Link to original press release. May 30, 2020 CCUSA is profoundly Disturbed by Such Continual Repetition of Acts of Indifference to Human Life Alexandria, Va. (May 30, 2020) – Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) President and CEO, Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, issued the following statement condemning the killing of George Floyd and the continuous acts of violence and indifference to human life: “These past few days as we watched the news, many of us found ourselves moved to tears over the killing of George Floyd. Our horror at watching the… Read More
CLIENTS We are open and have instituted “curbside” food pickups in our parking lot only. Clients will not come into the building. As of JUNE 15TH SUMMER HOURS OF MONDAYS/WEDNESDAYS/FRIDAYS 8:30 am – 11:30 am for food pickup have been implimented. Referral are not required during the Pandemic You must still wait 30 days between visits. We have suspended distributing clothing distribution at this time We are distributing our TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) allotment VOLUNTEERS If you need to cancel volunteering please notify Darcy Holley at 919-847-1466 (call… Read More
On the second weekend in May, Dr. Russ Elmayan had expected to be celebrating the completion of his Doctor of Ministry degree from Duke University. Due to COVID-19, celebrations with family and friends had to be put on hold, but Dr. Elmayan doesn’t expect any delay in taking what he learned and applying it to his work for the Diocese of Raleigh and Catholic Charities. Dr. Elmayan has worked for the Diocese of Raleigh for 30 years and serves as the chief financial officer and chief administrative officer. In addition… Read More
Over the past few months, COVID-19 has transformed how people go about their daily lives. Many businesses have temporarily closed, leaving workers struggling to afford necessities like groceries each week. During this challenging time, one thing that hasn’t changed is the commitment of Catholic Charities to serve the Greenville community. Early in the spread of COVID-19, the Catholic Charities Food Pantry in Greenville temporarily suspended services to evaluate protocols to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers, and the families being served. Since reopening, the office has seen a steady increase… Read More
*Client name changed to protect their privacy in this story. In September of 2018, Hurricane Florence ravaged Renee’s home of 20 years. The storm tore her home apart, causing the ceiling to cave in and floodwaters to rise through the floors. Devastated as she was, this is the home she shared with her late husband and Renee refused to abandon it – she worked hard to salvage what she could. By the time Renee reached out to Catholic Charities for assistance, the mold and mildew in the home were starting… Read More
Ten days ago I shared that we were temporarily suspending food pantry services. During this time, we have been working tirelessly with a pandemic expert and team of volunteers who have successfully created a plan that allows Catholic Charities to move forward during this pandemic. The team focused its efforts on four key areas: • COVID-19 education and training for staff and volunteers • Evaluating the client in-take process • Cleaning and safety practices • Adapting best practices for all offices In addition, a virtual training program has been… Read More
March 25, 2020 Dear Friends, In just a short time, daily life has been disrupted by COVID-19, altering how we interact with our neighbors and how our churches, schools, and workplaces operate. During this unprecedented time, dedicated Catholic Charities staff and volunteers have been proud to continue serving the most vulnerable of our neighbors. Last week, we issued a statement pledging to continue providing our much-needed services to the community as long as were able to do so in an environment which was safe for our volunteers, clients, and staff. As the… Read More
Dear Friends, I am writing to share with you an update regarding our work in serving the community during this Coronavirus outbreak. We care deeply about ensuring a safe environment for our staff, volunteers, and the families we serve. We also realize the critical role of our programs for our neighbors in need, including our food pantries which help families put meals on their table. We are balancing these two objectives by implementing increased steps to maintain clean work environments. Some examples include having employees, whenever possible, work remotely or… Read More
The Catholic Charities Cape Fear Regional Office food pantry is undergoing a special type of makeover this month focused on improving the food that is distributed. “Health and poverty are inextricably linked,” shared Emilie Hart, Cape Fear Regional Director. “We see the snowball effects of this every day.” Food insecurity is a key factor in chronic diseases. At Catholic Charities, 37% of the clients served have someone in their household with diabetes and 69% have someone with high blood pressure. To address the connection between hunger and poor health outcomes,… Read More
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh recently named David Juarez Torres program director for the Durham Community Food Pantry. David has a long history of supporting the mission of Catholic Charities. Nine years ago, he first started as an American Corps member serving in Centro La Comunidad, a Catholic Charities Hispanic family center in Burlington. Once he finished his internship in 2011, David was hired to be part of the Catholic Charities Hispanic family center in Raleigh, Centro Para Familias Hispanas, where he worked as a case management coordinator…. Read More