A grand opening, developing a new nutrition program, and adapting all of this to COVID-19. These are all things the Durham Community Food Pantry (DCFP) has accomplished over the past 18 months. The DCFP opened its doors to the community in May 2019, after moving from a small office on University Drive, to a 7,400 square foot facility in the Lakewood Shopping Center. With the expanded capacity, Catholic Charities looked for additional services to pair… Read More
Catholic Charities offices have had to face many challenges in 2020 due to COVID-19. One important aspect keeping services running during this time has been volunteer support, but that has not been without it’s own hurdles. Together, staff and volunteers have found a variety of ways to continue providing vital resources to the community in a safe way that respects recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Durham Finds New Ways to Help and Serve…… Read More
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh recently named David Juarez Torres program director for the Durham Community Food Pantry. David has a long history of supporting the mission of Catholic Charities. Nine years ago, he first started as an American Corps member serving in Centro La Comunidad, a Catholic Charities Hispanic family center in Burlington. Once he finished his internship in 2011, David was hired to be part of the Catholic Charities Hispanic family… Read More
For many people, the holidays are a season filled with good tidings and cheer. But for others, the holidays can be a time of anxiety, unhappiness, and a mix of other emotions when they’re unable to provide gifts for their families. In the spirit of the season, many volunteers and supporters from various Catholic Charities offices across the diocese collaborated to share cheer with families in need. In Raleigh, the Support Circle Program, which empowers… Read More
It’s 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the time when doors to the Durham Community Food Pantry open to the public. Inside, dozens of volunteers are eager to help families. Since opening in May, the Durham Community Food Pantry has increased access to healthy foods for hundreds of families in the area. “Things are going very well at the DCFP! We have been serving an average of 70 families weekly and we served 104 families on our… Read More
Ever wonder what it would be like to drop everything, professionally, and volunteer? Elise Mudd, 33, knows. It was only two years ago that she left her career as a Washington, D.C. paralegal. Exiting a job she’d been immersed in for nine years was tough, she said, but she wanted to meet new people and experience a new city. Mudd joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, an international, Catholic service program based in her hometown of… Read More
For Neal Hunter, names matter. Cree – the energy efficiency semiconductor company he co-founded in 1987 – carries his father’s middle name. Colvard Farms – a residential neighborhood he developed in Chatham County – was named for his grandfather. And when Hunter, 56, decided to pledge $800,000 to Catholic Charities to start a food pantry in Durham, he thought about its future name, too. He considered involving the name of his mother, Annabel Harrill. After… Read More
More than 300 supporters of Catholic Charities gathered at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park Friday, July 27 for Pitch in for Charity. Fans enjoyed pre-game food trucks and post-game fireworks, as well as a Durham Bulls – Syracuse Chiefs game that came down to the final out. Before the game the Durham Bulls presented a check to Catholic Charities executive director Lisa Perkins. “Catholic Charities was able to raise over $1,500 tonight,” Perkins explained. “That… Read More
The Durham community is next in line to host The Sunday Supper, this time in support of the Catholic Charites’ planned $1.7 million Durham Community Food Pantry and other efforts to address food insecurity in the community. A meal featuring selections from some of the best of local Durham vendors is planned along with live music and a community table that will seat 750 people. The supper is planned for Sunday, April 29 from 12-3… Read More
Severe storms, which delivered excessive rainfall in parts of Wake and Durham Counties in mid-July caused flash floods that forced more than a hundred families out of their homes. In response to the flooding, the American Red Cross opened a shelter for four days at Hillside High School in Durham, to assist families with lodging and food. Red Cross has since led the community’s efforts to assist more than 220 individuals in recovering from the flooding… Read More
