Prevention Educator at Catholic Charities’ Phoenix House,
Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Assault Program

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and while thinking about the national theme which is focusing on child sexual abuse, it occurred to me that we don't often think about the information our kids are getting today get about healthy sexuality. The incredible amount of information that is available to them online means children have more knowledge than most of us are comfortable even thinking about. The reality however, is even though the amount of information they have might make them seem more sophisticated than we were at their age, they are still struggling to integrate what they see into an unsophisticated framework and belief system. As parents, this is where we can intervene most effectively.

Ideas for starting the conversation:

1. Ask your child what they've seen and heard and then what they believe and what they think about the information they've accumulated.

2.Try to keep your voice even and matter-of-fact.  If you show shock or judgment they may filter what they say or quit talking at all. Then you will be in the dark about the information they have and they won't have you to ask when they do have questions. 

3.If you can, use anecdotes from your own path to understanding healthy sexuality. Talk about what the culture around sexuality was like when you were young, your spirituality and your faith. 

4.Let them know they will have many years to figure out how to negotiate these ideas - and that you will be there to help them along the way.


During the month of April, our friends at St. Jude Hospice  are matching every gift given to the Phoenix House GROW Fund! Learn more about how you can double your gift to support Catholic Charities’ domestic violence shelter and sexual abuse program here.

Learn more about the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program here. 

The Bucket List

By Ken Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison

Don’t worry, I'm not blogging about the movie starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. No, I am writing about a delightful group of third, fourth and fifth grade religious education students at St. Peter's Vietnamese Parish here in Des Moines. They were made aware of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter and wanted to help, so they made a “bucket list.” The kids made a list of the cleaning and personal items that are needed by families as they leave St. Joseph’s and move into another living arrangement. The class then decided to cut out pictures from magazines of the needed items and put them on several posters which they hung in church. The parishioners then donated items over a two week period.

Last night, I was able to visit the class where they had gathered the donations. The kids took new mop buckets and circled around the table filling each bucket with the donated items. Last week, the group composed notes to the families who will use the donations. The notes were signed by the class and one was placed in each bucket. I had the opportunity to talk with them about St. Joseph’s, but as can happen by the end of watching those youngsters complete their projects, I had learned more than they did. I might suggest that their bucket list trumps the one in the movie.

As a supporter in the movement against gun violence, I was pleased to be part of our communities’ Prayer Vigil to Prevent Gun Violence. On Monday, a group of us met at the Episcopal Cathedral and marched to the West Terrace of the State Capitol. Six of us from different faiths talked about how abhorrent gun violence was and how much we are praying that our legislators will work to deal with the root causes of this violence along with the necessary regulations of access to guns.

I shared some of the words that our Bishop’s Conference expressed in 1994:

“Above all, we must come to understand that violence is unacceptable. We must learn again the lesson of Pope Paul VI, "If you want peace, work for justice." We oppose lawlessness of every kind. Society cannot tolerate an ethic which uses violence to make a point, settle grievances or get what we want. But the path to a more peaceful future is found in a rediscovery of personal responsibility, respect for human life and human dignity, and a recommitment to social justice. The best antidote to violence is hope. People with a stake in society do not destroy communities. Both individuals and institutions should be held accountable for how they attack or enhance the common good. It is not only the "down and out" who must be held accountable, but also the "rich and famous."

Our society needs both more personal responsibility and broader social responsibility to overcome the plague of violence in our land and the lack of peace in our hearts. Finally, we must realize that peace is most fundamentally a gift from God. It is futile to suggest that we can end all violence and bring about full peace merely by our own efforts.”

To me, riding the bus seems like a distant thought. I'm so accustomed to driving to every destination in Des Moines. I see the buses driving downtown, yet I am far removed from the process and have little knowledge of the routes the buses traverse each day. While the day to day ventures of most Des Moines residents are made in cars, some still use the bus to get to work and get around the metro. For our refugee clients, the latter is the only option.  A driver’s permit and license may be eventual steps in each client’s acclimation to the United States, but until that’s a possibility the only mode of transportation is the bus.

As part of the core services Catholic Charities provides to refugees, each client is given a bus orientation. Bus orientations are highly important to developing an understanding of Des Moines for our clients. However, bus orientations are time-consuming and pull staff out of the office for approximately three hours. So, we’re asking for you to lend a hand and help us provide bus orientations for our clients. If you have knowledge of the bus system in Des Moines and three hours free during weekdays, give us a call. We are in need of a handful of reliable volunteers to help us out.

To volunteer, e-mail Stephanie at shingtgen@dmdiocese.org or call 515-237-5095

Daniel, you “da” man.  Your act, your stepping up…took guts and God (not a little help from). I understand that Scripture is like an onion with many layers.  I find that 99 percent of the time, the layer that is chosen for preaching pertains to personal goodness or an individual’s response; I find this tedious in a communal assembly (aka Mass).  I am not worried about my pew mates raping and pillaging the ‘ville. 

Yet, I do fault myself for not being a Daniel, alone or with others—silent in the face of injustice or inactive in the context of evil.  For those of us nursed on the Baltimore Catechism, the sin is called omission.   Whether faced with two dirty old men or economic exclusion (dignity of the person) or the treatment of women or racial bigotry or convict exclusion—will we do a Daniel?

At Catholic Charities of Louisville, we run a statewide anti-trafficking program.  Trafficking (aka slavery) is second in the Wall Street criminal investment money making portfolio; we attempt to combat a blatant manifestation of evil in our world.

So, Oh Light of the World, Oh Good Shepherd, may we follow You this Lent, this year and not walk in darkness; and may we all dwell in the House of the Lord for years to come.  May we do a collective Daniel.  Amen.

• Provide a healthy afternoon snack at St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter. Snacks are needed after school each day. Call 282-1235 to sign up and for more information. Nearly 60% of guests at this homeless shelter and children; so healthy, kid-friendly snacks are appreciated!

• Clean out your closets and donate spring and summer clothes to a clothing closet. (Save those fall and winter items to donate in the cooler months!) St. Mary Family Center, located at 1815 Hubbell Ave. in Des Moines takes clothing donations Monday/Wednesday/Friday-10:00AM-3:20PM and Tuesday/Thursday - 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Clothing is available to those in need free of charge, along with emergency food boxes, personal care items and diapers.

• Distribute door hangers in your neighborhood asking for basic household items for refugees. Call 515-237-5078 for a stack of pre-made door hangers. Ask your neighbors to donate needed items then deliver them. Household items are used to set-up new homes for refugee families relocating in Iowa after being forced to leave their home country due to persecution. Learn more at www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org

• It’s never too early for a lemonade stand! Sell lemonade to passersby’s and donate the money to a local cause like St. Mary Family Center, Refugee Resettlement or Pregnancy Counseling. Learn more about Catholic Charities programs in our community at www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org.

Want more ideas? Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM for service ideas and calls to action on issues affecting our community.

• Provide a healthy afternoon snack at St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter. Snacks are needed after school each day. Call 282-1235 to sign up and for more information. Nearly 60% of guests at this homeless shelter and children; so healthy, kid-friendly snacks are appreciated!

• Clean out your closets and donate spring and summer clothes to a clothing closet. (Save those fall and winter items to donate in the cooler months!) St. Mary Family Center, located at 1815 Hubbell Ave. in Des Moines takes clothing donations Monday/Wednesday/Friday-10:00AM-3:20PM and Tuesday/Thursday - 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Clothing is available to those in need free of charge, along with emergency food boxes, personal care items and diapers.

• Distribute door hangers in your neighborhood asking for basic household items for refugees. Call 515-237-5078 for a stack of pre-made door hangers. Ask your neighbors to donate needed items then deliver them. Household items are used to set-up new homes for refugee families relocating in Iowa after being forced to leave their home country due to persecution. Learn more at www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org

• It’s never too early for a lemonade stand! Sell lemonade to passersby’s and donate the money to a local cause like St. Mary Family Center, Refugee Resettlement or Pregnancy Counseling. Learn more about Catholic Charities programs in our community at www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org.

Want more ideas? Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM for service ideas and calls to action on issues affecting our community.

The Diocese of Des Moines joins the Church and the world in jubiliation with the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio who has taken the name of Pope Francis I. Pope Francis has served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires since 1998. His election signals the universality of the Church as an Argentinian and South American now follows in succession of a Polish and then German Pope. Pope Francis studied chemistry before entering the seminary. He thus brings the background of a scientist to bear molding that interest with an Ignation spirituality and an effective pastoral background as an Archbishop. The Holy Father's personal history and first impressions as Pope convey that of a person gifted intellectually blended with the simplicity and spirit of Jesus. His election, I believe, is providential for our times and will support the deepest values of our humanity. The Diocese of Des Moines pledges support and prayer for the new Pope. We pray that his years as Pope will be abundantly blessed for the benefit of all.

Declaración del Obispo Richard Pates por motivo de la elección del Papa Francisco: La Diócesis de Des Moines se une al júbilo de la Iglesia y el Mundo por la elección de Cardenal Jorge Mario Bergoglio quien ha sido nombrado Papa Francisco I. El Papa Francisco ha servido como Arzobispo de Buenos Aires desde 1998. Su elección señala la universalidad de la Iglesia siendo argentino y sudamericano ahora sigue en sucessión al Papa de Polonia y ahora al Papa de Alemania. El Papa Francisco estudio química antes de antrar al seminario. El entonces trae el respaldo del estudio científico, y de esa manera lo hizo moldear su interés con una espiritualidad ignaciana y una historia de una pastoral eficaz como Arzobispo. La historia personal del Santo Padre y la primera impresión como Papa se nos presenta como una persona con talento intelectual combinado en la simplicidad y el Espíritu de Jesús. Su elección, yo creo, es providencial para nuestros tiempos y apoyara los profundos valores de nuestra humanidad.

Statement of Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities USA
“We join with Catholic Charities agencies across the country and the Caritas movement around the world in offering our prayers and support for our new Holy Father,” said Fr. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA. “We look forward to continuing our mission of service and living out the call of the Gospel with Pope Francis I as our spiritual leader.
Click here to access the full press release.
 

Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities USA

Fast

Prayer
Charitable giving

I am finding the phrase “harden not your hearts” to be a very moving meditation phrase. A heart is a soft vibrating organ. If it hardens, it can not function. I also think that the hardening of your heart is a gradual thing and we can harden our hearts in many ways. Over the course of my life I have found at times a hardening of my heart towards mediative prayer. I would find myself making it through the day on a couple of Our Fathers and a Hail Mary or two. I was not turning my heart towards God. It is a process that would take several days or weeks, but then one day I would realize that I had become hardened and was not able to meditate. I needed to gradually exercise my heart to get it vibrating and back in the spirit of meditation.

I have found my heart to have hardened in my relationships with friends, relatives or others. Over time you realize that you are spending less and less time in a particular relationship. You have hastened the hardening process by negative thoughts about a person. Before you are aware of it, you are not spending any time on the relationship. Your heart has become petrified in this area.

Luckily, God has given us the ability to reverse this process at any time. I believe that you can actually feel that hardening of the heart when it takes place. You realize that you are not first and foremost a loving person. You have become blah or selfish or just slovenly lazy. It is a gradual process but one day it comes to you.

Your heart is love. Exercise it.

By Kenan Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison, Catholic Charities

Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
Dn 3: 25, 34-43 (“Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud); Mt  18: 21-35 (“Should you not have pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?”)

Sometimes our jobs feel like the fire pit into which Azariah was tossed.  Multiple demands flicker around us and we feel incapable of listening with “kindness and great mercy” to the client who is late, the stressed co-worker who didn’t complete his/her portion of the group assignment or the boss who wanted statistics and summaries yesterday.

We have two choices.  We can turn to the Lord with a “contrite heart and a humble spirit” or we can become demanding like the forgiven servant forgetting our own shortcomings and “choking” our clients or co-workers.

Today’s Scriptures seem to warn us that fire pits are inevitable.  We may be tossed into one innocently as Azariah was or deservedly as the wicked servant.  Our ability to “keep cool” depends largely on whether we recognize how much we ourselves fall short of God’s glory and how He continues to love and forgive us anyway.

Let us stand up in our fires as Azariah did and pray “Lord, help us follow you and forgive each other from our hearts.”

Reflection questions:

1. If it is so hard for us to get over the day-to-day annoyances in our workplace, how much harder is it for those who have suffered years of domestic violence or childhood sexual abuse to forgive “seventy-seven times”?

2.  As our nation struggles with its debts, how do we advocate for our clients who owe “a much smaller amount” than our government and large corporations?  Do I live within my means or do I trust my credit card more than Divine Providence?

By Gwen Hall
Counselor, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lexington

(Part of Catholic Charities USA Lent Reflection Series)
 

Well, I have to confess. I have not even managed to carve out one day to take the challenge and try to eat on $4.50 total for the day.

I’ve had some great excuses:
- I don’t have time to think about how much my food costs today, I’m too busy!
- The kids won’t eat most of the things I can think of to make with that amount!
- If a meal does not contain meat, my husband says it’s not a meal, and there is not enough in the budget for meat.
- I’m dieting and I can’t buy healthy food on that amount!
- We’re going out to eat for my sister’s birthday tonight.

Why is it so hard to stand in solidarity with those who live in poverty?

I’ve discovered that it‘s hard for many of the same reasons daily life is hard for people who live below the poverty line. Like me, people in poverty don’t have time to worry about food costs, their kids are picky eaters and they might like to eat healthy sometimes too!  But unlike me, they don’t get to decide each day if they have time or feel like being food “challenged” for the day.

So, I will do the food challenge and after spending some more time thinking about how difficult this reality is for the poor, I think I'll understand the implications of being food insecure in a different way than I did before.

How about you? Have you tried the Food Stamp Challenge? Email me and share your experience or share it at www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM.

By Trish Radke, Communications & Events Director, Catholic Charities

We are Called...

...to act with justice. These are the words that challenge us to concretely answer our Baptismal call to live the Gospel message of loving God and one another as brothers and sisters. It is a special commitment to the most marginalized and vulnerable in our midst. The foundation for justice in our Church begins with Scripture and Catholic Social teachings. How can you apply this to your everyday life?

Well, you could:
- Educate and transform your life by participating in JustFaith, a 30-week in-depth study of social issues
- Join the Peace & Social Justice Committee at your parish
- Buy fair trade coffee
- Support Catholic Relief Services by purchasing of Fair Trade products through SERRV; sign up for Catholics Confront Global Poverty

- Be the voice of the world’s voiceless by working to change public policy through the Global Advocacy Team, part of Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium in  the Diocese of DSM (Click here to learn more).
- Get involved locally to alleviate poverty and ease suffering by involvement with the various programs at Catholic Charities
- Listen to the stories of homeless families while serving a meal or helping in some way at St Joseph Emergency Shelter
- Be a smiling face at St Mary Family Center helping a struggling mother find clothes for her child so the child can attend school
- Reach out to a refugee family and help them learn English giving them a necessary tool for economic justice (learn more about refugee resettlement here)

What an instrument of change each of us can be when we act justly!!

By Ken Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison, Catholic Charities

Might there be any rich people in the reading audience?  I might be looking for the average Joes out there also.  Today’s scripture reading is about the rich man and Lazarus.  Lazarus who had nothing and ate scraps all his life ends up in heaven.  The rich man didn’t make it. I am pretty sure that the point of the story is that rich men should be helping the Lazarus’s of the world.

I don’t consider myself rich by today’s standards in the good old U S of A, but by the standards of the Lazarus’s of the world, I am a billionaire.  I think of this as I see the good work of the food pantry offerings at St. Mary Family Center and the great needs of the homeless families that come to St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter. I would like to suggest that we can help some of the Lazarus of the world by supporting programs such as these with our time, talent and treasures.

What does some soup and bread do for the good of the world? On the surface, some, as we share a meal and some stories. On a deeper level – it can go a long way.

Last year I volunteered to be in charge of the Pastoral Center’s Lenten Soup Lunches where each week during Lent staff takes turns bringing a slow-cooker of soup or some bread as we get together to enjoy each other’s company and culinary skills. Toward the end of Lent last year I learned that these lunches were originally organized to benefit Operation Rice Bowl and increase our awareness of global hunger. 

This year I wanted to organize these lunches with a focus on eating a simple meal in solidarity with those who are hungry as well as benefiting Operation Rice Bowl and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).  We invited our staff to join in one or two ways:

1. To prepare a slow-cooker of soup or bring/prepare a loaf or two of bread
2. Donate what we would normally spend on a lunch to Operation Rice Bowl. 

A few dollars doesn’t seem like much until I realize my $10 lunch from Palmer’s could go to CRS to feed a family for TWO WEEKS! 

We’ve got a little Lent under our belt, but there is still plenty of time to pray, fast and give. Consider different (even fun!) ways to incorporate Operation Rice Bowl and CRS in your Lenten journey.

I hope you have had a good first few days of Lent. One of the ways in which each of us is called to live out our baptism is through living in a way that promotes justice for all. Justice begins with acknowledging the dignity of all human persons without reference to race, creed, gender, or economic status.
 

People too often “act without justice” in their speech as they use slurs, stereotypes, and inappropriate jokes about others. This Lent, we are called to “act with justice” in the way we speak and act toward one another. Whether in word or deed, always ask, “does what I am about to say or do contribute to the dignity of this person or these persons”. That will help keep you on track to “act with justice”.

Father Steve Orr, Pastor of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Parish in Ankeny, Iowa

The success or failure of many non-profits, Catholic Charities included, is largely determined by the support each community provides to the organization. Donations, whether through time spent volunteering or donating canned goods to a food pantry, are crucial to the healthy existence of each non-profit. As a donation specialist, I’ve accepted donations from every corner of Des Moines and people from many walks of life. I’ve witnessed great displays of generosity from hundreds of individuals. That being said, Catholic Charities is always working to expand its community of supporters in order to serve a larger need.
 

Recently, Mary Davis at Jordan Grove Iowa Realty Office was inspired to collect donations at her workplace for St. Mary Family Center. As seen above, Mary put up a poster in her office and encouraged her coworkers to donate as well. If you’re inspired by the idea of getting your workplace involved, let us know. Catholic Charities’ work is only as successful as the community that surrounds it, so please prayerfully consider what role your workplace could take in carrying out Catholic Charities’ mission.

The success or failure of many non-profits, Catholic Charities included, is largely determined by the support each community provides to the organization. Donations, whether through time spent volunteering or donating canned goods to a food pantry, are crucial to the healthy existence of each non-profit. As a donation specialist, I’ve accepted donations from every corner of Des Moines and people from many walks of life. I’ve witnessed great displays of generosity from hundreds of individuals. That being said, Catholic Charities is always working to expand its community of supporters in order to serve a larger need.
 

Recently, Mary Davis at Jordan Grove Iowa Realty Office was inspired to collect donations at her workplace for St. Mary Family Center. As seen above, Mary put up a poster in her office and encouraged her coworkers to donate as well. If you’re inspired by the idea of getting your workplace involved, let us know. Catholic Charities’ work is only as successful as the community that surrounds it, so please prayerfully consider what role your workplace could take in carrying out Catholic Charities’ mission.

            Mathew has the great sentence “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.”  I find that comforting knowing that our God is there for us. He does expect some thing from us, the asking, the seeking and the knocking. And then he is there for us.  But amazing to me that four lines later in his Gospel, Mathew quotes Christ saying,  “Do unto others whatever you would have them do to you.”  I couldn’t help of thinking what we all do if I more or less put the two together. If we take this holy phrase upon ourselves.
            Ask and it will be given to you.  When we at Catholic Charities ask many different parishes to collect or donate for our programs and we find that it is given.
            See and you will find.  I think of all of the refugees that are seeking a safe life for themselves and their families and we help them find it.
            Knock and the door will be opened to you.  Knocking at St Joseph Emergency Family Shelter will give the homeless respite and knocking at the door of the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter will give shelter and safety to the domestically abused.
            This is something that we as a Diocese do collectively and hopefully the Lord will see this as our way of responding to the fact that when we ask, he gives, when we seek, he lets us find, and when we knock he is there to let us in.

By Ken Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison, Catholic Charities

Make a chart to track how many glasses of juice each person in the family drinks throughout the week and keep it on the refrigerator. Explain to your kids that some children don't always have as much juice as they would like and talk about St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter. At the end of the week, plan to donate juice to the shelter. Guests at the shelter (which houses up to 10 families at one time) typically go through 4-6 containers of juice each day so the more juice the better!

Deliver juice to St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter - 1535 11th Street Des Moines.

By Trish Radke, Communications & Event Director, Catholic Charities

One of the most amazing things about attending the Rally for Life yesterday was watching all of the different people that were full of the joy of life. I met some committed people whom I have meant many times at events for Life.  But I also was amazed by the amount of younger people that attended the rally.  I saw our bishop and a smattering of other Roman collars. I saw our Governor and Lieutenant Governor along with about 30 representatives and senators that came up at the end of the rally to stand for life against all threats. They were young and old, male and female, but all smiling and joyfully listening to the speakers. I heard phrases that inspired us all.  “All life is precious.” “The Pro Life movement is the Pro Woman movement.”  Great people, Great ideas. 

If you couldn’t be there but want to do something for life, consider mailing a postcard to our national leaders asking them to project life and liberty.

Link to the postcard

Being an American, bread is a major part of my diet. It might not be a basic food group but it sure is basic to me. I can’t eat Italian without a piece of French bread close by. Chili begs for a slice or two of some bread. A fresh baked crescent roll entices all of my senses. And then there is the sandwich, the staple of my lunch time diet. I love them all. I can’t conceive of a diet without bread of some type fairly regularly.

I would think that if you give your lives a thought you might feel the same way. It has been that way with me since my younger days, the days of Wonderbread (builds strong bodies 8 ways). But I think we fail to realize how fortunate we are to have that experience. That came to me the other day when I stopped by St. Mary Family Center and chatted with the manager. We were talking about how much in demand bread is at the food pantry. It is rare that they ever have enough to get through the day. That gave me pause to reflect that a good percentage of our neighbors in this area may not regularly have a simple item that is so basic to me.
Once again, I am reminded how important St. Mary's and other excellent food pantries are to our community and how meeting basic needs, like access to bread, is so essential even in a country as abundant as ours.  
 

By Ken Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison, Catholic Charities Des Moines Diocese

To be Christlike strikes me with an expanded meaning today, much different from my thoughts on this that I had in my early twenties. Christ suffered periods of indecision and doubt. Life was not perfect for Him; He had to take his time in the desert to replenish his confidence in Himself and His mission. Too often we think of “Godlike” when we use the term “Christlike.” I think that the term “Christlike” lets us get a sense of how we can gradually develop. The humanness of Jesus should give us comfort. The goal of being Christlike then becomes more meaningful and attainable. We need to be like Jesus, alive so that we can meet God with him in death. We need to travel through our time in the desert every once in awhile in order to replenish ourselves. The desert to us will be anywhere that we can go that is away from other people, away from our jobs and families, a place where we can pray and let God come onto us. Our faith needs to be dwelt on at times. It can not continue without this regeneration periodically.

By Ken Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison, Catholic Charities, Des Moines Diocese

A family of four would have a budget of $6/meal or $30 for five evening meals for example.

Involve the entire family in planning, go to the grocery store and let us know how it goes next week at www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM or email tradke@dmdiocese.org.

Read more about the “Food Challenge” here.

Visit our blog again over the weekend for daily reflections and service ideas!

She says, "The First Reading is addressed to a “collective” society not an “individualistic” society – one that defines itself as a whole, not a collection of individuals. The emphasis is on the nation, the society making life giving decisions."

She goes on to say we must call for policies that look at the COMMON GOOD-- the bigger picture. 
 

Upon reading this reflection, the USCCB postcard campaigns calling for immigration reform and for the respect of life and religious liberty immediately came to mind. Something we all can do right now for the greater good is to ask our representatives to pass just immigration reform and to protect life and religious freedom. Click here to submit postcards for these life-affirming policies for the common good.

In closing, Leith reminds us that "we need to let go of personal interests in order to look at the bigger picture, the common good, the building of the Kingdom of God. This is a hard sell in many of our areas as we have become a wealthier church, yet this is the best Valentine’s Day gift we can give one another. This is a day about love and compassion."
 

Read Karen Leith's entire reflection here (including some excellent refection questions!)

Written by: Brian R. Corbin, Executive Director of Catholic Charities Services and Health Affairs for the Diocese of Youngstown, OH.

The reading from the prophet Joel trumpets a new moment (Jl 2: 15-16):

“Blow the trumpet in Zion! 
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation.”

This urgent call for all to stop what we are currently doing -- even the bride and bridegroom are called to quit their chamber -- and reflect on our own lives occurs each year at the beginning of Lent.  We are each individually and as a community challenged to rethink our priorities and our actions.  We symbolically enter into the Church to receive ashes to remind us of our dependence upon God who made us in His image and likeness.  These ashes also dramatically call us to change our attitudes and actions, while we repent and remember that our ways are not always God’s ways.  We have sinned; we are called to reconciliation and forgiveness.  A new time is at hand.  A change of life is required.

Today’s Gospel reminds us of ways to reconnect with and return to God and our neighbors, thus fulfilling the greatest of the commandments to love God and neighbor.  Jesus tells his disciples then, and us now, to pray, fast, and give alms as a means of repentance and turning away from our old selves as we prepare for our new birth.  

But one critical note is made:  do not let others know what you are doing in terms of your prayers, fasting and almsgiving.  Only God the Father knows how our heart and soul are being transformed.  Others will notice that we are more intentional in loving God and neighbor with each moment and action of our lives.  As persons of faith we take this time of the 40 days of Lent to re-organize our priorities and our attitudes to witness better to the love of God and neighbor.

One way that we can all participate in actively fasting, praying and almsgiving during this Lenten season is through the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl  program.  As a sister agency to Catholic Charities, CRS is the official overseas development and relief agency of the US Catholic Bishops.  As Catholic Charities’ agencies serve domestic needs, CRS promotes justice, and provides much short and long term development, humanitarian, reconstruction aid to persons and communities around the world.  Just recently during the O’Grady program, several diocesan directors [including Catholic Charities, Des Moines Director Nancy Galeazzi] and others, along with Fr. Larry Snyder, visited the Holy Land and observed many CRS funded projects in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.  CRS works closely with local Caritas agencies in those countries.  CRS’ activities echoes much of the work we do in our local Catholic Charities’ agencies providing help and creating hope.  Through your participation in Rice Bowl during these 40 days of Lent, you can become more attuned to the work of the Church community in serving persons, families and communities in need while advocating for justice both locally and globally.

Listen to the prophet Joel to stop what we are doing right now; take stock of our relationship with God and with our neighbors; and, grow more in love.  This Lenten Season invites each one of us to fast, pray and give alms to reorder our lives, making love our priority (Caritas itself denotes love).  After these forty days of penance and reflection, we will be filled with the Easter joy that re-energizes us to love God and love our neighbor in our personal lives and through our ministry with Catholic Charities.

Reflection questions: 

1.    What do I need to stop doing right now, in order to redirect my energies to loving God and loving my neighbor more?

2.    Spend time visiting CRS Rice Bowl.  Use it to reflect, pray, learn, fast, and maybe consider giving a donation to CRS for its global work with local Caritas agencies throughout the world.

February 13, 2013
Ash Wednesday
Jl 2: 12-18; 2 Cor 5: 20-6:2; Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18
 

Check back daily or subscribe to our blog for daily reflections by priests, scholars, Catholic Charities employees, board members and volunteers from both the local and national Catholic Charities offices. These reflections offer insightful and practical spiritual messages related to the mission of Catholic Charities and the season of Lent.

The reading from the prophet Joel trumpets a new moment (Jl 2: 15-16):

“Blow the trumpet in Zion! 
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation.”

This urgent call for all to stop what we are currently doing -- even the bride and bridegroom are called to quit their chamber -- and reflect on our own lives occurs each year at the beginning of Lent.  We are each individually and as a community challenged to rethink our priorities and our actions.  We symbolically enter into the Church to receive ashes to remind us of our dependence upon God who made us in His image and likeness.  These ashes also dramatically call us to change our attitudes and actions, while we repent and remember that our ways are not always God’s ways.  We have sinned; we are called to reconciliation and forgiveness.  A new time is at hand.  A change of life is required.

Today’s Gospel reminds us of ways to reconnect with and return to God and our neighbors, thus fulfilling the greatest of the commandments to love God and neighbor.  Jesus tells his disciples then, and us now, to pray, fast, and give alms as a means of repentance and turning away from our old selves as we prepare for our new birth.  

But one critical note is made:  do not let others know what you are doing in terms of your prayers, fasting and almsgiving.  Only God the Father knows how our heart and soul are being transformed.  Others will notice that we are more intentional in loving God and neighbor with each moment and action of our lives.  As persons of faith we take this time of the 40 days of Lent to re-organize our priorities and our attitudes to witness better to the love of God and neighbor.

One way that we can all participate in actively fasting, praying and almsgiving during this Lenten season is through the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl  program.  As a sister agency to Catholic Charities, CRS is the official overseas development and relief agency of the US Catholic Bishops.  As Catholic Charities’ agencies serve domestic needs, CRS promotes justice, and provides much short and long term development, humanitarian, reconstruction aid to persons and communities around the world.  Just recently during the O’Grady program, several diocesan directors and others, along with Fr. Larry Snyder, visited the Holy Land and observed many CRS funded projects in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.  CRS works closely with local Caritas agencies in those countries.  CRS’ activities echoes much of the work we do in our local Catholic Charities’ agencies providing help and creating hope.  Through your participation in Rice Bowl during these 40 days of Lent, you can become more attuned to the work of the Church community in serving persons, families and communities in need while advocating for justice both locally and globally.

Listen to the prophet Joel to stop what we are doing right now; take stock of our relationship with God and with our neighbors; and, grow more in love.  This Lenten Season invites each one of us to fast, pray and give alms to reorder our lives, making love our priority (Caritas itself denotes love).  After these forty days of penance and reflection, we will be filled with the Easter joy that re-energizes us to love God and love our neighbor in our personal lives and through our ministry with Catholic Charities.

Reflection questions: 

1.    What do I need to stop doing right now, in order to redirect my energies to loving God and loving my neighbor more?

2.    Spend time visiting CRS Rice Bowl.  Use it to reflect, pray, learn, fast, and maybe consider giving a donation to CRS for its global work with local Caritas agencies throughout the world.

Written by: Brian R. Corbin, Executive Director of Catholic Charities Services and Health Affairs for the Diocese of Youngstown, OH.

February 13, 2013
Ash Wednesday
Jl 2: 12-18; 2 Cor 5: 20-6:2; Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18

Check back or subscribe to our blog for daily reflections by priests, scholars, Catholic Charities employees, board members and volunteers from both the local and national Catholic Charities offices. These reflections offer insightful and practical spiritual messages related to the mission of Catholic Charities and the season of Lent.

The really good news is that thanks to volunteers and parishes around the Diocese, we are stocked with items to set up apartments. Pots, pans, towels, plates, comforters, chairs, beds... we literally have everything BUT the KITCHEN TABLE.

Do you have a kitchen table and chairs to donate? Call us ASAP at 515-237-5093! (and please pass this along to anyone you know who might have a kitchen table to donate.)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

(Are you on our volunteer email list? Email pschacherer@dmdiocese.org to be notified when a volunteer need arises).

Let Your Voice Be Heard Video Contest for Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month

Now, more than ever, you can help prevent dating violence. 1 in 4 high-school students are victims of physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse by their dating partner. Create a 30 second public service announcement that shows other teens what healthy relationships look like. this is a contest, so the more creative the better!

Awesome Prizes!!!
1st Place - iPad, your PSA will air on Mediacom Stations!
2nd Place - Kindle
3rd Place - Kindle

Submit Your Idea!
Due Friday, February 8th at 4pm.
Submissions must include both the video, created at least 30 frames per second, AND a signed consent/media waiver form. This form is available on the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence website: www.icadv.org.

In light of the recent events in Newtown, Conn., Catholic Charities bi-lingual family therapist Betty Mond was asked to lend her expertise to Des Moines radio station La Ley, a Spanish language radio station that serves as a resource to Des Moines’ Hispanic community. Mond participated in a call-in show that featured violence in society as its primary topic. During the course of the show, Mond offered advice and extensive knowledge of family therapy to help listeners understand the causes and effects of violence, specifically with teenagers.

“Once a child sees two people attempt to solve a conflict through violence, they have served as a model. Instead, the conflict should be resolved through dialogue,” said Mond. As the child becomes a teenager, a model of violence becomes especially concerning, Mond explained. “As a teenager, you feel invincible and act as if your life is a play or an adventure. So, teenagers cannot process the actions like you and I. They think and then they act, so setting a positive example is important,” said Mond.

In addition to setting a positive example, it is important to recognize warning signs of a troubled child. While on the radio, Betty received a call from a concerned mother whose child chose to socially isolate herself. “She used to be a happy child, but now she is very quiet and listens to music that talks about death all the time. Her mother was very concerned and she needed help,” said Mond. “Some parents know when something is wrong and some do not, but sometimes the child needs help.”

In the aftermath of the event in Newtown, Connecticut and subsequent violent acts in our country, it is important to be a positive model of conflict resolution. Additionally, it is important to recognize issues your child may be having. As Catholic Social Teaching tells us, “We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be…Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.”

If you or someone you know is interested in talking with a therapist, contact Center for Life Counseling offices in Des Moines at 515-237-5045 or in Council Bluffs at 712-328-3086.

Now that we are officially one week into the new year, you may be asking yourself how you will ever keep your New Year's resolution. Change is hard and sticking with resolutions can seem impossible. I recently sat down with a therapist at Catholic Charities’ Center for Life Counseling who offered some excellent guidance on the subject.

Center for Life Counseling director Stacie Weires says that the major factors in attaining gradual and sustained change in lifestyle depend on three crucial factors: clarity, process, and dialing down self-criticism.

Before determining a new goal, be clear with what you would like to achieve. Take some time to discern your own thoughts about the goal and make a decision without distraction. Be clear that the goal is something you want to achieve for yourself, not others.

Second, determine a process for achieving the goal. Determine the process of how to accomplish the goal and set realistic benchmarks in achieving the goal.

Finally, be aware of self-criticism. We are, after all, our own worst critics. Be able to laugh at yourself once in a while.

For more thoughts from our therapists, visit the "Mental Health Moment" topic library here.

Do you have a question or topic you would like our therapists to address? Email us at Charities@dmdiocese.org with the subject "Idea for Mental Health Moment".

By Patrick Schacherer, Special Projects Coordinator

Each year Catholic Charities, in conjunction with St. Pius X Parish in Urbandale, provides turkeys and hams to the clients of St. Mary Family Center. In keeping with the holiday spirit, Catholic Charities staff members are asked to take a three-hour shift distributing holiday turkeys and hams.

On Wednesday afternoon, with a brutal storm looming somewhere to the West, I made my way to St. Mary Family Center. From my experience last year, I was fully expecting a crowd that would fill the building. I had prepared myself for the purported high-volume, high stress environment.

As I stepped through the doors of St. Mary Family Center, it became readily apparent that more words would be exchanged speculating about the severity of the oncoming storm rather than the work at hand. Not surprisingly, many clients had elected to stay home as reports of the storm became more treacherous for travel.

However, as the day rolled on and the storm drew near, clients still trickled in, risking their chances of returning home. I turned to Leslie, the Outreach Manager, and asked her how this year’s numbers will compare with last year’s. “They’re down right now, but they won’t be on Friday. It will be the last chance before Christmas our clients will have.”

On Friday, I was given the heads-up that St. Mary Family Center had been packed since the doors opened. As of Wednesday afternoon, St. Mary Family Center had distributed 272 turkeys and hams and 183 food boxes. By the end of the day on Friday, at least 100 more holiday meats were distributed and hundreds more passed through the doors of St. Mary Family Center to pick up produce and dairy products.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let us be thankful and remember the less fortunate among us. As a client at St. Mary Family Center once said to me, “Being poor doesn’t end just because it’s Christmas Day.”

St. Nicholas might have lived in the third century, but we are seeing his spirit carried on today right here in our Catholic schools and religious education programs!

Back in the third century, St. Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need and his love for children. In celebration and recognition of the feast of St. Nicholas (Dec. 7), religious education programs, Catholic schools and parishes across the Diocese have been taking part in a “Spirit of St. Nicholas” personal item collection for Catholic Charities. These efforts are providing thousands of personal care items that go to clients at St Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, St. Mary Family Center, Refugee Resettlement Program and the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter.

The participation of "budding St. Nick’s" include: St Augustin School, Sacred Heart School, St. Malachy School, St. Anthony School, St. Joseph School, St. Pius School, St. Theresa School, Dowling & St. Albert Catholic High Schools, St. Patrick School in Perry and the Religious Education programs at St. Patrick-Irish Settlement, St. Peter, St. Francis, and St. Mary-Hamburg.  WOW!

It is refreshing to see our youngsters understand the true meaning of Christmas as exemplified by the example of good Ole St. Nick. The 200 refugees who we are resettling each year, and the 300 people that we served at St. Joseph’s annually will make good use of these items. And the 400 people a day who go to St. Mary Family Center and 100 women and children who stay at the Phoenix House will benefit as well.

Christmas is about hope and the future.  With our current squad of "St. Nicks", our future has never been brighter.

What better way to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the coming of Christ in our lives than to view nativity scenes from around the world, children's artwork , Christmas music sung by local choirs and a live Nativity?
 

No Room at the Inn is held from 1-5 p.m. at 601 Grand Ave. in downtown Des Moines (the Catholic Pastoral Center). Families are encouraged to take time out of the hustle and bustle and celebrate the true reason for the season!

Some new and exciting elements of the event this year come from the talented and giving hearts of the young people in our diocese. Here are a few highlights:

• Seven unique nativity sets created by art students at Dowling Catholic High School will be on display and up for bid on a silent auction. All are made of different materials (including one life-size piece made of packing tape! Click here to see a video of it being made!) and all will on the auction block starting Friday night at the fundraising reception through Sunday, Dec. 2 at the Open House from 1-5pm.
•  Six local Catholic Schools and at least three religious education programs are taking part in the “Spirit of St. Nicolas” collection which provides personal care items for newly arrived refugees, low-income families and seniors served at St. Mary Family Center and homeless families at St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.
• Hundreds of religious education students have created fantastic pieces of artwork for our ”Gift of Hope” campaign. The top three pieces of art will be featured on our alternate gift giving Christmas cards and others will be displayed during No Room at the Inn! Click here to learn more about the Gift of Hope Christmas giving opportunity.

And that is not all!

• Youth choirs from all over the Des Moines Metro will be sharing the gift of song with us on Sun., Dec. 2 between 1-5 p.m. Singers from the Iowa Youth Chorus, St. Francis of Assisi Children’s & Middle School Concert Choirs, the Catholic Youth Chorus (St. John’s Basilica) and children’s choirs from Holy Family School, Sacred Heart and Holy Trinity will perform throughout the day. Click here for a full schedule.
• 7th and 8th grade students at local Catholic schools drew a 2D picture that represents what they think Catholic Charities means to them. These donated drawings will be used as part of a 10’ x 8’ pictorial mosaic to be displayed in the Pastoral Center during the No Room at the Inn event this year. You don't want to miss this!

It is amazing talking to all kinds of Catholics about the concept of “Respect Life.” As I listen to many of them, I discover that they are in awe of Life. October is Respect Life month and our parishes embrace this in different ways.

Christ the King (DM) celebrates the month by sponsoring 2 students to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C., St. Pius X (DM) held a baby shower on Respect Life Sunday.  St. Joseph’s (DM) attended the Life Chain, St. Many of Nazareth has enhanced their participation in 40 Days of Life with a “Kneeling for Life” in their 24 hour adoration chapel. St. Augustin’s has two display tables during October containing respect life materials. All Saints (DM) contributes to Diapers for Donuts collection campaign. SS John and Paul in Altoona sponsored a presentation by Sr. Jean Prejean, the author of “Dead Man Walking”. The Diocesan marriage office sponsored a “Pregnancy and Infant Loss” mass which I found incredibly moving.

These are just a few examples of parish activities recognizing Respect Life month. This is an excellent time for me to remind all that Catholic Charities has a New Beginnings Pregnancy counseling program. The Diocesan marriage office sponsored a “Pregnancy and Infant Loss” mass which I found incredibly moving.

The national slogan this year is “Faith opens our eyes to Human Life in all its Grandeur and Beauty”, which hits home for me when I get to take part in that marvelous activity of people watching.  This is an event that I truly enjoy when the situation presents itself. As I relax with a cup of coffee and watch people young and old, healthy and crippled, happy and sad, I just marvel at his mankind that our God has created.

In an age of persistent digital bombardment, we’re often caught up in what information on illuminated screens is conveying, regardless of the importance of the content. Whether it’s a text message or a game of Words with Friends, we’re more concerned about the abstract consequences of the keystrokes rather than the construction of the chair we’re sitting in. Being a young person, I too am caught up in our digital society.

However, in my experience working with refugees through Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement, it’s incredibly apparent that my reality is far different than theirs. A comfortable chair, a bed to sleep on, a table at which to eat with family—these are the concerns.

Collecting these basic household items is my job and admittedly, receiving these donations is difficult. Carrying couch after couch out of houses all over the metro (yes, we pick up donations!), driving a moving truck 75 miles each Monday – it wasn’t exactly what I envisioned when I took this job. However, the feeling of completing an apartment setup and seeing the looks on our clients’ faces completely erases any sliver of negativity. The tangible nature of seeing the finished product makes total sense to me. I’m filled with a sense of accomplishment and hope as I leave each apartment. I know that when the family walks through that door, they’ll be able to see and feel the comfort and safety of their new home.

At Catholic Charities, we’re dependent on donations to address our needs and we need your help. This next year we’ll welcome 200 new people to Des Moines, a significantly higher number than last year. We’re hoping you’ll open your heart and provide us with the resources to continue serving our refugee clients.

Do you have furniture or household items you would like to donate?  Call us at 515-237-5093.

Click here for a list of items needed
Learn more about refugee resettlement

I have a bunch of friends, acquaintances (and yes even some enemies) that are now retired. Some split the work scene at age 55 and others just got old.  Most have a sense of financial security, so working a shift at a local retailer does not enter into their plans. It is interesting when asked “who are you?” they always say a retired member of some profession (i.e. I am a retired teacher, I worked for 40 years at John Deere, etc.)  What they did was a huge part of their identity.

Similarly, when I attend the Catholic Charities volunteer recognition banquet each year, I chat with a fair number of retired people.  When I ask them who they are, they all respond with, “I am a volunteer at St. Mary Family Center,” or, “I volunteer each week at St. Joseph Shelter.”  They seem to relish that new identity.

So I guess what I want to say to my retired buddies is: “Who would you like to be now?”
 

Retired and looking for a volunteer opportunity? Learn more here.

Tips from counselors for retirement planning and your mental and emotional health.

Back-to-school time brings with it natural anxiety and nervousness for both children and parents. During this time, therapists with Center for Life Counseling encourage parents to examine their own anxiety about the change.

"Whether a child is starting kindergarten or going off to college, how parents manage their own anxiety makes a difference on how the child will do during the transition," says counseling director Stacie Weires LISW. Weires has not only worked as a licensed clinical therapist for 13 years, but is also a mother of a soon-to-be kindergartner and is being thoughtful about how she will manage her own emotions during the milestone.

"One thing my husband and I are thinking about is who will take our child to school. As a mother, I want to be the person who walks them in, but as we consider what in the best interest of our child, we realize that riding the bus may be the best choice for our child as it is the likely to be lest emotionally driven experience."

Below, Weires and the other therapists at Center for Life Counseling, share their knowledge about how parents can help ease their children's fears as well as their own:
Separate the worries you have about your own issues from the worries you have about your child. For example, if your child is going off to college and you are extra emotional about being an empty nester, be extra cautious about letting your worries bubble over onto your child.
 

Separate the facts of the situation from your fears and consider if your worries about your child are realistic. 
 

Know that a certain amount of nervousness about the transition is normal and healthy - for both parents and children.

Parish Outreach Liaison, Catholic Charities

Last Friday was a hot day, but that was outside.

Inside, I had a “cool” time. I use that word, which is a remnant from the 60’s, because I myself am a remnant from the 60’s. As I continue to lead my life, I often feel that I experienced all that I needed to know about what a “cool” youth meant back in the time of Buddy Holly. Not so, I learned last Friday. I had the great opportunity of attending one of Catholic Charities Refugee Cultural Orientations.
 

The first people that I met were some youths, kids that are the same age today as I was in the 60’s, and they were “way cool”. Five teens from St. Michael’s parish in Harlan and another from Johnston came to assist with child care. They had toys and coloring books but no common language. As anyone would be, they were pretty unsure of what to do.

I checked with them each hour. After hour one, they were totally engaged with the kids.  By hour three, they were communicating using body language. In hour four, games like duck, duck, goose were played. When I returned to tell them it was time for lunch, I witnessed a pile-on which would have been the envy of any recreation director in the state.

The adult group was equally enjoyable. Our program director, Sanjita, had clients separated by language with an interpreter at each table. I watched her form a group who gradually realized that they were all together in the USA, land of hope for all. I listened to the explanations of our basic laws, as well as our acceptable customs and was amazed at how much one needs to learn to live here.  As I pondered, I realized we might be the only country that requires a license to fish. During presentations, I was amazed at how the presenters would speak for a short period of time, followed by letting the translators relay information in one of the nine languages.
 

The Cultural Orientation was invigorating to say the least. Experiencing new people and new things are some of the best perks of this job. To summarize, it was one cool time.

For many of us, summer means time spent relaxing by the pool, taking in a baseball

game, or grilling out with friends. The weather is warm and our worries are few. For the clients of St. Mary Family Center, summer has a different meaning altogether. Summer means resources are stretched further to provide another meal for children that are out of school. During the school year, many of the children who are served by St. Mary's are candidates for free or reduced lunch.

"I hear it all the time." said Outreach Center Manager Leslie Vander Molen. "Kids are out of school for the summer and their benefits don't reflect a change in the amount of food each family needs to provide. Families who seldom use our services are more likely to come during the summer." Also noted is the increase in foot traffic at St. Mary Family Center due to children being out of school.

"I'm entering a number of new families every day into ServicePoint. The resources just don't stretch like they need to. Summer means two more meals to provide for the kids." remarked a volunteer at St. Mary Family Center. "There are just more people in here looking for a way to make ends meet."

As the summer rolls on, St. Mary's will continue to provide services to those that need it most. For the families who continue to struggle, the summer remains a time in which the pennies are pinched and dollars are stretched. To put it simply, hunger isn't taking the summer off.
 

“Refugees leave because they have no choice. We must choose to help.” remarked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today regarding World Refugee Day, an international holiday celebrated each year on June 20th. All around the globe, civic organizations and refugees celebrate the courage of refugees globally and recognize the struggles that still exist for many.

On this World Refugee Day, we recognize the efforts to assist those in need, but also acknowledge that the conflict and oppression that plague our planet does not rest on this holiday. Earlier this week, the United Nations issued its Global Trends 2011 report, which provides an updated number of refugees for the prior year. The report showed that a record 800,000 individuals were forced to flee their home country last year, due to conflicts taking place in Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, and elsewhere around the globe. The new UN report raises the total number of refugees internationally to 43.9 million.

So today we celebrate the triumph of those have escaped oppression and continue to stand in solidarity with those that are still oppressed. Over the course of the last year, Catholic Charities has resettled more than 150 refugees from all over the globe. We strive to serve our clients with dignity and respect, as well as celebrate their strength to persevere through adversity and make a new life in the United States.
 

Sponsored by Mercy Medical Center, the Bishop Charron Caritas Award recognizes volunteers for their compassion, humility, commitment and enthusiasm in helping all those in need. 

"Catholic Charities relies on the generosity and heart of volunteers like Kathy and churches like the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd," said Nancy Galeazzi, executive director of Catholic Charities. "We are honored to have such an amazing group of volunteers working to help the poor and vulnerable in our community."

The recipient of the individual 2012 Bishop Charron Caritas Award is Kathy Avey who is being recognized for her hard work in many roles at Catholic Charities. Kathy has volunteered at St. Mary's, assisted with donations and apartment setups for the refugee program as well as filling the role of Co-Chair for No Room at the Inn, Catholic Charities annual fundraising event. Kathy is also active with the Global Advocacy Team, Center for Social Ministry and JustFaith. 
 

The recipient in the group category is the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd who is  being recognized for its service to St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter. For the last 15 years, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd has been providing St. Joseph's clients with meals twice a month, as well as making quilts for the beds. Volunteers from Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd also tiled the kitchen and dining room floors at the shelter and has been a continual source of support for Catholic Charities and St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd and Kathy Avey will be recognized publicly at Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park on June 7. The recipients will join Bishop Richard E. Pates, and Catholic Charities' Executive Director Nancy Galeazzi on the field prior to the first pitch.

Nominees for the awards also included Juleen McGrath, Juan Mercado, Julia Schenk, Sandy Ellis, Deb Ryan, Cheryl Johnson, the Iowa Cubs, the Center for Social Ministry and Refugee Program ESL Teachers.

The Caritas Award is given annually to an individual and organization that show exceptional compassion, service and love to all those in need through their work with Catholic Charities. The award is named for the retired Bishop of Des Moines, Joseph L. Charron, who not only served the Diocese of Des Moines from 1994 to 2007, but also inspired people of all faiths to join Catholic Charities in service to those in need.

Catholic Charities has been making outstanding contributions to the community since 1924 and has evolved with the times helping to meet the community's changing needs regardless of faith. Programs include A New Beginning: Adoption & Pregnancy Counseling Program, Counseling Services, Hispanic Community Outreach Program, St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, St. Mary Family Center, Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program and Refugee Resettlement Services.

For more information about the Bishop Charron Caritas Award or Catholic Charities contact Trish Radke at 515-237-5078, tradke@dmdiocese.org or go to www.CatholicCharitiesdm.org.
 
 

Those are great words that describe the 25 Parish Ambassadors  (PA's) that  Catholic Charities is blessed to have helping in parishes throughout the Diocese of Des Moines. Parish Ambassador's work year round helping us get our message and needs out to parishioners. They are an integral cog in the process that has collected thousands of items for St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, St. Mary Family Center, the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program  and Refuge Resettlement.

This time of year the Parish Ambassadors help to sell tickets for Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs.  And boy is that a job! Most sell after masses on one or two weekends, and parishes have from 3-5 liturgies on a weekend! They are either there in person or have a volunteer helping them, which they have to get tickets to and from over the course of the weekend.

This is not an easy task. Please help us thank the Parish Ambassadors when purchasing your ticket to the ball game. Check your bulletins for when they are selling or give them a call.

Without these amazing people, Catholic Charities simply could not provide the services and programs that we do-- Parish Ambassador support and YOUR support is essential to our mission. Thank you!

Aubudon, St. Patrick, Maxine Klein

Ankeny, OLIH, Kathy Avey

Ankeny, St. Lukes, Sue Ellsworth

Norwalk/Cumming, St. John, Brent DeRocher
DM, Christ the King, Troy & Julie Marlow
DM, Holy Trinity, Paulette Chapman 

DM, St. Mary of Nazareth, Diane Klopfenstein
DM, St. Theresa, Amanda Vande
Granger, Assumption, Pattie Smith
Urbandale, St. Pius X, Jim & Mary Houston

West Des Moines, St. Francis, Mary Kay Moore
DM, St. Joseph, Leilani McDonald

Elkhart, St. Mary-Holy Cross, Anne Davis

Indianola, St. Thomas Aquinas, Terry Krapfl
Southeast Warren, Holy Trinity, Bev Schurman
Winterset, St. Joseph, Jeff Dolton

St. Marys, Immaculate Conception, Gary VanDyke

Waukee, St. Boniface, Katie Graham

DM, St. Augustin, Theresa Lewis

West Des Moines, Sacred Heart, Teri Van Lent
DM/St. Ambrose, Dorothy Miller
Perry/St. Patirck, Robin Smith

Last week, I attended the graduation ceremony for students who completed computer literacy classes sponsored by Catholic Charities Hispanic Community Outreach Program. Staff member, Mireya Ramirez, addressed the graduates and their families and to be completely honest, I didn’t understand one word since English is my only language and she was speaking in Spanish.

But then, as the graduates were to cross the podium and receive their certificates, I picked up the camera. From that point on I understood everything through the universal language of the lens. The spoken word did not matter. As I focused on each graduate I saw smiles, pride, a sense of accomplishment, a love of their fellow students and there were hugs all around. Through that same lens, I saw children playing, crying, skipping and proudly hugging their mother or father. It was clearly a special and rewarding time for all.

Do you speak Spanish? We are always looking for bilingual volunteers to assist with computer classes, nutrition classes and other empowerment opportunities offered by the Hispanic Community Outreach Program.

Are you or do you know of someone who has generously contributed volunteer time through Catholic Charities? Nominate them for the 2012 Bishop Charron Caritas Award!

Each year hundreds of volunteers assist Catholic Charities in numerous ways-- cleaning the homeless shelter, setting up apartments for refugees, organizing donations, packing and distributing food boxes, selling tickets to fundraising events, offering expertise on the Board of Directors and through committee membership and many, many other ways that are critical to Catholic Charities' mission.

The Bishop Charron Caritas Award is presented annually to an individual and organization that shows exceptional compassion, service and love to all those in need through their volunteer work with Catholic Charities.

The award is named for retired Bishop Joseph L. Charron, who not only served the Diocese of Des Moines from 1994 to 2007, but also inspired people of all faiths to join Catholic Charities in service to those in need.
 
Nominations for this award are open to the public now and are due by May 15. Applications can be obtained by calling 515-237-5019, by  emailing pnestvedt@dmdiocese.org (click for electronic  application). To send an application by mail, please download the PDF file here.
  
The Bishop Charron Caritas Award recipients will be honored publicly at Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs on June 7. 
 
In addition to showing compassion, serving with humility and displaying love for all people, the nominees will be judged on four criteria: fulfilling the mission of Catholic Charities; bringing unique gifts, skills and talent to one’s work; demonstrating commitment and enthusiasm to helping all those in need; and making a measurable impact on the community and those served through Catholic Charities. 
 
 

If you are lucky in life your only acquaintance with a tornado is with the one in the Wizard of Oz. But unfortunately for some that is not the case. 

I traveled to Creston, the home of Holy Spirit Parish, last week with Catholic Charities Disaster Response Team. As many of you know Creston was hit by a tornado on Saturday, April 14. It touched down in a fairly straight line for a relatively short distance on the northwest corner of town by the hospital, the middle school and the community college, all of which suffered significant damage in addition to homes:

- 59 housing units were either destroyed or heavily damaged
- 40 of those were multiple unit buildings like condos or apartments
- 19 single family dwellings destroyed

I saw at least three instances where a house was completely demolished but the ones on either side of it had only shingle damage on the roof.  The athletic field had batting cages blown away, student bleachers completely turned over and the bus barn is now an open air building.  But the town vows to move on. Prom was Friday night.
 

The infrastructure of the town was unhurt so life could be somewhat normal for most. I was there on a Wednesday, three days after the storm, and all of the downed trees had already been removed. Driving into and through Creston, I passed a Casey’s, a HyVee, restaurants and other businesses— all open.  The Country Club, which is located close to the college and hospital, had people out on the course. One block from a completely demolished house, a man was cutting his lawn.
 

But for the 59 families who were uprooted, and the rest of the townspeople who know or are related to someone who suffered the catastrophe, life does not go on as usual. They prepare for a new "normal". Please keep the tornado victims in your prayers as they recover and begin to rebuild their lives.

How can you help victims of the April tornado's!
• Organize a Personal Care Item & Twin Bedding Collection. Catholic Charities can help pick up collections of items and will deliver them to Creston for distribution to people in need. Click here for a collection flyer.

• Sign up for the Disaster Volunteer email list.

• Make a donation to help victims of the tornado online or by mail to:

Catholic Charities Tornado Relief, 601 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50309, or by phone at 515-237-5078

Learn more at http://www.dmdiocese.org/emergency-and-disaster-response.cfm.

Day Five - The Menu
I ended up with my “regular” breakfast and lunch, but for dinner I was able to squeeze in half of a $3.33 cent frozen pizza with a glass of milk.  It worked financially, but my stomach did not react that well to it and I don’t think that it was a plus in the nutrition column.

Food Stamp Challenge - Day 5

The Menu
A can of chicken noodle soup with crackers along with the diet pop = $1.35 for lunch.
My standard breakfast continues to sit at $1.53.
My $1.72 supper featured creamed tuna over toast with a small amount of peas mixed in.

Most of my life dinner has been something to look forward to. A delightful meal that led to great conversation. But during this Food Stamp Challenge, I have discovered that franks and macaroni washed down by H2O don’t lend itself to relaxed conversation.

I guess that would be an adjustment that I would have to make if I were on food stamps. Would I look at meal time as just time to wolf down my disappointing fare, or could I rise above my self pity and make the best of things? There is no reason that I couldn’t have great conversations over creamed tuna and toast. I am starting to see how a person that is down on their luck can easily slip into a sense of hopelessness and giving up.

I still get hungry between meals and I miss my after work beverage(s). But with all of this I am grateful that I am having the opportunity to go through these experiences so that I can feel how many of my fellow Christians fare in life.  
 

Welcome back to the Food Stamp Challenge.  I realized in the beginning that it would be a challenge.  What I didn’t realize is that it would also be emotional.

Working through another day on $4.50 is still a challenge and a new experience.  Besides my awareness everyday that there is no money left for any snacks, morning coffee somewhere, and a mid afternoon pop, I am really starting to feel a sense of lack of freedom. 

My Menu - Day Three
My most recent day started with the ubiquitous cereal with a banana and coffee.  Lunch returned to the infamous bologna sandwich with chips and a can of pop.  That took me to
$2.80 so far for the day.  Supper then would have to come in at $1.70.  Therefore I could have a quarter lb of 80% ground beef hamburger in my Hamburger Helper along with some canned beans. Not much meat once cooked. My other choice was half a frozen pizza with a small apple. I went with the Hamburger Helper meal.

Observations about choice and frustration
Normally when I go to the grocery store or plan my meals for the day or week, I really don’t have any boundaries. Naturally I can’t have steak and shrimp every day, but I am used to a variety with a meat or fish and vegetables and fruit every day.  But when I go to the store now, I don’t feel that I have much choice. There are thousands of items in the grocery store but I am learning that there are only a small percentage of those that I can work with.

The frustrating part is that this is what I came up with after walking up and down most of the isles of the grocery store.  Let me emphasize that the frustration part is really showing itself. As I was looking for items I didn’t have the feeling that I had much choice at all. 

As I have said before, the empathy is increasing each day that I do this project.
 

Welcome back to the Food Stamp Challenge.  I realized in the beginning that it would be a challenge.  What I didn’t realize is that it would also be emotional.

Working through another day on $4.50 is still a challenge and a new experience.  Besides my awareness everyday that there is no money left for any snacks, morning coffee somewhere, and a mid afternoon pop, I am really starting to feel a sense of lack of freedom. 

My Menu - Day Three
My most recent day started with the ubiquitous cereal with a banana and coffee.  Lunch returned to the infamous bologna sandwich with chips and a can of pop.  That took me to
$2.80 so far for the day.  Supper then would have to come in at $1.70.  Therefore I could have a quarter lb of 80% ground beef hamburger in my Hamburger Helper along with some canned beans. Not much meat once cooked. My other choice was half a frozen pizza with a small apple. I went with the Hamburger Helper meal.

Observations about choice and frustration
Normally when I go to the grocery store or plan my meals for the day or week, I really don’t have any boundaries. Naturally I can’t have steak and shrimp every day, but I am used to a variety with a meat or fish and vegetables and fruit every day.  But when I go to the store now, I don’t feel that I have much choice. There are thousands of items in the grocery store but I am learning that there are only a small percentage of those that I can work with.

The frustrating part is that this is what I came up with after walking up and down most of the isles of the grocery store.  Let me emphasize that the frustration part is really showing itself. As I was looking for items I didn’t have the feeling that I had much choice at all. 

As I have said before, the empathy is increasing each day that I do this project.
 

Food Stamp Challenge, Day Three

Cereal and a banana adorned my breakfast table with a cup of coffee on the side, a tuna salad sandwich served with a side of Doritos washed down with a diet coke made lunch unmemorable. And a dinner of an omelet and one piece of toast accompanied by a glass of water from the kitchen tap rounded out my day of gourmet splendor.

True, I probably couldn’t have eaten at a five star restaurant for a day for only $4.48. But then again I did get immediate seating at my kitchen table.

I am not a big fan of breakfast for dinner but as I trudged though this particular day, I didn’t want hot dogs or hamburger or just another sandwich for dinner, so we came up with an omelet and a piece of toast. 

I have to admit that I can’t remember ever having just one piece of toast; I thought toast came in pairs, in twos. But, I didn’t have the extra 13 cents at the end of the day.

One thing that is becoming obvious is that I am costing these days meals at the unit cost.  I have not been dealing with how you by the whole dozen eggs, the whole loaf of bread or the tuna package which can make five sandwiches. 

Remember that a Food Stamp weekly allotment per person is $31.50. Bread at over $2 per loaf, a dozen eggs at $2.07 and milk at $3.25 adds up quickly.  For the omelet we used parts of three different $0.80 items. As you can see with what I am doing, I couldn’t buy all of the items needed for seven days on $31.50. This is a challenge I haven’t figured out yet.

If you have been following me along and tallying up my costs, you will note that after three days I am still two cents over budget.  As there is no other money available to many on food stamps, I will try to make it up as I go.
 

Share your thoughts or your own experiences with this challenge at www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM.

My second day on the Food Stamp Challenge was another new adventure. I haven’t had a peanut butter sandwich in a number of years. I discovered that peanut butter does still stick to the top of your mouth. And I noticed that I was hungry. As you will see I had no snacks. I was probably a little better off with having a meeting at six so I didn’t get to have supper till 8 at night. I was in the office part of the day so I relished the free coffee. I must say I wasn’t that excited about the generic macaroni and cheese that I ate. I am pretty sure it tasted just like the box that it came in.

My cardiologist would happily point out that there was only one fruit and one vegetable. He wouldn’t be too excited about the hamburger and would have probably turned in his medical license when he saw the mac and cheese on the list.

My mother used to say when something was hard or unpleasant, “Offer it up.” I am not quite on that track but the times that I notice I am hungry; I let my mind dwell on all of the people that have this for a way of life. Humbling for me and empathy towards them.

My second attempt at the Food Stamp Challenge didn’t quite make it. I was 6 cents over. I thought I was not going to have a problem, but things just cost. Here is what I ate and the cost breakdown.

Special K 0.65
Milk 0.33
Banana 0.3
Coffee 0.25

$1.53

Peanut Butter 0.25
Bread 0.26
Chips 0.38
Diet coke 0.30

$1.11

Mac and Cheese 0.30
Milk & Butter 0.40
Hamburger 0.99
Peas 0.23
$1.92

Total for day two of the challenge - $4.56
 

My first attempt at the Food Stamp Challenge unbelievably came in at exactly $4.50. The first challenge was no coffee at the coffee shop with the buddies. The $0.80 that it costs was not in the budget. And then since I was visiting outlying parishes and not in the office with a free coffee pot, I took two large coffee containers from home.

Here is the breakdown:

Breakfast   $.1.53
  Cereal .65
  Banana .30
  Milk .33
  Coffee .25

Lunch $1.54
  Bologna .60
  2 bread .26
  Chips .38
  Diet coke .30

Dinner $1.43
  Spaghetti .40
  Sauce .77
  Bread 2 .26

Other items
Butter
Mustard

Total $4.50

As you might have noticed, no fruits and no vegetables. I had originally hoped for a glass of orange juice (4 oz) for breakfast and a glass of milk for supper. I didn’t get any snacks at night or during the day and I had to skip my N.A. beer before or with supper.

Needless to say that since I have a MFE (Masters of Fine Arts in Eating) with a major in snacking, the day was quite a jolt for me.

It did make me think of others, those that were doing this to exist not for the experience like I was. Empathy is building.

One more interesting tidbit. I made the sandwich and packed the little lunch container that I was going to take with me and then made the coffee and filled the two containers. I then put things away and got my briefcase and headed out. I was at the Catholic radio station, KWKY, at about 7:30 a.m. to do a short spot on the Food Service Challenge.  Afterward I headed to my car to travel to Red Oak when I got a call from my wife. She asked how my day was going. I responded “fine”. She then managed to slip into the conversation that the concept of the packed lunch works better if you actually take it and not leave it on the kitchen table.
 

I am a 64 year old male and I enjoy food.

My wife is a marvelous cook and thankfully she has mastered the traditional basics. My favorite sport is snacking on any type of nuts, cheeses and cracker arrangements and I do appreciate a good desert. My hobby is frequenting coffee shops. Nothing elaborate, but at least $1.75 per cup. I have a higher than desired cholesterol tendency so I must be careful of the items that I eat.

My wife and I make a weekly trip to the grocery store and we will also make a few short stops during the week if required. We do not consider ourselves extravagant, but we don't really have to pay attention to what we put in the cart. Whatever the bill is, we have the money to pay for it. I am not sure if I can give an average bill but if I had to guess I would say $120 a week.

Why have I given you all this background about me? Because I am going to be doing the Food Stamp Challenge at different times and from different angles throughout Lent. I invite you all to see if you can meet the challenge for a day, to a week, this Lenten season as well. The idea is to eat on $4.50/day or $1.50 per meal. 

As of today I have no idea of what I am getting into.

Wish me luck and let me know of your experiences by commenting on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM.

Thankfully, most of us reading this have no idea what it is like to use food stamps. We have been blessed with enough resources that enable us and our families to go to the grocery store and purchase what we need. And even stuff we don't need.

But if we don't really know what it is like to have to rely on a stipend or an allotment for our food, how can we effectivly advocate for our brothers and sisters, neighbors and co-workers and friends and family who are in need of essential assistance?

Please join us at Catholic Charities for one week (or even just a few days) this Lenten season in taking part in the Food Stamp Challenge.

The Challenge is something the entire family can take part in. Here is how it works:

1. Each person receiving food stamps has a monthly allotment of $133.79. That translates to $4.50 per day or $1.50 per meal. This is your food budget for all the food your eat during the week. (can't do a week-- shoot for just a couple of days!)

2. All food purchased and eaten during the Challenge week, including fast food and dining out must be included in the total spending.

3. During the Challenge, eat only food that you purchase for the project. Do not eat food that you already own.

4. Let us know how it’s going by joining our Food Stamp Challenge conversation at

facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM.

Thank you for participating!

Rachel Mabrey, Volunteer/Public Relations Coordinator at the Phoenix House.
 

For the last month, staff at the Phoenix House, Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program in Council Bluffs, has been gearing up for awareness activities taking place in schools and the community this February, known nationally as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

Paralleling this preparation was the passing of Joe Paterno, which revived the media-hype about the events that unfolded at Penn State last year resulting in charges of sex crimes against children being filed. As the events unfolded at Penn State, we came to understand that many people who held positions of power and authority made decisions that, in the language of anti-bullying education, made them “bystanders”.

The irony did not escape us as we prepared our curriculum used for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. We tell our teens that instead of becoming bystanders, they have the responsibility to act. But as adults, we need to ask ourselves, “do we hold ourselves to the same standard?”

So why is it so difficult for us to recognize violence whether it be domestic, sexual or teen dating violence, and take the steps required to stop it?

People who see trauma and violence unfolding before them will often tell you they were ill equipped to do anything to stop it. Most of us have suffered one time or another with indecision when we see something happening that we know is wrong. “Who do I tell?” we ask ourselves. “What if I’m wrong and I ruin someone’s reputation or career? What if they retaliate against me? Is it really any of my business? If I speak up, what would I say?” It isn’t usually callousness or complicity. Often we feel like we have something to protect. Maybe Joe Paterno believed he did all he could, maybe he thought he could control the situation or that it wasn’t his job. In all likelihood, he believed he was protecting his football program or the school itself.

We may believe that we would have made different choices – and we may even be right. But we should check ourselves to ensure we are committed to ending sexual violence and exploitation in our own communities by having conversations about how to stop it. Make sure our schools know how important it is that our children learn tools to effectively intervene when they see violence starting. Bring in speakers to civic groups, church meetings and book clubs. Start discussions about violence and become determined to intervene.

We encourage you to learn more and get involved. Contact programs like Catholic Charities Phoenix House to discuss the free anti-violence education and training opportunities that are available in your community.

Links & Resources:
Phoenix House 24 hour crisis phone line: 888-612-0266
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month press release
Article about Teen Dating Violence by Non-Pariel, Council Bluffs, IA

Wheat, rye and sourdough.
Rolls, baguettes and flat-bread.
Ciabatta, focaccia and cornbread. These are a few of my favorite breads.

Being an American, bread is a major part of my diet. It might not be a basic food group but it sure is basic to me. I can’t eat Italian food without a piece of French bread close by. Chili begs for a slice or two of bread. A fresh baked crescent roll entices all of my senses. And then there is the sandwich, the staple of my lunch time diet. I love them all and can’t conceive of a diet without some type of bread regularly.

You probably feel the same way.

But it occurred to me yesterday that we fail to realize how fortunate we are to have something as simple as bread when I stopped by St. Mary Family Center (Catholic Charities food pantry).

I was chatting with the coordinator about how much in demand bread is at their food pantry. It is rare that they ever have enough to get through the day. That gave me pause to reflect that a good percentage of our neighbors in this area may not regularly have a simple item like bread that is so basic to me.

Once again, I am reminded how important St. Mary Family Center and other excellent food pantries are to our community. It does make me proud that they are there to help provide basic items that I think all should have.
 

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about the coming season of Lent?

Naturally, you may think of the meaning of Lent and the good that it can do us, or fasting and religious obligations.

But what about preparation for the Lenten season? What is the true meaning of Lent and what would be the best way to prepare for it?

MARDI GRAS! 

So grab your spouse, your friends and your family, think New Orleans, and join us for “Laissez Les Bon Temps TRANSFORM,” or for you mono-lingual people, “Let the Good time TRANSFORM”. 

On February 18th at the Catholic Pastoral Center from 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Catholic Charities and the Center for Social Ministry invite you to the first ever Mardi Gras "event to remember". This fundraiser will help support both organizations work of advocacy and education about social justice-related issues and service. The event features costumes,  jazz music, hors d’overs, cocktails, dancing and, believe it or not, even a parade. Seamlessly interwoven will be a unique prayer service -- all in preparation for the Lenten Season.  

All of the proceeds from this fundraiser will support the work of both the Center for Social Ministry and Catholic Charities. Suggested donations are $40 for an individual and $75 for a couple. For tickets call Susie Paloma at 515-782-3054 or reserve your tickets online at CatholicCharitiesDM.org.

Important dates for you 2012 calendar include:

Feb. 18, 2012  -  Laissez les bons temps TRANSFORM! (Let the Good Times TRANSFORM), A Mardi Gras Event to Remember! A new event held in collaboration with the Center for Social Ministry. Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 Grand Ave. in Des Moines

Feb. 22 - March 8, 2012 - Lenten Food Stamp Challenge & Catholic Charities Special Collections in participating parishes

March 29, 2012 - The Art of Healing, awareness event and fundraiser for the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program in Council Bluffs

June 7, 2012 - Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs fundraising event for the entire family!

Aug. 27, 2012 - Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic, Echo Valley Country Club

Nov. 25 - Dec. 2, 2012 - Catholic Charities Week (Projects and opportunities for schools, parishes and business)

Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2012 - No Room at the Inn, awareness and fundraising event for Poverty Reduction

Thank you again for your support in 2011! You are truly making a difference!

Gifts are a marvelous manifestation of the love that you have for someone. I can’t help but think of the utter love and joy that my wife, Rita, and I felt as we picked out toys for our young children. It didn’t matter what they were, they loved them. Rita and I loved watching them on Christmas morning. That joy has never diminished but it does mutate or change as the kids grow or as your relationship's change. As teenagers, they were never happier than the year that I was recovering from my first brush with mortality, the discovery of a dead gall bladder and an extensive same day operation. Close to Christmas, Rita presented the list of prospective presents that the kids had on their wish lists (wish lists predicated on Bill Gates being their father). I looked once and said OK. Rita is still in shock. The ticket to Mexico, the base guitar, the new puppy, and the one I can’t remember, brought joy to their faces and warmth to my heart. But times do change and children grow.

And in some cases we reach another dimension of gift giving. When I was 16, I was struggling over what to get my father for Christmas. He had been and was the president of the Champaign Illinois Park District and he loved that organization. I called the park superintendent and arranged to plant a new tree in his honor. And to this day even though he has been gone for a number of years, I know that was his favorite present. When he was retired he use to walk in that park and point out to whomever was with him, HIS tree.

I mention this as a prelude to a request that I will make of you. You will have a relationship with someone or more than one that is based on joint deep love of all of God’s children. Possibly they might most enjoy knowing that you gave something in their name. At Catholic Charities here in Des Moines, our program for this type of giving is called, the “Gift of Hope” program. Gifts of 25 dollars on up are recognized by a Gift of Hope Christmas Card. Please stop and think for a moment which relative or friend would be truly grateful to know that you shared their love of “others” this time of year.
 

I haven’t seen that tree that I dedicated to Dad in many years and I don’t even know if it is still standing, but I do know that the thought behind it and the love it generated will last forever.

 More information about giving a gift to Catholic Charities in a loved one's name this Christmas is available by clicking here.  

Fundraising Reception sponsored by Iowa Hospice!

Poverty Reduction sponsors R&R Realty and Bankers Trust.

350 fun, generous and compassionate attendees!

Cocktails from Splash, Coke and Iowa Beverage Systems
Hors d'oeuvres by Christiani's VIP Catering
 

Mayra Bañuelos & MC Antonio Bañuelos.     Mary Bernabe, Karen and David Hartman & Sam Bernabe.

Poverty Simulation held Saturday Dec. 3

Participants spent the morning experiencing what it might be like trying to live a month below the poverty line ($22,000 or less for a family of four!)

Comments from participants:

“I was surprised by the chaos that is in families because of the struggle of survival.”

“Every minute of every day was very stressful.”

“I will do whatever I can to be more sensitive to those with less.”

Musical Open House sponsored by Mercy Medical Center  featured 300 nativities, local choirs and live nativity

Hundreds of people were touched by the sights and sounds of Christmas during the 8th annual No Room at the Inn Open house. School choirs performed and people of all ages enjoyed the live nativity scene hosted by St. Francis Knights of Columbus.

Los Niños de Tepeyac Dancers, a young latino dance group perform at No Room at the Inn                     

Alaina Hoover, age 3, listens to Bishop Richard Pates read the Christmas during No Room at the Inn

Catholic Charities thanks everyone who participated in this years event. Because of all of you, we are one step closer to reducing poverty... with DIGNITY!

I am excited. The Christmas season is here. And today I am full of the Christmas carol “Do you hear what I hear”.

I have always loved that lyric as well as the companion lyric, “Do you see what I see.” If I sang that today, you wouldn’t be able to "see or hear" what I can, but you can on Sunday, from 1-5 at the Catholic Pastoral Center in downtown Des Moines during Catholic Charities 7th annual “No Room at the Inn” Musical Open House.

 What can you hear on Sunday? Performances by both the St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Family and the Holy Trinity school choirs, the Ankeny community chorus (all 80 members strong) the St. Boniface Music Ministers and also a very special group, Los Niños del Tepeyac, a Mexican cultural youth dance group.

So, as the song says, we will definitely hear “a song, a song, high above the trees from voices as big as the sea.”

And between the performances we will be treated to both Bishop Pates and Bishop Charron reading the Christmas story.

What can you see  on Sunday? Over 300 nativity sets! These nativities have been pouring in over the last few days and I have seen various ones made out of wood, plaster, porcelain, glass, plastic, china and a host of other materials. I have seen sets from Mexico, El Salvador, Japan, Africa, Germany, Israel, Switzerland, Columbia, Scandinavia, Australia and several other countries along with a healthy group from here in the United States. I have seen a Charlie Brown themed set and a set using an igloo for the stable. I have seen some sets with figures under 3” tall and some over 12’’ tall. I have seen goats and camels, cows and sheep, polar bears, one in a snow globe and several in picture form. All are unique. All deliver the message that even for Jesus there was no room at the inn. I marvel as I walk around and see all of the different sets how unique the various baby Jesus are. They truly reflect the skill, the heritage and the faith of the artesian that made them.

And this year, for the first time, we have 8 student-made nativities from the Catholic Schools in the area. They are marvelous. You will love them (and you can even bid on them in a silent auction.)

My experience in walking around the exhibit this morning make me think of the last stanza of the song:

“Listen to what I say
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and Light
He will bring us goodness and light.”

We hope you will join us,

Choir Schedule for No Room at the Inn - Dec. 4, 2011

1:00 to 1:25 p.m. Ankeny Community Chorus

1:35 to 1:55 p.m. St. Francis of Assisi Children’s Choir and Middle School Music Ministry

2:05 to 2:25 p.m. Bishop Richard Pates, The Christmas story

2:35 to 2:55 p.m. Holy Trinity Catholic School Choir

3:05 to 3:25 p.m. Los Niños del Tepeyac

3:35 to 4:00 p.m. Bishop Charron, The Christmas story

4:10 to 4:30 p.m. St. Boniface Music Ministers

4:40 to 5:00 p.m. Holy Family School Choir
 

At Catholic Charities, we rank DIGNITY as the number one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. What does dignity "look like" to the clients we serve?  I asked our dedicated and passionate staff to articulate this about the services we provide. Here are some of their heartfelt responses:

Dignity is a supportive home environment in the form of a homeless shelter for families. Last year, 288 people found shelter at St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter and nearly 60% were children.

Dignity is a place to go for food when a job loss or illness prevents you from feeding your family. Last year, an average of 78 new families each month received a supplemental food box at St. Mary Family Center.

Dignity is providing compassionate support to women and families facing a troubled pregnancy and assisting them to make decisions on behalf of the child that they all can live with.

Last year, A New Beginning Adoption & Pregnancy Counseling provided support to 81 women, birth fathers and their families.

Dignity is access to professional guidance in working through life’s challenges no matter what your circumstance or income.

Nearly 800 new clients received professional counseling last year through Catholic Charities Center for Life Counseling.

Dignity is a warm place, healthy food and an opportunity to be educated. Last year, 110 adults graduated from computer classes for Spanish-speaking adults offered by the Hispanic Community Outreach Program.

Dignity is support to chose a life free of violence and to let go of shame. Last year. the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program provided 7,654 nights of shelter to victims of abuse.

Dignity is a second chance to fulfill dreams in a safe country. More than 130 refugees, individuals forced to flee their homeland because of war, violence, or fear of persecution, will find a new home in Iowa through Refugee Resettlement.

Together, we can help lift people out of poverty with dignity.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

To learn more about these programs go to www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org, call 515-237-5045 find us on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDM) for regular updates.

I spoke to "Pablo" during a Poverty Simulation hosted by Catholic Charities and the Center for Social Ministry yesterday. "Pablo", whose real name is Tom Catus, a member of the West Des Moines Leadership Academy, had been assigned the "role" of a young man who should have been in school, but was put in a position where getting food for his family was the top priority.

It is difficult for those of us who have enough to truly understand the challenges that families living in poverty experience every day – the decisions they have to make, and the fears and frustrations they feel. Yesterday, Tom Catus (aka: Pablo Perez), along with a group of thirty leaders from the West Des Moines Leadership Academy, were challenged to experience life below the poverty line by participating in the simulation.

Here is how the simulation works. Participants assume the roles of different families facing poverty. Some are newly unemployed, some are recently deserted by the “breadwinner”, and others are receiving assistance—either with or without additional earned income. Others are disabled or senior citizens receiving social security while some families were recently forced out of their farming operation. The task of all the “families” is to provide for basic necessities and shelter during the course of four 15-minute weeks.

Why is the experience important? Because in order to help end poverty, we have to talk about and understand poverty. We have to understand that living in poverty is not only about not having financial resources, but also about lack of adequate health care, education or emotional resources.

Catholic Charities and the Center for Social Ministry invite you, your co-workers, your family and your friends, to join us in working to end poverty by participating in a Poverty Simulation on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 9am to Noon at the Catholic Pastoral Center in downtown Des Moines.

Held in conjunction with Catholic Charities annual No Room at the Inn poverty awareness event, the hands-on simulation will help you understand what it might be like to live in a low-income family trying to survive month to month.

I promise - it will have a profound effect on how you view people living in poverty.

A suggested donation of $15 helps to cover the cost to put on the simulation. Click here for details and registration information.

When a blogger starts with a title like that, one would wonder where he is going to go. Let’s find out.
 

Yesterday I was in a conversation with one of my coworkers and we were talking about the theme for this year’s annual No Room at the Inn events, “Together, we can help lift people out of poverty with dignity”.

Needless to say that sent my mind to wandering. Many of my interactions with the poor, similar to most people, are at least one step removed from personal contact with a person in need. We get involved with collections and donations. It has dawned on me that through those collections, we can truly help to raise people up with dignity.

Let me explain how I look at this. I have an old end table in my basement that my wife Rita and I don’t need. I could take it to one of our warehouses for use by one of our programs. But the more I look at it, I realize that I would be using this as a means for getting rid of a piece of junk more than an act of dignified charity. We have had that table for 40 years and it has not survived the raising of four children well. It is so beat up that I don’t even have it in the basement rec room but hidden in a storage area.

If I think that it would be ok for a person in poverty, am I really treating them with dignity? As Bishop Pates stressed in his sermon on centennial Sunday, “Each is entitled to be accorded the dignity consistent with his identity.” The danger here is that through my donations and actions I could be considering the person in need as a second class citizen. I believe that what Christ wants is for us to consider treating people with dignity, the exact same dignity that I want to be treated with. In summary, I wouldn’t want to be given that end table.

I had a new white dress shirt given to me last Christmas. Unfortunately the relative that sent it to me did not account for my ever increasing size. I remember actually having the thought, “It’s too good to give to the poor”. Again, an attitude that does not treat people with dignity.

Recently my wife insisted that I get a new pair of gym shorts for my workouts. The 1960ish pair that I had been wearing seemed to me to still be in good shape. I had been wearing them for a few decades and they held up pretty good. Would I want to receive a pair of gym shorts that someone wore for twenty years? No, it was beneath my dignity.

And finally I will mention a can of corn. My wife and I make a habit of on every weekly shopping trip we buy three extra canned goods for the monthly collection at our church. When I get canned corn for myself, I go with DelMonte. When I am shopping for those three cans, I see myself reaching for the generic brand. As you can see, having thoughts like this and some of the others that I mentioned can lead me down a path of looking at people in poverty as a different group, a sub class so to say.

Not a good way to think. In each of our actions we have to think of the end user as a person with same dignity that God has given each of us. This really wasn’t about an end table, a white shirt, a pair of gym shorts or a can of corn but about treating all people with dignity.

I would be delighted to hear from any in the reading audience about similar thoughts and experiences.
 

Catholic Charities is proud to take part in this celebration and thankful for the support and guidance of the diocese as we offer social services in central and southwest Iowa!

Catholic Charities was born in Diocese of Des Moines in 1924 as “the official head of all Catholic welfare agencies in the Diocese and the link of cooperation with all other welfare agencies” as stated by Most Rev. Thomas W. Drumm.

Since then, with the guidance and support of the diocese, Catholic Charities has evolved with the times offering programs, services and support in a professional, dignified and respectful atmosphere.

Catholic Charities is devoted to offering a helping hand as well as challenging those assumptions and systems that make it difficult for individuals to improve their lives. Guided by the Catholic Church, we offer help and hope to thousands of people of all faiths each year.

See you at the celebration!

Many of us are familiar with a "jeans day". That day where if you donate to a cause you can wear jeans to work or school. Last week I experienced my first "coat day". It was the day that winter coats were available for the first time this year at St. Mary Family Center, Catholic  Charities' food pantry and free clothing closet. This is why we have been asking parishes, and in turn all of you, to donate your slightly used coats.

St. Mary Family Center opened at 10 a.m. and, as reported by the staff, they already had a line at that time. I was only there for half an hour, but WOW. There were never less than 50 people in the center and never less than seven different nationalities and as I listened I thought back to the New Testament where the Apostles spoke and people heard them in their native languages. That is what I saw. Warm coats, donated by good people, offered to strangers who need them-- that is definitely an act of charity and charity is that universal language which all understand.

What more can I tell you about the people that now will be wearing your coats? Well, the first thing I noticed is that many wore hats, ball caps, wool hats, seed corn hats, and sari scarves. I saw red, blue, black, white, purple and one orange hat. I saw clean and dirty hats. As with any crowd over 25, one person was wearing a Green Bay Packer hat. Once I was over seeing everyone’s head gear, I started to notice the individuals. They were polite, quiet and cooperative with the staff that was busy organizing lines and giving people time to pick which coat or coats were needed for their families.
 

Driving home I couldn't help but think of the oft mentioned coat of many colors for Joseph in Genesis. Sometimes I hear that referred to as a patch work coat. In a sense I saw that in reverse that morning. The people receiving coats were a patch work, a mosaic of God’s creation. And you all were there with them symbolically through your donated coats.

I can’t help but think that we as congregations in this instance have done good.

Looking for more ideas of items to collect for programs like St. Mary Family Center? Learn more here.

It's the illegal trade of human beings through the use of fraud, force, and coercion for the purpose of forced prostitution or forced labor. (from United States' Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000)

It is Human Trafficking and it is alive in communities around the world—including yours.

Because this issue attacks the very core of our belief in the human life and dignity of every person it is important that we all acknowledge the prevalence of this crime and work together to stop it from happening and to help victims.

So what can you do?

Learn more and encourage others to learn more.

Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium is encouraging attendance at the Iowa Conference on Human Trafficking on Oct. 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Iowa State University Memorial Union, 2229 Lincoln Way in Ames. To register, go to www.iowanaht.org/ICHT_registration/ICHT.html.

This conference provides an opportunity to hear directly from human trafficking victims, service providers, FBI agents and others who know first hand why this issue is being called modern-day slavery. Presenters include:

• Anna Brewer, FBI
• Bonnie Campbell, Former Iowa Attorney General
• John Focht, DEA, Detective, Council Bluffs Police Department
• Kaffie McCullough, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
• Alejandro Orozco, NAHT
• Sonia Parras Konrad, ASISTA
• Roxanne Ryan, Iowa Department of Public Safety, Drake Law School
• Denise Timmins, Assistant Attorney General of Iowa
• Vivian VanVleet, US Attorney’s Office
• Tiffany Williams, Break the Chain Campaign
• Francis Bok Foundation

“This is a great opportunity for Iowans to learn from service providers from other states and excellent speakers who have real-life experience with human trafficking at different levels. Some types of human trafficking have not been acknowledged yet in Iowa due to lack of education in the community,” said Sol Varisco, the Justice for Newcomers Initiative contact for Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium.

Varisco stressed the significance for teachers, social workers, nurses, parents, neighborhoods and ideally all people to be aware of this sad reality. “It is also important to understand the connection with poverty and how vulnerable populations are more easily taken advantage of in situations where there is a monetary gain while totally taking the dignity and freedom of another human being.”

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops Response to Human Trafficking

As a global institution, the Catholic Church, well positioned to respond to human trafficking, has denounced this horrific crime because it constitutes an offense against human dignity and fundamental human rights. The reality of thousands of our brothers and sisters laboring in modern day slavery compels us to act now to stop human trafficking and to serve the survivors of this crime.
Read more.

Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium meets quarterly to coordinate efforts and share information and ideas in promoting the social justice mission of the Catholic Church. Guided by Bishop Richard Pates, the group’s mission is to work toward a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life for the pursuit of the common good. Initiatives include Respect Life, Biomedical Ethics, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities’ USA Poverty Campaign, Center for Social Ministries, Domestic Violence/Sexual Abuse Advocacy, Iowa Catholic Conference, Justice for Newcomers, Disaster Preparedness and Response and Rural Life.

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend the day with about 50 fantastic individuals from across the four dioceses in Iowa listening to and discussing with Helene Paharik (the director of the Department for Human Dignity of the Diocese of Pittsburgh) the church’s role in promoting all aspects of Human Dignity. Paharik was the speaker at the 18th annual Iowa Institute for Social Action held in Iowa City and works to unite advocates for pro-life issues and supporters of social justice ministries. The workshop on Saturday was called, “Respect for Human Life and Dignity of the Human Person: Basis of all Social Concerns."

The purpose of the day was for many of us that are involved in social concerns, social action, concern with feeding people and concerns for protecting the unborn to come together, as a group, to understand that what the church teaches, has taught, and will teach, is that its concern for life has many different dimensions and we cannot rank them in any order of importance. And that, even though we each have our own areas where our skill sets, enthusiasm and prayer life has us acting, we can not say, “my area is more important than your area”.

Our speaker, Helene Paharik, took us through the statements and theology that our Bishops stress as our basis for understanding the role of the church in social concern and action. It was an inclusive presentation and started at the beginning where she reminded us that we as human persons, are formed in the image of God (in my case, I wonder what he was thinking that day.) She moved into the concept that it is clear that we are created to share in the very nature of God. The details that she provided did get a complex but then she brought us back with the statement “the human being cannot be properly understood except with reference to the Divine”.

Needless to say that section and statement helped us understand that our current pop culture is not the answer. This was a presentation that used words like Catholic Anthropology and Eschatological Realism; she had Greek words, Jewish words, Middle East society analogies and art from Sr. Wendy. And yet from all of this she was able to bring us to the understanding that God is and means LOVE,
 

It was a good day. A day that people like myself who try to work with all of the people in the pews need to experience every so often so that we retain our understanding of what the church teaches. It reinvigorates our understandings so we can communicate the end results to all the great people we work with.
 

For more about the workshop read an article from the Davenport Diocese newspaper, the Catholic Messenger.

Catholic Charities in Des Moines take an active role in advocating for the dignity and respect of the human person through the Social Justice Consortium.

- One of every three women is hit or abused sexually by her partner sometime in her lifetime.

- 30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.

These are statistics about real women, real children and real families being torn apart because of violence. And this horrifying reality is why Catholic Charities asks you to join us in observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October.

Violence education and awareness will be at the forefront of our efforts this month, including a lunch and learn series being held in Des Moines and prevention and education efforts in Council Bluffs.

This Wednesday, October 5 is the first of three lunch and learn opportunities. In collaboration with other local organizations Catholic Charities will host the series, “The Impact of Violence," and will feature topics on violence including domestic violence among immigrants, the effects of violence on children, and services available to help victims of violence, including a special segment on what churches can do. All lunch and learns will be held at 601 Grand Ave. in Des Moines. The schedule is as follows:
 

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 from 12 p.m.- 1 p.m.
Theme: Documentary on Domestic Violence Among Refugee and Immigrant Women
Presenters: Monsoon United Asian Women of Iowa and L.U.N.A. (Latinas Unidas por un Nuevo Amanecer)
 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 from 12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Theme: Domestic Violence shelters and services available: Film “Domestic Violence: What Churches can do”
Presenters: Children and Families of Iowa and Catholic Charities Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program
 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 from 12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Theme: Global violence and the impact at home including impact on children and dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Presenters: Jeffery Weiss, Executive Director of Catholic Peace Ministry in Des Moines, David Drake, DO Psychiatry and Stacie Weires LISW Catholic Charities Counseling Program
 

The October lunch & learn series is free and open to the public. It will be held at Catholic Charities in Des Moines at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 Grand Ave. in downtown Des Moines.

The series is sponsored by Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services and local organizations that assist individuals effected by and working to end violence. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch and questions. Coffee, lemonade and water will be provided.
 

Check the Catholic Charities website www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org for information about other educational opportunities and events sponsored by Catholic Charities Phoenix House in Council Bluffs.

For those of you that coach (either as a coach/teacher in a school, or a coach/parent) the Training and Prevention Educator at Catholic Charities Phoenix House offers some great ideas for utilizing your influence in a positive way to help prevent violence. (Parents, athletes, and anyone else reading this – feel free pass this along to coaches you know!)

By Vicki-lynn Kelly, Training and Prevention Educator, Phoenix House

Dear coaches,

For far too long, it was assumed that men did not care about violence against women and children – people saw it as predominantly a women’s issue. The reality is that men do care about these issues and want to help – as fathers, uncles, teachers and of course coaches. Domestic and sexual violence are pervasive problems that affect all of us, including your athletes.

You have influence over how your players see themselves both on the field and off. Even in casual conversation they are listening to your opinions and philosophy.

Recognizing the unique relationship that athletes develop with their coaches and how athletics teaches more lessons than simply fundamentals of a particular sport, we have an exciting opportunity for middle school and high school coaches.

‘Coaching Boys Into Men’ is a nationally (and internationally) known program that has been developed by athletes to help coaches talk to their teams about respecting themselves and others. The emphasis on the importance of sports in American culture creates a group of potential leaders who have the chance to be role models for those who look up to them.

The messages need to come from multiple places. But coming from you, the message can carry a different kind of weight. Some of you may be hesitant solely on the basis of not knowing how to get started or what you would say. Some of you may think about how little time you get to practice already. Don’t worry. The program was specifically developed for coaches to be easily incorporated into their regular strategy sessions and/or practice time.

Everything is provided for you. We give you the program materials (NO $ COST!) and in about 1 hour to help you familiarize yourself with how you use it. At the beginning of the season you just pull it out, spend maybe 20 minutes looking at it again and use it throughout the season.

Feel free to call or email with any questions you might have or if you want to get involved. Call Vicki-lynn at 712-256-2059 ext. 1003 or email at vkelly@dmdiocese.org.

By coaching boys into men, you will help lay a solid foundation for your player’s lives that will be remembered far longer than any win in any column.

As soon as one steps foot on a farm, they feel welcome. And that was especially the case at the Rosmann Family Farm in Harlan, Iowa on Sunday afternoon.

I wasn’t out of my car for five seconds before the first person greeted me. I had arrived about 1:40 p.m. for mass which was to be celebrated by Bishop Pates as part of, "A Day in the Country: A Rural-Urban Eucharistic Celebration". The altar was set up in front of the house and the yard was ringed with bales of hay for seating. Under a canopy to the side of the altar there was a marvelous choir that was singing songs for the crowd as we arrived.

As we all know, one of the prime ingredients for a successful growing season is rain and the Good Lord, as we say, did shower His grace down upon us. It managed to drizzle or lightly rain the whole time. But, we are talking good, sturdy farm people here and it didn’t bother them a bit. As the hostess said, it was a warm rain. At one point I returned to the car for a blanket to throw over the bale I was going to sit on. That showed everyone that I was a true city boy. A nice, young, local guy came up and just flipped the bales over as they were dry on the bottom.

There is something about a mass celebrated outside that sheds just a shade-different light upon the liturgy and lets you experience it in a different way. All of the pastors from Shelby County were there with Father Dorton assisting Bishop Pates. Several families from the area presented symbolic gifts of their lives and parishes. Bishop Pates announced that the sermon and comments at the end of mass by the director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference would be in the shed after mass where refreshments would also be served. I do believe that we were all grateful to hear that.

After mass, we all fit into a large, large shed that was one of numerous out-buildings. Bishop Pates talked about conversations he has had with farmers in the Diocese and how their goal is to leave the land, their land, in better shape than it was when they got it. I couldn’t help but marvel about their basic understanding of our roles; i.e. to leave the people of God here on earth in better shape than it was before we came.

As always, when I am on a farm, I sense the basics of life as soil, water and food come together. For a city boy, it is tremendously refreshing.

Following mass, I enjoyed visiting with several of the attendees while eating ice cream (to die for) and a humongous assortment of homemade cookies (yes, I had several so I wouldn't offend anyone). In the conversations, I got some sense of what was changing for the farmers, and some of the new challenges that they will be facing. (Recommended reading on this topic: Deacon Mike Manno's column in the September issue of the Catholic Mirror, "Rural America and the Church." http://www.dmdiocese.org/the-catholic-mirror.cfm)

 A great day. A wet day, but a great day in rural Iowa.

See more photos on the Diocese of Des Moines Facebook page.

"A Day in the Country: A Rural-Urban Eucharistic Celebration" was organized through the Rural Life initiative, part of Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium.

Members of the newly formed Global Advocacy Team (part of the Catholic Relief Services initiative on the Social Justic Constorium) had a great opportunity last Wednesday to provide a voice for the poor. We held a teleconference with Kurt Kovarik of Senator Grassley’s D.C. staff. Our discussion centered on the senate’s funding of the poverty-focused international assistance funds in the federal budget.

Our group explained how the basis for our concern was our belief in the preferential option for the poor. We explained that this view of the Untied States role in the world was based on not only the beliefs of our Catholic faith and other Christian faiths, but actually is integral tenet of most of the worlds religions. On this issue Kurt was very knowledgeable and showed us how aware he was of the benefits of U.S money spent on these programs.

While I served as our moderator, Kathy Avey explained our group and its purpose, Susie Paloma explained our motivation, Bonnie Reed was our lead on human trafficking, Tom Chapman was the detail man on the poverty-focused international assistance fund, and Mike Beecher as our wrap up speaker.

We also expressed our concern that the Senator supports the reiteration of the Trafficking Victim Protection Reauthorization Act.  Kurt explained that it is due to be moved out of the judiciary committee shortly but there are several concerns expressed by some Republicans. Grant funding and immigration issues seem to be part of those concerns.

In closing, Kurt did tell us how important it was to work for a better understanding of these issues with our congregations. Our group had a positive feeling about the call and Kurt will be helping us to get a face to face in the coming months with Senator Grassley.

The Global Advocay Team is now working on scheduling a sit-down with Congressman Latham or his staff. More on that in the weeks to come.

The Global Advocacy Team is part of the Catholic Relief Services initiative, one of 11 initiatives that are part of Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium.

The Social Justice Consortium promotes the social justice mission of the Catholic Church. Guided by Bishop Richard Pates, the group’s mission is to work toward a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life for the pursuit of the common good. Initiatives include Respect Life, Biomedical Ethics, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities’ USA Poverty Campaign, Center for Social Ministry, Domestic Violence/Sexual Abuse Advocacy, Justice for Newcomers, the Iowa Catholic Conference, Disaster Preparedness and Response and Rural Life.



 

"Projects like these that get done by such amazing volunteers allow our staff to spend more time assisting victims," said Diane McKee, program coordinator for the Phoenix House. "We are so thankful for companies like First National Bank who recognize the value of giving back to the community."

The Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter and Sexual Abuse Program is a service of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Des Moines. Services include a 24-hour emergency shelter and crisis phone line, court advocacy, educational groups and outreach to under-served populations.

While there are many ways we measure the success of an event, we would like to share FORE big successes of this year's golf tournament. (sorry, just couldn’t resist using the pun!)

1. Awareness and education about important work

Catholic Charities staff members were able to educate participants about services through a trivia game we call, "ChariTEE Trivia". This year, golfers learned about what Catholic Charities is doing to reduce poverty through our Poverty Reduction programs like St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter and St. Mary Family Center. They were also able to personally meet our licensed, professional therapists with the Counseling Program.

2. Generous donors with a common interest

"Our annual golf outing brings out an extremely generous group of supporters including businesses, parishes and individuals," said Nancy Galeazzi, executive director of Catholic Charities. "It's a great time for us to communicate all the work we do in the community and to network with others who have a common desire to bring help and hope to the poor and the vulnerable." 

3. Hearing from and meeting leadership

In addition to a day of golf, participants attended an evening reception catered by Christiani's VIP Catering & Events. At the reception, Bishop Richard E. Pates thanked the golfers and talked about the importance of organized charitable work. Bishop Pates was also able to personally meet and golf with each foursome during the tournament.

4. Raising essential funds

A significant portion of funding for Catholic Charities comes from contributions through events such as the Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic. This and other funding enables us to serve 25,000 people each year!  

The Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic is held annually in August. For more information on how you can participate contact Trish Radke at 515-237-5078.

Thanks to our dedicated supporters there are now only a few foursome sponsorships available. If you are interested in supporting this charity golf outing, known for its fast play and charitable-minded players, contact Trish Radke at 515-237-5078 today. New this year - each foursome will golf with Bishop Pates on one hole and get a group photo with the Bishop! 

Special thanks to all of our sponsors and golfers!
You are an amazing group of community members who share not only a common desire to make a difference in the lives of the poor and vulnerable, but take action to assure progress is truly being made.

Post-Golf Reception Sponsor
Christiani's VIP Catering & Events

Lunch & Beverage Sponsors

Mercy Medical Center

Pin Sponsors

Associated Anesthesiologists P.C.

Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services
Casey's General Store

Champions Sports Center

CSI Chemical, Nutri-cal

Jim Cownie, Westwind Logistics

Jim & Jenelle Sarcone

Jon Hrabe

Knapp Properties

Krause Gentle Foundation

LaMair, Mulock, Condon

Loffredo Fresh Produce

Nyemaster Goode Law Firm

Prairie Meadows

Purcell Printing & Graphics

R & R Investors, Inc.
Walsh Door & Hardware

West Bank
Wild Rose Entertainment

Church Challenge Sponsor

St. Thomas Aquinas, Indianola

Hole Sponsors

Allegra Print & Imaging

Blue Compass Interactive
Dan & Carol Werner
Denman & Company
 

Iowa Hospice Foundation

Jim & Jeanne O'Halloran

Mary Davis, Iowa Realty

Story Construction

Universal Printing

And thank you to each and every individual golfer!

Parish Outreach Liaison for Catholic Charities

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning as I drove over to St. Mary’s in Hamburg. As I was about two miles out coming in on a rolling country road from the west I could start to see what appeared to be a substantial lake in the distance. As I got closer, I could tell that it was the newly expanded Missouri river.

My first stop took me through town to the east side. The secondary dike started by the farmers in the area, which as kept the flood waters from inundating the town, stands about 15 feet. I parked and walked up the dike. And there was the Missouri. In the distance about a quarter of a mile away I could see the top the Interstate 29 signs. If they weren’t there one would never know that a four lane interstate lives at the bottom of the new lake.

I had a marvelous conversation with a retired gentleman who was doing his twice weekly survey of what was going on. He explained to me that the young adults I saw filling sandbag and walking along the top of the dike checking things were AmeriCorps volunteers. There are about ten serving the community each day and they rotate them in and out about every eight days. They are lodging at the rectory of St. Mary Parish in Hamburg. The churches in the area provide breakfast for the group, the hospital provides lunch and the Department of Natural Resources takes care of their dinners at a local restaurant.

I did ask why they were still sandbagging. This gentleman explained to me that the dike has been active (water flowing by it) for so long that some sandbags wear out so both sandbags and some plastic need to be replaced every day. This is a dike that almost circles the town so they need to be surveying it and repairing it at all times.

I also learned a new term. They look for “sand boils”. This is when the water pushes its way up from the side or bottom of the dike and forms a mini geyser. These have to be repaired as quickly as possible.

My second stop was with Anne Hendrickson a long time resident of the parish. She and her husband have a farm “on the hill” as she says, so it has been spared the devastation of those farms located between the town dike and the two miles to the original banks of the Missouri. She explained to me how that even when the water resides in a couple of months they are pretty sure that the farm land will be “unfarmable” for many years. It will be covered with debris and massive sand deposits. No one is sure what the future will be for those farmers.

My thoughts turned to those farmers who are used to working from early in the morning into the evening. Now they have nothing to do. Another aspect that she was able to fill me in on is that the insurance companies that cover these farms by and large have said that they have to wait for the flood waters to reside before they can see what the damage is and that will be two months away at the soonest.

Back to my conversation with Anne. This had been a disaster for businesses. Only the Casey’s, the Napa store, the pharmacy and the one restaurant in Hamburg are still open. Many of the houses toward the south end of town were evacuated and have water seepage. Many of these were rentals and several of the renters have just found other housing to rent in other towns. The residents are very concerned about the effect this might have on their school district. From my days on a school board, I know that if your total student population decreases, the state takes mega bucks away from your district.

I realize that I am experiencing first had, the power, the security and the community that our parishes bring us. Though this whole ordeal, mass attendance has not dropped off, and to the surprise of many, the collections have remained strong. Some parishioners that are in an RV park in Nebraska City on the other side of the washed out bridge drive up to 90 miles each way to be with their parish on Sunday. They are planning on starting their religious education programs this September just like they always do.

Many of you have asked me what we can do for this parish. I am sure there will be much. But I do know that it will never surpass what that parish has done for me.
 

Catholic Charities' Social Justice Consortium's Disaster Response Team continues to monitor the situation in Western Iowa. Please join Bishop Pates and the Social Justice Consortium in prayer for the western part of the state as they deal with the serious flooding taking place.

Better than the view on the hill of the Ridge at Echo Valley Country Club.

Even better than the ravioli at the evening golf reception (and it is really hard to beat Christiani's Catering ravioli!)

Back by popular demand at the Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic --

All golfers will get the chance to golf with Bishop Pates and each foursome will get a group photo with the Bishop.

A tradition started several years back with Bishop Joseph Charron, the opportunity to golf with the Bishop and get a photo was requested by several of our golf classic participants so we  just had to bring it back. Bishop Pates will golf one hole throughout the golf tournament so that every foursome will at some point get to meet, get a photo with and golf with the Bishop. 

Not golfing at the 7th annual Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic? Check out the details and contact us to reserve your spot today!

Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic

Monday, August 29, 2011

Echo Valley Country Club

Registration and lunch- 11:30am

Shotgun Start - 1pm

Reception - 5:30pm

Click here for details on sponsorship levels, email Trish Radke for more information or call 515-237-5078.

Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country probably has their share of stories about embarrassing cultural faux pas, but for many refugees who resettle here in Iowa, the concern goes far beyond to slurp your noodles or not slurp your noodles.

On Friday, Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement program held a cultural orientation for all refugees who have been resettled through the program the last four months. Fifty-some individuals make up those resettled this quarter, representing the countries of Eritrea, Mynamar, Iraq and Sudan.

I sat in on the orientation as the staff went over things like what a rental lease is, how to write out your rent check or money order and what the smoke detector looks and sounds like.

Those were actually the easy subjects. When staff moved into the complexity of laws like what kind of car seat is needed for what size of child, which way the seat should face and the latest weight requirements... to be honest they sort of lost me and I am a mother of two children under the age of four. (I now have those questions on my list for the next pediatrician appointment.)

The fact that many things that are OK in other countries are not in the US (both legally and culturally) was emphasized throughout the orientation. There was even role playing to convey the seriousness of many issues including domestic violence, child endangerment, obeying law enforcement and definitions of fraud. (This is probably a class all US born citizens should be required to sit through!)

Sitting in on the cultural orientation opened my eyes (yet again) about the complexity of the refugee resettlement process and the need for more people to get involved with these interesting, courageous people coming to live in Iowa. There are so many ways to get involved-- set up an apartment, help teach English classes, provide childcare at the next orientation, make a financial contribution...There is so much we as "locals" can teach, and probably even more that we can learn.

Or, at the very least, next time you cross paths with someone who may be new to our country, state or city, give them a welcoming smile.

That is one gesture that translates well in all cultures.

More than 60% of the guests who stay at Catholic Charities' St. Joseph Emergency Shelter each year are children, so the summer months are extra busy and the need for child-friendly food and drinks go up.

"We can't keep enough juice in stock," said Dixie Webb, House Manager at St. Joseph Shelter.

Donations of juice (100% juice please) can be dropped off at the shelter located at 1535 11th Street in Des Moines.

Meal providers are also needed, especially during the summer months when many of the regular volunteer meal providers and groups are unavailable. Call 515-282-1235 to sign up or for more information about providing an evening meal.

St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter is the only emergency shelter in Polk County where the entire family unit can stay together including mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and children of all ages.

St. Joseph’s provides safe, clean housing for homeless families for a limited stay. Our mission is to honor the humanity of each person by acknowledging the emotional and financial crisis involved when a family finds itself without housing or funds.

Services include:

- Private rooms and laundry facilities

- A Family Advocate on staff to assist guests in returning to self-sufficiency

- All meals, infant & personal hygiene items

- Donated furniture & household items available for guests moving into permanent housing

- Referrals to community recourses and assistance
 

We had a fantastic crowd of supporters there to celebrate the Diocesan Centennial, cheer on the ICubs and raise funds and awareness for Catholic Charities programs that serve the poor and vulnerable in our community.

A special thanks to Mercy Medical Center for sponsoring Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs for the 7th year! This partnership has helped raise more than $400,000 for Catholic Charities in addition to public awareness of programs that serve the community! 

Here are just a few of the game highlights!

Bishop Richard Pates

President of Catholic Charities & Bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines, Bishop Richard Pates threw out the first pitch before the game.

The first annual pre-game tailgate and bags tournament was well-attended and encouraged a new generation of supporters to join in the cause!

Bishop Charron Caritas Awards

Catholic Charities volunteer Larry Bell and Mercy Medical Center of Des Moines were honored on the field before the game for their outstanding service to those in need through their work and support of Catholic Charities! 

Disaster Relief

Catholic Charities Board of Directors' sponsored a special collection at the ballpark for victims of flooding in Western Iowa and for disaster relief for victims in Memphis TN in honor of the visiting team, the Memphis Redbirds. Catholic Charities in Des Moines will donate half of the collection to Memphis for disaster relief efforts and half will go to the western part of the Diocese for flood relief.

Check out www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org and our facebook page for more photos and information about Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs, volunteer opportunities and program news!

On Saturday,  I wound my way to the town of Mondamin. This is not a large town but the Kwick Shop and the King’s Crossing Café were open for business. The West Harrison school system seems to be all in one huge single story building and it was surrounded by plastic sheeting and sandbags at least three feet up. The bank was sandbagged as well as some of the houses.

But normalcy reigned. I heard the lawn mowers in the distance and saw a pickup with teenagers and sandbags in the bed headed somewhere. Eight good sized Harley’s were parked in front of the town bar. People were people, chatting and sharing like always. Down at the Coop a few guys were moving portable propane tanks around. Again, as normal a quiet Saturday as one could hope for.
 

About 3:30 p.m. I made it to the parking lot of Holy Family Catholic Church. I was the first to arrive and saw the two rows of sandbags that they had around some of the church. Before too long the first parishioner came and we started chatting right away. As with any conversation between Catholics we had to start with the Litany of who all of the pastors who had served in the area had been for the last 25 years and this gentleman, opinion of them (I will never tell).

We then talked about the plight that they were facing. He pointed out that all of the farms that were surrounding the areas that were probably going to be flooded were quite concerned about the future of electric service to their places that should escape the flood. This was defiantly not something I had thought about. This flooding will really affect the adjacent area in many ways.

Father Harold Fitzgerald came and unlocked. Now this was a parish stripped for action. The pews, organ and kitchen equipment had been removed and stored someplace appropriate. The congregation arrived over the next fifteen minutes with each member that I met being nicer than the one before.

Mass time came. Now this is a congregation that is facing loss of home and farm celebrating in a stripped down church, so I can understand if they would be a little depressed or maudlin. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We had a baptism. These people are there for the long haul. Kayli Grace Smith daughter of Jason and Nicole, who by the way is the most beautiful beatific baby that I have ever seen, was welcomed into the church by Father Harold. I would like to add that Father Harold has a way with infants and the sacrament that should be the envy of all of the clergy. What a joy. Father did a marvelous job of bringing the concept of new life for the parish into his sermon.
 

I headed home after mass still not having seen water, still amazed at the caliber of people in the towns I met last week and this. Thinking about them as I drove, I wish I could find the words to describe the attitude that they must have. They somehow are balancing concern and fear with hope and a sense of determination that is a model for people everywhere.
 

Catholic Charities' Social Justice Consortium's Disaster Response Team is monitoring the situation in Western Iowa. Please join Bishop Pates and the Social Justice Consortium in prayer for the western part of the state as they deal with the serious flooding taking place.

St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter was selected as one of ten local charities that will benefit from the event. Proceeds of all summer Saturday sales from the participating retailers will be donated and evenly divided between the ten selected local charities.

Participating shops include: On Art by Magic, Artis Home Gallerie, Autumn Leaf Gifts, Bella Boutique, Blue Willis, Fuel Juice Bar, Gino’s, Jake’s Journey, StylEyes, The Great Frame Up, Three Dog Bakery and WineStyles.

This is great timing for charitable outreach to St. Joseph because summer months tend to be on the slow side for donations.

"In the summer there is no Christmas, no Lent, no confirmation classes coming in to serve meals and our shelves start to empty," said St. Joseph house manager Celeste Egger.

Local retailer Neccica Hayes got the idea from an event she heard about on the east coast and
thought we’ve got to bring such a great idea to Iowa. Neccica owns Autumn Leaf Gifts which
features American Crafts and handmade gift items. She mentioned the idea to several other
businesses and it just grew from there. “We are hoping to make it an annual “Shop & Give” event
to give back to the charities in the community.

I had the pleasure of attending the 8:30 mass at St. Mary Catholic Church in Hamburg yesterday. I drove into town and it was completely dry. It was as normal a town and church setting as one could imagine in Iowa. Beautiful on a gorgeous day. No sign of anything going to happen.

One must realize that this is 5 miles from the Missouri River which will be causing the problem. Unfortunately it is all low ground. This is a congregation that is facing the loss of homes, farms and their church. No knows for sure for how long they will be without these structures or what shape that they will be in when the water finally leaves.

Father Vern Smith was presiding and did a marvelous job of spiritually and emotionally preparing the congregation for their impending tragedy. As only Fr. Vern can do, he had the whole congregation form a circle around the inside of the church. We all held hands while a special rendition of the Lord’s Prayer was sung.

This was a group that was full of Christian joy. Father was full of hugs and even a Happy Birthday song at the end of mass. I had the opportunity to share with the congregation that the whole diocese was praying for them and will be there for them as their lives progress these next few very uncertain months.

The whole group responded with a much needed belly laugh when Father told a delightful story of how when he drove in from Shenandoah that morning for mass he couldn’t help but notice a pair of fox figurines that were marking the entrance to a new subdivision. They were both wearing life jackets.

In the last week the parishioners have emptied the basement of the Church of everything including anew $6000 stove that had to be disassembled in order to be moved. Farmers have had to deal with the moving of their grain and livestock. All are concerned about their homes and trying to make the appropriate provisions and decisions.

I am still marveling at the fact that while facing all of this uncertainty, they might have been the most welcoming and appreciative parish that I have ever visited.
 

Catholic Charities' Social Justice Consortium's Disaster Response Team is monitoring the situation in Western Iowa. Please join Bishop Pates and the Social Justice Consortium in prayer for  the western part of the state as they prepare for serious flooding.

Every birdie made during the Principal Charity Classic June 3-5 means bucks for Catholic Charities' St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, but we need your help!  

Please consider pledging a one-time flat amount or a per-birdie amount for each birdie made by the Champions Tour players and 100% of your donation will go to Catholic Charities. Last year, 795 birdies were made at the tournament and Birdies for Charity raised nearly $90,000 for local organizations. Click here to make your pledge or donation today!

Every dollar raised for Catholic Charities through Birdies for Charity will support St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter. At St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter we focus on keeping the entire family together during their time of crisis. Because so many of our guests are children, our basic services of private rooms, three meals a day, laundry facilities and case management are just the tip of the iceberg for the children we serve at St. Joe's.

About St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter

Our homeless shelter enables children and whomever they bring to stay in a private room. This means that a 17 year old boy can stay at the shelter with his mother and sister, which is unique for emergency homeless shelters because many only take only women and children under the age of 16, men only, women only, etc.

Education:

All school-are children are required to be in school and we work with local schools to arrange busing if needed. We try to keep the children at the school they were attending to keep consistency.

Routine and structure:

Bedtimes are enforced for children and weekend and summer care is provided in collaboration with Boys & Girls Club. Television time, meal times, etc. are also structured to create routine which eases anxiety for the children as well as the parents.

Healthcare and other referrals for youth/children:

A large portion of our guests are dealing with medial issues, most without adequate health care. Our family advocate works to get the medical attention needed as well as enrollment in health care and other services for children.

Go to www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org or www.principalcharityclassic.com for more information or click here to go directly to the donation page.

Thank you!

I was truly blown away by all of the things they were already doing in terms of service, not only as a group but as individuals. One gal talked about her work with Pure Fashion, another about her job at a nursing home and then they filled us in on the projects they do as a group-  serve meals at St. Joseph monthly and for Trinity Methodist monthly as well. They do a lot of work with the parish of course, with Habitat for Humanity and a number of other organizations. What a great group of energetic people getting involved and doing a lot of good in our community!

The YCAF group is also hosting the first annual Tailgate to be held during Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs on June 23. They are helping to promote the tailgate, providing volunteer support and facilitating the first annual Bags Tournament-- and YES, you can sign up to play! Get more information here or email Trish to sign up your two-some today! YCAF will even be making the bags sets-- aren't they great!

Thanks again YCAF and thanks to all you fabulous volunteers out there that help with events, provide meals at the homeless shelter, stock shelves at the food pantry and the hundreds of other jobs that you do to help Catholic Charities provide quality services to those in need!

Catholic Charities is also looking forward to these fun summer pastimes, but for us they come in the form of events that bring our community of supporters together for a common purpose-- to provide for people in need.

Some needs are very basic, like food, shelter and clothing. And some needs are very complex, like mental health counseling or support for a woman in a violent relationship. But no matter how complex the need is, we know that Catholic Charities' community of supporters will work hard to assure needs are met with true compassion & competence.

and TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! Families, groups, businesses, young adults, kids... there is a package for everyone!

Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic is also coming up in August 29, 2011 at Echo Valley Country Club. Honorary Chair, Mike McCoy & Bishop Richard E. Pates invite foursomes to register early for this fast-paced tournament benefiting Catholic Charities.

If you know of a special volunteer or group that generously offers their time, talents and resources to one of Catholic Charities programs, events or committees fill out a nomination form today!

Catholic Charities awards The Bishop Charron Caritas Award annually to an individual or organization that shows compassion to those in need, serves with humility and displays love for all people, just as Bishop Charron has shown by example.

All nominees will be honored publicly during Catholic Charities’ Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on May  26. This year's recipients will be announced at the dinner and also recognized on field before the game at Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs, June 23, 2011 at Principal Park.

The Bishop Charron Caritas Award is named for the retired Bishop of Des Moines, Joseph L. Charron, C.PP.S. Bishop Charron served the Diocese of Des Moines from 1994 to 2007, and through his ministry inspired people of all faiths to join Catholic Charities in service to those in need and to live the true meaning of Caritas, which is Latin for charity. Catholic Charities presented the first Caritas Award to Bishop Charron at Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs on June 15, 2007.

Last year's recipients were Dennis Wilson and Purcell Printing!

Email completed nomination forms to Pat Nestvedt by the end of today!

A team from our generous and talented friends at The Integer Group in Des Moines agreed to help us with a plan to reach more people who may find our professional counseling a service they can use to live better, more fulfilling lives! 

The Integer Group team, led by Al Tramontina, has a history of helping Catholic Charities promote our quality services including the re-branding of the Adoption & Pregnancy Counseling Program - A New Beginning back in 2007.  Integer's innovative approach also led to the Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs event branding - "Charity Begins at Home Plate" and prior to that the beloved poster of Bishop Joseph Charron throwing out the first pitch during Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs. 

We can't say enough about the brilliant work done by the talented people at Integer. The big "reveal" of the Counseling Services re-brand is coming soon...

On Friday, Phoenix House staff members Vicki-lynn Anderson and Danielle Kramer spoke at a local event hosted by the Fourth Judicial District CASA  (Court Appointed Special Advocate program) out of Council Bluffs in honor of Crime Victim's Rights Week.

Vicki-lynn Anderson , Training and Prevention Educator for the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program in Council Bluffs, was the key note speaker and talked about the evolution of the victim services' field, from the "risk reduction" strategy, to the current focus on prevention.

Vicki-lynn's work focus' on primary prevention, which means reaching people who have never experienced violence and helping them examine their attitudes and beliefs in a way that will affect their acceptance of violence and violent behavior. Making the idea that violence is not just a women’s issue but a human issue at the core of the work.

Catholic Charities would like to say thanks to all crime victim service professionals and we encourage everyone to be a part of this important work by examining your own views of violence.

For more information about training and prevention work at Catholic Charities Phoenix House, click here or email rmabrey@dmdiocese.org.

For Win Ko, that joy was visibly evident as he zipped up the new, fluffy, purple coat for Zine Nar, his two-year old daughter. Ko Win and his family are experiencing many simple joys of life in America after living in a refugee camp in Thailand.
 

The Ko family, like many people from Burma, have been forced to leave their homeland and have suffered many hardships. They have begun a new life here in Iowa by way of Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program which will help them learn English, find jobs, enroll the children in school and learn the ins and outs of their new country.

Learn more about the Ko family, how they came to Iowa and more in the April addition of the Catholic Mirror, coming out this weekend.

Or, learn more about refugee resettlement through Catholic Charities in Des Moines here.