On a bright morning filled with shared purpose and community spirit, neighbors, local veterans, and eager young students gathered at the Cumberland County Association of Indian People (CCAIP) center to begin building a foundation for healthy nutrition in their community. Together, they broke ground on a new community garden designed to nourish body and spirit, marking the third Nourishing Our Neighbors Garden installed by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh. Built on land historically belonging to the Coharie Tribe, the new installation features two standard garden beds and two… Read More
If you looked around at the crowd gathered last Saturday, October 17 at St. Peter’s Spiritual Life Center in Greenville, you’d notice a trend: family is all around in the Tar River region. From the father-son duo bartending to the mother-daughter team from Circle of Parents, family shows up together in Tar River. Laughter echoed through the room, bingo numbers were called, and supporters gathered around tables filled with delicious German food and conversation, but the heart of the second annual Oktoberfest was resilience. The evening showcased the people, partnerships,… Read More
The pathway to becoming a legal U.S. Citizen is often a lengthy and time-consuming process. Being detail oriented helps, but being thoroughly aware of the ever-changing immigration requirements helps even more. However, this awareness is incredibly difficult to achieve alone. Thankfully, the Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services Department is there to provide all that necessary support for our neighbors in need and is continuing to do just that for this year’s Fall N-400 Naturalization Workshop series. Last Friday, September 18, 2026, the Immigration Legal Services Department hosted the first part… Read More
The spirit of community was alive and well on Thursday morning, as community members, supporters, and partners gathered in Wilmington, NC, hungry for hope and breakfast. Such a gathering only deserved an equally great setting, and Plaza on Princess at the Harrelson Center once again happily delivered for the second annual Rise & Dine Breakfast, raising awareness and support for the vital work of Catholic Charities in the Cape Fear region. The event welcomed more than 60 attendees and raised over $20,000 to support services throughout the region. As guests enjoyed a buffet breakfast of eggs, bacon, grits, sausage, and… Read More
Catholic Charities Diocese of Raleigh is celebrating a new milestone in its disaster preparedness work: Daniel Altenau, Director of Communications and Disaster Services, and Emilie Hart, Cape Fear Regional Director, are the first two individuals across the Catholic Charities USA network to be officially certified to present the newly updated Essentials for Disaster Case Managers curriculum. The certification recognizes both staff members for their years of experience, preparation, and commitment to strengthening disaster case management capacity in North Carolina and across the Catholic Charities network. Altenau first began presenting the… Read More
This summer, the Durham Community Food Pantry (DCFP) welcomed Duke University graduate student Louis Scheinfeld through the Community‑Engaged Internship & Fellowship Program (CEIFP), an initiative run by the Duke Center for Community Engaged Scholarship (DCCES). Scheinfeld, a second-year graduate student pursuing his Masters in Applied Economics, is driven by all things data, striving to use statistics and economic analysis to better understand real-world problems as well as evaluate policies and programs. His interests made him a perfect candidate fort the community-oriented CEIFP program, as it connects Duke students with community… Read More
Disasters come in many forms, and no matter the scale or season, Catholic Charities shows up for neighbors in need. For our Cape Fear regional office, disaster response is not limited to hurricane season; it is a year‑round commitment defined by the realities of coastal living, from flooding and tornadoes to dangerously high temperatures. Each event brings its own challenges, but the mission remains constant: to provide compassionate, practical support when communities are most vulnerable. That commitment was put into action starting early this year. Over Mother’s Day weekend, tornadoes… Read More
Catholic Charities has always been inspired by the generosity and compassion of their supporters, and the 2026 Drive Out Hunger Golf Outing showed that their impact continues to grow. Under bright Carolina skies, this year’s event was one to remember, welcoming 209 golfers, and raising a record $107,000 thanks to the dedication of sponsors, featuring the Diocese of Raleigh as the lead sponsor, players, volunteers, and partners! Attendees enjoyed classic features of the event including traversing the rolling fairways of Prestonwood Country Club and the Crooked Kneedles foursome showing up… Read More
For many nonprofits, disaster response is both a vital opportunity to show up for their community and a challenge marked by familiar hurdles. Fragmented information, rapidly shifting needs, and urgent demand for volunteers and resources can make efficient disaster relief coordination a challenge for even the most seasoned experts. This year, our Cape Fear regional office is taking a major step to overcome these obstacles by supporting the launch of the Nonprofit & Faith-Based Disaster Command Center, a collaborative initiative in New Hanover County designed to activate within 72 hours… Read More
When Cecilia “CeCe” Cruz completed her first year at East Carolina University, she reached a milestone no one in her family had achieved before. Her path to college was shaped by hard work, determination and the steady encouragement of her mother, Amalia Velasquez. It was also guided by a community that had been walking alongside their family long before college was part of the conversation. That community is Circle of Parents, a parent-led program of Catholic Charities in the Tar River Region. Growing out of a longstanding Hispanic women’s group,… Read More
