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
The 9th Annual Catholic Charities Gala provided the opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the work of Catholic Charities while also providing vital funding to foster continued growth. The theme of the evening was “Be the Light” and the committed individuals who supported the Catholic Charities Gala certainly were a light for their community. Through the generosity of 400 donors, the event raised over $257,000 to support Catholic Charities programming across the… Read More
Summer is here, the days are stretching longer, the sun is shining brighter and many kids are enjoying a break from school. A community food pantry full of senior volunteers may be the last place you would expect to see teenagers spending their summer free time. However, Catholic Parish Outreach (CPO), a program of Catholic Charities, the largest food pantry in Wake County, NC, is an exception. Now that students have been out of school… Read More
During the City of Raleigh’s 16th Annual Fair Housing Community Conference, members of the Fair Housing Board recognized Catholic Charities for their work around housing, both in helping survivors of Hurricane Florence, as well as their everyday work through the Support Circle Program, a critical resource for local communities in ending homelessness in Wake County. The award ceremony took place at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. The Annual Conference brought together housing advocates, community members,… Read More
By Kate Turgeon Watson, NC Catholics Ribbon cuttings are a common thread at opening events. They symbolize new beginnings with the same exuberance that a giant, cardboard check uses to symbolize a big donation. That single ribbon, often bright red, ceremoniously falls to two sides and elicits applause and cheers. But the Oak City Cares ribbon cutting, like some of the event’s speakers, didn’t follow a script. It had a heart of its own. The… Read More
Less than a year ago, Ashley and her daughter were spending each night in a different place and this young mother’s idea of having a home of her own was only a dream. Ashley then decided to seek help. Soon after a social worker introduced her to the Support Circles Program for Homeless Families (Support Circles), a Catholic Charities program which empowers participants to achieve realistic, long-term, career, housing and financial management objectives. Carolyn McClendon,… Read More
On Sunday, March 24th, the last meals were served from the Oak City Outreach Center. For almost five years, the City of Raleigh, the Raleigh Wake Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness, the Raleigh Police Department, and Catholic Charities have collaborated to make the Center a success. During that time, nearly 400,000 meals were shared with individuals experiencing homelessness and hunger on weekends. “What exceeded expectations was the energy and the warmth of all the… Read More
The North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster recently named Daniel Altenau, Catholic Charities director of Disaster Services, president. Now in his fourth year serving on the NC VOAD board, Altenau has been involved with the Catholic Charities disaster services program for the past five years, and has served on the National VOAD Communications Committee for the past three years. “I have really enjoyed being a part of the NC VOAD and serving on the… Read More
Oak City Cares will enter 2019 with great momentum and support for the Oak City Cares campaign, thanks to the successful completion of a $250,000 Gipson Challenge. Oak City Cares, a collaboration between Wake County, the City of Raleigh, the Raleigh / Wake Partnership to End and Prevent Homeless, and Catholic Charities is planning to open in April 2019. When open, Oak City Cares will serve as a multi-services hub for individuals and families experiencing… Read More
Translators who speak Swahili were in high demand to better assist refugees after Hurricane Florence impacted much of central and eastern North Carolina. At least a handful of families who sought refuge in Chapel Hill were Congolese immigrants, according to shelter officials. The organization Save the Children deployed to North Carolina to set up child safe spaces in shelters. As they were meeting with families in shelters, they realized they needed help to communicate with… Read More
