For people working in disaster preparedness, “blue sky” days are a vital opportunity for communities to build preparedness and improve resiliency before the next disaster. In emergency disaster work, “blue sky” refers to non-disaster periods and “gray sky” is the time around an incident, such as in 2016 for Hurricane Matthew and 2018 for Hurricane Florence here in North Carolina. Catholic Charities Communications and Disaster Services Director Daniel Altenau said, “Each disaster teaches us valuable… Read More
With a hint of Summer’s intense heat already piercing North Carolina, the Catholic Charities (DOR) Cape Fear Regional team is preparing to protect our neighbors, who work or live outside in the extremely hot temperatures of the South. In 2023, Regional Director Emilie Hart began focusing on heat-related dangers facing people who work outside after learning of a fatal incident involving farm workers. “Last year we heard that two farmworkers died of dehydration. We responded… Read More
In the heart of the Creekwood Community in Wilmington, the smell of fresh dirt and the sounds of construction flowed out into the neighborhood just as students were getting home from school. With each shovel of dirt and plenty of hope in their hearts, Cape Fear staff and volunteers worked to create a total of eight raised community garden beds. As some residents in the Creekwood Community are just now returning to their apartments after… Read More
Catholic Charities celebrated its 11th Annual Gala with flair and style Saturday, April 29, 2023. The Gala was held at the beautiful Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley, which provided a perfect backdrop for the festivities. The record-breaking 350 attendees, including the greatest increase in new attendees in the history of the event, arrived in black-tie attire, ready for a night of celebration and fundraising. The atmosphere was electric, with a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation… Read More
From NC Catholics WILMINGTON – The Cape Fear Regional Office of Catholic Charities recently moved into a new 6,000 square-foot space on Highway 421. About half of the facility, which is leased, is warehouse space. The other half includes rooms for office work, a client-choice food pantry and a food prep area with walk-in refrigeration, freezers and food packing space. The grand opening and blessing took place March 8 and drew donors, community partners, employees… Read More
The sun shone bright while a chilly breeze blew through the air Monday afternoon when Mr. Charles Bennett, a Hurricane Florence survivor, received the keys to his replacement mobile home. Bennett had been waiting over four years for this moment. The day was the culmination of work among various partner agencies still committed to long term recovery operations in response to Hurricane Florence. Family, friends, and the community partners who made this possible gathered for… Read More
In the United States, 76 million individuals are enrolled in a Medicaid health care plan which provides health coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. Beginning in 2022, a pilot program began in three areas of North Carolina to test providing expanded services to improve health outcomes of Medicaid Beneficiaries through the Healthy Opportunities Pilot. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, “The Healthy… Read More
“Charity is putting our faith into practice; it is an expression of how we live our faith.” The 10th Annual Catholic Charities Gala was a resounding success! Hosted at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley, there were 275 guests in attendance, with others joining the festivities online. To celebrate over a decade of Catholic Charities Galas, over $260,000 was raised. These funds will be used to support the Disaster, Immigration Legal, Family Advancement, and Food Pantry… Read More
At the Catholic Charities offices of the Raleigh, Cape Fear and Tar River Regions, staff and volunteers worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to ensured that dozens of families are able to enjoy the holiday season, through the “Wrapped with Love” Christmas Program. This year has been very difficult for many families. Sharing gifts, despite the new restrictions that limit the organization of large gathering of people in one place, would provide some much… Read More
Providing help, creating hope, serving all. This is the tag line for Catholic Charities. It is also an appropriate description of how Mrs. Patricia Gutierrez Tootoo works in the community. Due to her incredible commitment to others, Tootoo was recently nominated to receive the 2020 Impact Award. The annual Impact Award is organized by the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services, Inc. and New Hanover County Domestic Violence Advocacy Council (DVAC), in collaboration with the Pullman… Read More
