities was able to give hope
and help to those who needed it most.
Daybreakapalooza
– a Big Hit!
T
he crowd went nuts at St. Joe’s Park in Joliet on May 14th as
15 karaoke contestants rocked the house for the first annual
Daybreakaplooza fundraiser for Daybreak
Center in Joliet. “With funding
cuts from some local government
sources and a lack of increase in
donations from individuals, we
needed to do something to make
sure the program wasn’t in
jeopardy – we needed to raise some
money and some awareness,” said
Pam Kostecki, Division Director for
Community Services at Catholic
Charities. And that’s exactly what
they did!
A cadre of 70 volunteers and an
array of sponsors pulled off the exciting
event in less than three months and
raised over $12,000 through ticket sales
and incredible raffle prizes. “Next
year’s event will be even bigger and
better,” said Tony Mravle, Director
of Daybreak Center. “Since everyone
had such a great time this year, I am
sure the event will blow people
away next year.”
Special thanks to our major
sponsors: KSKJ St. John’s Lodge
#143 and KSKJ St. Joseph’s
Lodge #2, First Midwest Bank,
Empress Casino, D Construction,
Lewis University, City Beverage
and Cemeno’s Pizza. Thanks
also to our judges for our karaoke
contest: Joliet City Councilman
Tim Brophy, Star 96.7 personalities
Maggie Peterson and Dan Waddick
from the morning show, vocal coach
Denise Gillespie and our host,
Gregg Dellinger.
2
Seniors Celebrate Volunteerism
and Bid Farewell to Friends
H.O.P.E.
for Kids in
Foster Care
T
(Left to Right) Lynda Frystak, Senior Companion of the Year Mary Trahan, and
Kristin Ruda, the new coordinator of the Senior Companion Program.
V
olunteers with the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs
recently gathered at their annual recognition luncheons, but this time
they were celebrating more than just the jobs they love so much. They
celebrated the work of two very special program coordinators, Lynda Frystak and
John Jackson, who both worked with the programs for 20 years and recently retired.
At the luncheons, Mary Trahan was honored as the Senior Companion Volunteer of
the Year and Felix Adeoye and Necia Dickerman were honored as the Foster
Grandparents of the Year.
The Senior Companion Program is now in the capable hands of Kristin Ruda.
If you are a low-income senior, and want to visit other homebound seniors in Will,
Grundy, Kankakee, and Iroquois Counties, please call Kristin at 815-723-3405.
The Foster Grandparent Program, serving Will County, is now coordinated by
Nancy Zakosek who can also be reached at 815-723-3405. Foster Grandparents
work in local schools and programs that work with children.
I
hirteen
years
ago,
Nance Bruss, a
former teacher
and a dedicated
foster parent for
Catholic
Charities,
Nance Bruss, giving
dreamed of
hope to kids in foster
giving children
in foster care the care.
chance to go to college. Her dream came
true, along with the dreams of over
twenty young adults who have been the
recipients of her H.O.P.E. Scholarship
(Having Opportunities for Purposeful
Education) since 1997.
“Her love of education and children
has helped produce nurses, teachers,
construction managers, healthcare
professionals, and more,” said Lorri
Nagle, Director of Development. “These
kids might not have had the opportunity
to go to college if it weren’t for Nance.
She has been an angel to Catholic
Charities and a blessing for the kids in
foster care.”
Cream of the Crop at Farmer’s Market
magine that you’re walking through a sweet smelling marketplace,
purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables, and ogling over hand crafted
items. Wait, you don’t have to imagine it! It’s the Farmer’s Market in
New Lenox. Thanks to the work of Daybreak staffers Peg Schultz and
Marianne Holzhauer each Saturday you can find volunteers from Daybreak
Center, St. Jude Parish in New Lenox, and the University of St. Francis selling
hand crafted items made by the residents of Daybreak’s shelter program.
“We began hosting a booth in June, and we’re scheduled through the first
week in October,” said Marianne Holzhauer, volunteer coordinator at Daybreak
Center. Volunteers from St. Jude will help out for most of the summer dates,
and USF students will lend a hand in September and October once they’re back
in school according to Holzhauer. “The goal is to get the word out about all
three organizations, and hopefully make enough money selling the craft items to
be able to purchase supplies for further crafts,” she said.
3
Volunteers from St. Jude Parish have been working hard at
the Farmer’s Market in New Lenox . “Hot ticket items” for
sale include hand made beaded bracelets that are sold for $20
– the cost of a one night stay at Daybreak Shelter.
Program Spotlight:
Maternity
Services
A
Closing a Door and
Opening a Window
A
fter more than 20 years of serving children and their low-income
families, Bluff Head Start Center has closed its doors. In April, a
devastating fire damaged the building that housed the Center as well as
some apartments. As a result of the fire and extensive water damage, the Center,
filled with classrooms and offices, no longer met the agency’s operating standards.
Children attending this Center are being transferred to other existing Head Start
centers operated in Joliet by Catholic Charities. The transfers will begin this fall.
Tragically, a young boy who attended the Bluff Head Start Center lived in an
apartment above the Center and lost his life in that fire. Catholic Charities staff
continues to pray for him, his family, teachers and classmates. He will always
remain in our hearts.
Catholic Charities operates six Head Start Centers in Will County and serves
more than 800 children from low-income families, and children with disabilities,
each year. The goal of the program is to prepare children academically and socially
for preschool.
Leaving a Legacy of Hope
and Saying Thank You
The following wording is
suggested for including Catholic
Charities in your will:
“I give, devise and bequest to Catholic
Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, Inc.,
an Illinois not-for-profit organization
located administratively at
203 N. Ottawa, Joliet, Illinois, the sum
of $ ____
(or specifically described property).
S
ometimes people remember Catholic Charities through
a bequest or will. Oftentimes we do not learn of that
generosity until after their death. We are so grateful to them
for believing in our mission and work, but wish we could have
expressed our gratitude while they were still living.
If you decide to include Catholic Charities in your estate
planning, please let us know. We want to say “thank you”!
To learn more about planned giving opportunities,
please call Lorri Nagle at 815.723.3405, ext. 1102.
4
n unplanned pregnancy can turn
anyone’s life upside down. What
will the birthmother do? How will
she cope? Will her family be involved? What
about the father? The answers aren’t easy, but
at Catholic Charities we are here to help. We
offer free, confidential counseling and an array
of other support services to help women
decide between parenting or surrendering the
child to a loving adoptive family.
The Maternity Services Program is the
only program operated by Catholic Charities
that relies soley on donations from people
like you. It costs about $70,000 a year to
operate this program that holds life sacred. If
you’d like to get involved or learn more about
the program, call toll-free 1-877-844-HOPE
(4673).
Feelin’
Hot, Hot, Hot!
W
ith the temperature soaring
most days into the 90’s it’s hard
to stay cool, but for some lowincome seniors it sometimes feels impossible.
“Our resources are stretched so thin. In the
past we had more funds that allowed us to
purchase fans for seniors in Kankakee County
to ensure their safety and health, especially
those that were homebound,” said Debbi
Baldauff, Assistant Director of Senior Services.
Today it seems that those resources are
shrinking, but the need is still there. If you
would like to donate a new oscillating or box
fan, or make a monetary gift that can be used
to purchase fans, please call 815-933-7791.
Community Support
Jeans Days, Volunteering, Hosting Parties and More…
T
wenty-seven volunteers from Com Ed arrived with buckets,
sponges, gloves, cleaning materials, outdoor perennials, cypress
mulch, grass seed, shelf liner, wood stain, brushes, and painting
materials to help spruce things up at Hope House in DuPage County. The
company also sponsored a “Jeans Day” and raised over $1,600 that was
used to purchase mattresses for clients moving out of Hope House into
permanent housing.
Harrah’s Joliet Casino & Hotel named Catholic Charities as its
featured charity for July. Throughout the month, employees donated
school supplies for the annual Back to School Fair. The corporation’s
H.E.R.O. Team (Harrah’s Employees Reaching Out) also designed an
information board to educate employees on the services provided by
Catholic Charities. Employees aso held a “Jeans Day” to benefit the
agency. Last year the event generated over $5,000!
Funds provided by The DuPage Community Foundation are
helping provide trained and professional case managers that respond to
over 7,000 calls each year from persons in crisis living in DuPage County.
These are people and families in need of things like food, housing,
medication, clothing, etc. Each year Catholic Charities works with nearly
2,000 low-income individuals in DuPage County who are at risk of
homelessness.
In the past two months, Ed and Gloria Dollinger of Joliet and
John and Collette Hazard of Downers Grove both hosted summer
parties to help raise funds and increase awareness of programs and services
offered through Catholic Charities. Together these couples helped raise
$10,000!
Balmoral Park recently hosted a 5K run to benefit Daybreak Center.
“The weather gave us a little bit of a challenge, but the day turned out
great and everyone had a blast,” said Ken Churilla, marketing manager at
Balmoral. The event raised $1,000.
5
Director of Community Services in DuPage
County, Pam Terrell, accepts a check from
Jack Mensching, a member of the Board
of Directors at the DuPage Community
Foundation.
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JOLIET, IL
PERMIT NO. 349
203 North Ottawa
Joliet, Illinois 60432
Administrative Office
815.723.3405
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
For giving
opportunities and
more about our
programs,
visit our website at
www.cc-doj.org.
Our Mission…
SAVE THE DATE!
Catholic Charities, Diocese
of Joliet, translates God’s
reconciling love into
professional human services,
advocates for a just and
compassionate society and
brings together members of
the community, church,
business, health care and
government to develop effective
responses to human needs.
We commit to define these
needs, seek solutions, and call
forth other resources so that
those we serve are empowered
to achieve for themselves
satisfying and productive lives.
If you have any questions or
concerns about this publication,
please call Lorri Nagle at
815.724.1102.
a dueling pianos extravaganza!
Friday, November 12, 2010
6:30 p.m. to midnight
Ashton Place – 341 75th Street, Willowbrook
$75 per person – open seating • $750 reserved table of ten
Casual attire, open bar, gourmet food stations and fabulous entertainment!
For more information, please contact Lorri Nagle at 815-723-3405 or lnagle@cc-doj.org