Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, With much sadness we learned of a new shooting, of another massacre, this time in El Paso, Texas and in Dayton, Ohio. They were innocent victims of people who were destroying and killing out of hatred, racism, revenge, supremacy, or who knows why else. These were innocent lives who were killed by hate – which is the complete absence of Love and the tool of destruction. How sad! In our country we say: “In God We Trust” but we have gradually taken God out… Read More
“You know what was a fun hurricane? Hurricane Bertha.” The Inscore family sits around the living room, reminiscing on past disasters. “No,” their son chimes in, “you went to your parents’ for Bertha. You’re thinking of Floyd.” “That’s right,” answers David. “Hurricane Floyd, we stayed at the motel. The power went out, and we were the only ones with a battery. The whole building was dark, and we had the only light. All the kids were running up and down the hall when the manager showed up with a news… Read More
Para Español Most people celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, parades, and barbecues. For Faviana Franco de Zuñiga, this July 4th is particularly special. Faviana, who was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, has been living in the United States for the past twelve years and has been working to become a naturalized United States citizen. After a long, slow process, she finally obtained approval the week before the 4th of July. Faviana lived a great part of her life in Mexico where she raised her children. As they grew older, some of… Read More
Summer is here, the days are stretching longer, the sun is shining brighter and many kids are enjoying a break from school. A community food pantry full of senior volunteers may be the last place you would expect to see teenagers spending their summer free time. However, Catholic Parish Outreach (CPO), a program of Catholic Charities, the largest food pantry in Wake County, NC, is an exception. Now that students have been out of school for a few weeks, CPO is seeing an uptick in inquiries from parents and teens…. Read More
Roughly three-quarters of a mile down a dusty dirt road sits a home. This home has raised three children into adults, and seen a few hurricanes in its 13 years, but nothing like Florence. Ms. Ingrid, the owner, told us that the road it sits on runs through family land. As soon as her ancestors got off the boat at Ellis Island they made their way to coastal NC to settle. They were fisherman by trade, shrimpers to be exact, and the land they lived on bumps right up to… Read More
During the City of Raleigh’s 16th Annual Fair Housing Community Conference, members of the Fair Housing Board recognized Catholic Charities for their work around housing, both in helping survivors of Hurricane Florence, as well as their everyday work through the Support Circle Program, a critical resource for local communities in ending homelessness in Wake County. The award ceremony took place at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. The Annual Conference brought together housing advocates, community members, government officials, and experts on civil and human rights, housing, lending and community development. Rick… Read More
The air was crisp. The sun was shining. It was a perfect day for golf. On Monday, April 29th, over 160 golfers supported the 2nd Annual Catholic Charities Drive Out Hunger Golf Outing at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary. Proceeds from the Drive Out Hunger Golf Outing will benefit the six Catholic Charities food pantries throughout the Diocese of Raleigh. “Being able to share in a nutritious meal is such a basic need that every family should have met,” shared Ms. Lisa Perkins, Executive Director. “We are grateful to everyone… Read More
For the third consecutive year, Centro para Familias Hispanas welcomed spring by opening its door to community members, sponsors and volunteers. On Thursday, April 11th the organization hosted their annual Open House at their facility located at 2013 N. Raleigh Blvd in Raleigh. Over 60 people gathered at Centro para Familias Hispanas to learn about their various programs that are offered, including: Support of the Family Services, Adult Education Classes, Smart Start Funded Childhood Development Programs & Services, Legal Immigration Services, After-School Reading Tutoring and an Employment Program. Maty Ferrer,… Read More
By Kate Turgeon Watson, NC Catholics Ribbon cuttings are a common thread at opening events. They symbolize new beginnings with the same exuberance that a giant, cardboard check uses to symbolize a big donation. That single ribbon, often bright red, ceremoniously falls to two sides and elicits applause and cheers. But the Oak City Cares ribbon cutting, like some of the event’s speakers, didn’t follow a script. It had a heart of its own. The ribbon wasn’t red, but green (to symbolize the city of Raleigh), blue (for Wake County)… Read More
Less than a year ago, Ashley and her daughter were spending each night in a different place and this young mother’s idea of having a home of her own was only a dream. Ashley then decided to seek help. Soon after a social worker introduced her to the Support Circles Program for Homeless Families (Support Circles), a Catholic Charities program which empowers participants to achieve realistic, long-term, career, housing and financial management objectives. Carolyn McClendon, assistant director for Support Circles, helped Ashley enroll in the program and set her on… Read More
