Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.

Hispanic Services founder honored at 
Fourth Annual Venetian Charity Ball

By Judy Bokorney
Web Site Editor

Fort Myers—The founding director of Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities, Eileen Dhooghe McIltrot, was honored at the fourth annual Venetian Charity Ball on January 18, 2003.

The event was held at the Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa on Sanibel Island and McIltrot was recognized for her commitment to the Hispanic community in Lee County and her dedication to Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Venice.

"When you talk about the great work of Catholic Charities in Lee County you have to start with Eileen,” said Peter Routsis-Arroyo, president of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.  “Her vision, determination, professionalism and dedication led to the creation of social services for Hispanics and other under-serviced populations long before others even knew they were needed.  Her legacy will remain for many years to come," he said.

McIltrot, a current employee of Catholic Charities for 16 years, spent her professional life working in the fields of social work, counseling and health care. She was a member of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters when she founded Hispanic Services in Fort Myers in 1986 to serve the rapidly growing Hispanic population in Lee County. Later that year, the program came under the sponsorship of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice.

“Following my first year in Hispanic ministry, I went to Guatemala for the summer to live, work and study,” said McIltrot. “I had lived and studied in Mexico during my college years, but the cultures are so different in many ways, and I felt that I could better serve the people as a cultural mediator if I truly understood their roots and culture.”

By 1987, McIltrot had expanded the services of the agency to include food and clothing distribution, immigration assistance, counseling, educational classes and special projects. She recognized that the needs of the Hispanic community were varied and many, and believed the only way for clients to survive was to be empowered to become self-sufficient.

After moving Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities from the trunk of her car to a parish office and then to rental space, Bishop John J. Nevins granted the use of land on the Jesus the Worker Mission in Fort Myers to be developed as a permanent site for the agency in 1988.

Through financial support from local benefactors and businesses, McIltrot secured the total funding for the center and ground was broken in September of 1989. In April 1990, the new center located at 4235 Michigan Avenue Link was blessed by Bishop Nevins and opened to serve clients.

Soon after, McIltrot decided to leave the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. She continued as the director of Hispanic Services and eventually took on the role of District Director for Catholic Charities of Lee County. “Religious life afforded me many wonderful ministry opportunities, but I realized that ministry can be carried out in any walk of life,” McIltrot said. Under her leadership, McIltrot also opened Clare House, a residential and outreach program for pregnant women, mothers and their children.

Today, Hispanic Services is the largest Catholic Charities agency in Fort Myers. It serves the Hispanic population by offering a wide range of services, many of which were birthed under McIltrot’s leadership: direct assistance, a variety of education programs for children and adults, a summer youth program, translation services, case management, employment assistance, immigration and citizenship services, crisis intervention, community outreach, support/advocacy and special holiday projects. Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities also has expanded its assistance by opening additional offices in Bonita Springs, LaBelle and Clewiston.

”This recognition is an honor. But the greater honor and privilege has been the opportunity to give life and breath to the programs of Catholic Charities in Lee County. The work, the people and the accomplishments are truly gift and grace to me,” McIltrot said. “I came to Florida as a Dominican Sister to provide services to the growing Hispanic community over a three year period. I never imagined that I would have so many opportunities to serve the Hispanic community here and to be enriched by the cultural diversity of the Hispanic population as I have, and still be in Fort Myers many years later to witness the growth and expansion of my early efforts.”

”When I visit the agency, I can see the that the vision and ministry are alive and that the programs assist the Hispanic community in so many positive ways,” she said.

Though marriage and family were never in her plans when McIltrot decided to leave the Dominican Sisters, she married several years later and now has two young boys. She left her position as district director of Catholic Charities of Lee County in 1998 to have more time with her children and took a part-time position running the Parish-based Counseling Program. “I was confident that Catholic Charities could find qualified personnel to replace me and the administrative role I fulfilled there, but my children have only one mother and my primary role now is providing them with a good foundation for life,” McIltrot said.

With her youngest child in kindergarten, McIltrot plans to remain flexible with her work schedule, but has already taken on a new project through the Parish-based Counseling Program. She recently opened another facility in Fort Myers called Community Counseling Services, where she will serve as Clinical Director. 

“I enjoy working with the clients. I love and respect the helping relationship with the client and witnessing the growth of people through the recognition of their own strengths,” McIltrot said. “Through my work at the Parish-based Counseling program I have realized the need for a community-wide counseling center. I’m excited about the possibilities for this new program.”

Every dollar raised at the Venetian Ball will be used to support the programs of Catholic Charities in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, LaBelle and Clewiston. Click here to contact Catholic Charities of Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.