On January 15, 2024, the Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services organized a cost-free Naturalization event for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. During the event hosted in Raleigh, dedicated staff members helped 18 individuals, guiding them through the intricate process of completing applications for naturalization and facilitating their applications for USCIS fee waivers. The success of this endeavor was made possible through the volunteerism and support of Campbell Law students and pro bono attorneys, who generously… Read More
The Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence (AIDE) brought the Catholic Charities network and other disaster response partners together in Raleigh to share knowledge, strategize, and strengthen their commitments to disaster preparedness. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh and the Diocese of Raleigh (DOR) were host agencies to hundreds of people, all focused on disaster preparedness. The fall training is an annual disaster response and preparedness training and aims to build Catholic Charities’ capacity to… Read More
Originally Posted by Catholic Charities USA Last week, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) hosted the 2023 Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence (AIDE) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Over five days, roughly 225 participants from more than 60 Catholic Charities agencies, nonprofits and government partners took part in a rigorous training to help the Catholic Charities network be better prepared to offer critical short- and long-term aid in the aftermath of disasters. As the official domestic relief agency… Read More
The Fayetteville Office hosted a mobile food pantry at the San Juan Diego Mission Catholic Church. Serving roughly 40-50 families, the mobile food pantry model increases access to healthy, nutritious foods in rural areas that struggle with transportation barriers.
In the heart of the Creekwood Community in Wilmington, the smell of fresh dirt and the sounds of construction flowed out into the neighborhood just as students were getting home from school. With each shovel of dirt and plenty of hope in their hearts, Cape Fear staff and volunteers worked to create a total of eight raised community garden beds. As some residents in the Creekwood Community are just now returning to their apartments after… Read More
The Catholic Charities New Bern office recognizes the barriers that seniors face when accessing medication. With many senior individuals on fixed incomes and unable to afford necessary medications, the New Bern offices’ Senior Pharmacy Program provides clients with vouchers for prescription costs and some medical supplies at participating pharmacies. Marjorie Dawson and her husband have both benefitted from the program and encourage others in similar situations to seek assistance.
Four years after Hurricane Florence, many are still struggling with housing instability. In Wilmington, Aaron Etheridge lost his home and struggled to find resources that would get him back inside. Damage from the storm caused his roof to collapse and rendered the house unlivable. While he searched for ways to get back into his home, he spent many nights in his car or at a friend’s house. It was an uncomfortable situation made worse by… Read More
The Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services Program helps individuals improve their immigration status and navigate the complicated network of processes and paperwork. In most cases, these individuals have already made many difficult decisions coming to the United States and feel overwhelmed by the immigration process. In addition, moving to a new country leaves many immigrants isolated and vulnerable. Dilcia Martinez, a native of Honduras, came to Catholic Charities in March 2006, requesting information about the… Read More
Food insecurity is often accompanied by other issues which exacerbate the challenges individuals are facing. The Healthy Opportunities Pilot, or HOP for short, is a new holistic approach undertaken by the NC Department of Health and Human Services to address shortcomings in housing, food, transportation, and interpersonal safety and toxic stress. This program is designed to help struggling, high-needs Medicaid enrollees by providing non-medical interventions to improve health outcomes. Many of the enrolled individuals have… Read More
This April, Catholic Charities staff took an extra moment to thank the volunteers who are critical to making Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh the best Catholic Charities in the country! National Volunteer Week was celebrated during the week of April 16-22 and provided a special opportunity to highlight the countless hours of service that volunteers dedicate to our community. In her letter to volunteers, Lisa Perkins, CEO, praised the impact volunteers make by… Read More
