Catholic Charities Cape Fear Regional staff typically distribute food from the food pantry located in their downtown Wilmington office. In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, as with many things, the food pantry was forced to adapt. In order to better serve the community, food distribution has gone mobile, reaching remote communities facing major shortages of food. “Historically, we had taken food and other supplies out to communities following disasters such as Hurricane Matthew and Florence,” shared Emilie Hart, Cape Fear Regional Director. “We felt that the mobile distribution model… Read More
Feeding the hungry, one of the Works of Mercy, unfolds every day at Catholic Charities offices through the efforts of dedicated staff and volunteers. With the coronavirus outbreak and resulting financial crisis impacting many individuals and families, the agency has seen a growth in demand for providing food to those in need. “We knew that there would be an increase in the number of people seeking assistance, including those who had never come to a food pantry before,” said Lisa Perkins, Catholic Charities Executive Director. In the middle of the… Read More
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, While I am so grateful for the charity I have seen in these past weeks, like many of you I am pained by what I have witnessed in recent days. How unfortunate that while so many of us have recently come together to protect one another, we have more recently seen instances of human abuse and individuals acting with complete disregard for their neighbors. Unfortunately, in our society the doors of justice and equality are often closed for many. As people of faith, we stand against… Read More
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
