Catholic Charities USA

Centennial anniversary marks legacy
of commitment to serving those in need

 

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding this year. CCUSA is one of the largest social service networks serving over nine million people each year, and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice has been a member since 1984. More than 1,700 local Catholic Charities agencies nationwide belong to the network that provides help and creates hope for people regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds.

 

Catholic Charities USA was founded in 1910 to bring about a sense of solidarity among those in charitable ministries. Since then, the organization has encouraged professional social work practice, provided opportunities for training and networking, and served as a national voice and expert on poverty issues. The centennial celebration is recognized as a time to reflect on past accomplishments and renew the commitment to serve those in need.

 

For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have existed in the United States working to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing. Even before the founding of the Diocese of Venice 26 years ago, Catholic Charities already was present in Southwest Florida.

 

Catholic Social Services of Collier County, founded by Catholic Community Services of Miami, opened its doors in Naples in 1968. When Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice incorporated in 1984, the agency provided a solid springboard for creating a new diocesan-wide organization.

 

 Today, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice has 18 offices located throughout Southwest Florida with over 100 employees, and a governing board of directors and several advisory boards of directors. The organization also has a foundation and a housing corporation.

 

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation for having high quality standards and services, and consistently has received the top four-star rating from Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management. In the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the annual budget for the organization reached almost seven million dollars and more than 40,000 people were given assistance.

 

“As a board member of Catholic Charities, I have been privileged to gain knowledge and observe all the terrific work done by the dedicated staff and volunteers in assisting people to better their lives and those of their families,” said Susie Walters, Catholic Charities Board Chair. “I have learned that since its inception, Catholic Charities has focused its creative efforts, programs and services in each community of the diocese according to the community’s needs for social services and potential for addressing those needs successfully. It is a highly revered and respected organization,” she said.

 

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice offers advocacy and case management, mental health counseling, citizenship classes, disaster response, early and adult education, financial assistance, food pantries, Haitian and Hispanic outreach, human trafficking services, HIV/AIDS ministries, housing counseling and education, immigration services, migrant assistance, mentoring and after school tutoring, a residential program for homeless mothers and their children, refugee services, senior services, and special programs such as School On Wheels and the Sugar Bowl Fund.

 

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice has a solid reputation for providing culturally competent services in multiple languages and especially for maintaining the trust of refugees, and migrant and rural poor workers. Other agencies have come to Catholic Charities to partner on funding opportunities when serving those populations. The organization constantly evaluates the changing needs of clients served and remains flexible about the types of services they need.

 

“In the nearly 20 years that I have been a volunteer for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice,  I have witnessed many programs strive to address the needs of their clients,” said Robert Sullenberger, former board member and long-time volunteer. “I remember when Our Mother’s House opened and struggled to provide adequate housing to four mothers and their children. Today the program has three residential buildings and a day care center where 17 mothers live with their children. Without the program, those families would be homeless.”

 

After the devastating hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, Sullenberger helped Catholic Charities initiate the Disaster Amateur Radio Network to provide emergency and back up communications for disaster response. “There are now six radio base stations throughout the diocese plus a mobile radio group,” Sullenberger said.

 

Sullenberger also acknowledged the growth of refugee services during his tenure to flourish beyond just one office providing clients with resettlement assistance to several offices throughout the diocese with expanded services to also include job training and job placement. “You can see why I have spent a career being a Catholic Charities volunteer,” Sullenberger said. “The agency works hard to meet the needs of its clients.”

 

Judy Sullivan is a past and current member of the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice Board of Directors, and a member of the Advisory Board of Catholic Charities of Collier County. She also founded the Emerald Ball 25 years ago as a major fundraiser for Catholic Charities of Collier County. “I was much honored when, in 1994, Bishop (John) Nevins asked me to be the first chairperson of the lay board of directors for Catholic Charities,” Sullivan said. “Prior to that, since 1984, the board was comprised of the Deans of the Deaneries of the diocese.”

 

Sullivan said over the years Catholic Charities offices were gradually established in counties throughout the diocese. And, the need for major fund raising events also became a priority and black-tie galas were started in Naples, Sarasota and Fort Myers, along with several smaller events.

 

“Board meetings in the early days were just fascinating as we never knew what new idea would be brought forth for consideration,” she said. “Just as the diocese in its entirety, so has Catholic Charities become a vibrant and dynamic non-profit social service agency with a CEO, CFO, COO, directors and a wide variety of agencies helping the poor who live in this area. We could not have remained small. Growth had to happen as the need for assistance increased.”

 

For more information about Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org.