Recently, StarNews Media and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce released their annual 40 under 40 list. This year, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh is excited that our Regional Director for the Cape Fear Office, Ms. Emilie Hart, was included on this list. Following this recognition, we sat down with a few of Hart’s coworkers and community partners to learn more about why she was a good candidate for inclusion on this list. In… Read More
Catholic Charities Cape Fear Regional staff typically distribute food from the food pantry located in their downtown Wilmington office. In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, as with many things, the food pantry was forced to adapt. In order to better serve the community, food distribution has gone mobile, reaching remote communities facing major shortages of food. “Historically, we had taken food and other supplies out to communities following disasters such as Hurricane Matthew and… Read More
*Client name changed to protect their privacy in this story. In September of 2018, Hurricane Florence ravaged Renee’s home of 20 years. The storm tore her home apart, causing the ceiling to cave in and floodwaters to rise through the floors. Devastated as she was, this is the home she shared with her late husband and Renee refused to abandon it – she worked hard to salvage what she could. By the time Renee reached… Read More
The Catholic Charities Cape Fear Regional Office food pantry is undergoing a special type of makeover this month focused on improving the food that is distributed. “Health and poverty are inextricably linked,” shared Emilie Hart, Cape Fear Regional Director. “We see the snowball effects of this every day.” Food insecurity is a key factor in chronic diseases. At Catholic Charities, 37% of the clients served have someone in their household with diabetes and 69% have… Read More
Temperatures were dropping, children were counting down the days to break, families were getting in the holiday spirit. At the Catholic Charities office in Wilmington, staff were focused on ensuring all families are able to enjoy the holiday season, through the “Wrapped with Love” Christmas Program. Families from six counties in southeastern NC: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, and Pender, are able to access gifts for their children through this program. In the week… Read More
Greg first came to Catholic Charities by chance. He read the sign outside the Harrelson Center and saw Catholic Charities. He was welcomed by staff and shared why he needed help. Greg was going to a job interview that day and had spilled coffee all over his shirt. He desperately needed a clean shirt. His only request was that it had to be pink, his favorite color. Emilie Hart, Cape Fear Regional Director, knew another… Read More
From the September / October Edition of NC Catholics The coast is famous for its palm trees. Turns out that a new partnership — dubbed the Sharing Tree — is a special addition as well. Wilmington’s St. Mark Catholic Church and the Catholic Charities Cape Fear Region teamed up on the project to serve families in need. Father Patrick Keane, who was the pastor of St. Mark Catholic Church at the time of the project’s… Read More
“You know what was a fun hurricane? Hurricane Bertha.” The Inscore family sits around the living room, reminiscing on past disasters. “No,” their son chimes in, “you went to your parents’ for Bertha. You’re thinking of Floyd.” “That’s right,” answers David. “Hurricane Floyd, we stayed at the motel. The power went out, and we were the only ones with a battery. The whole building was dark, and we had the only light. All the kids… Read More
Roughly three-quarters of a mile down a dusty dirt road sits a home. This home has raised three children into adults, and seen a few hurricanes in its 13 years, but nothing like Florence. Ms. Ingrid, the owner, told us that the road it sits on runs through family land. As soon as her ancestors got off the boat at Ellis Island they made their way to coastal NC to settle. They were fisherman by… Read More
It’s obvious that Darlene is fighting back tears. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I don’t normally get emotional like this. It’s just been so hard, and I’ve been on my own for so long – I’m not used to having to ask for help. And I can’t let my girls see me cry. They’ve been through enough.” But the good news is that this is it. The final stretch. Almost six long months after the storm,… Read More
