On Saturday, October 21st, over 325 individuals joined together at the Raleigh Marriott at Crabtree Valley to celebrate the wonderful work of Catholic Charities. Over the past year, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh has served over 60,000 individuals throughout central and eastern North Carolina. This evening provided the opportunity to reflect on this great accomplishment and look to the future as Catholic Charities continues to expand. The event also serves as an important fundraiser for Catholic Charities. Through the generosity of the many sponsors and guests at the… Read More
Catholic Charities is excited to announce that Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama has appointed Ms. Lisa Perkins to the position of Executive Director. Ms. Perkins had been serving as the Interim Executive Director of Catholic Charities since June of 2017. “I am excited to assume the role of Executive Director and I am humbled by the opportunity to lead a team that works daily to impact lives and enhance communities.” Ms. Perkins shared. “I am thankful that Bishop Zarama and the Board of Directors have afforded me the opportunity to carry… Read More
On Tuesday, October 3rd, Catholic Charities partnered with UNC Wilmington (UNCW) to provide free health screenings to the public. Eight UNCW senior nursing students, supervised by their professor Melissa Reedy, traveled to the Harrelson Center for the event. At the event, individuals were able to have their blood pressure and glucose levels checked. Following the screenings, students would review the results with the individuals so they had a better understanding of their health. The senior nursing students came fully equipped to provide health education with simulations and displays, specifically in… Read More
Over the past year, Catholic Charities has helped over 750 families recover from Hurricane Matthew, impacting the lives of 2,100 individuals. Patricia and her family were recently assisted by the Catholic Charities office in Wilmington after Hurricane Matthew destroyed her home in Fair Bluff, North Carolina. Her family lost everything to the storm: furniture, appliances, food, and clothing. The flood waters left nothing that could be salvaged. For the next nine months, Patricia and her multi-generational family of six were living in a one-person camper with many safety hazards. It… Read More
Hurricane Matthew forced thousands of North Carolina residents to put their lives on hold to rebuild what had been lost. A year later, many families still struggle to find safe and stable housing. Sadly, we recently saw devastating storms also impact the areas of Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean. The Catholic Charities Disaster Services Program is assisting families recover from these disasters. Trained Catholic Charities staff continue to assist Hurricane Matthew survivors by helping families find and afford safe and stable housing solutions. The volunteer group NC Catholics Volunteer is… Read More
I have been an intern at Catholic Charities since 2016. I am currently a student at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania working towards a Master’s degree in Social Work. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Mount Olive and obtained an Associate’s degree in Broadcasting from Lenoir Community College. As a member of the Catholic church, it simply felt right to choose an internship at Catholic Charities. Being a very spiritual person, the Catholic Charities mission statement spoke to me, which is to provide service to people… Read More
I received with sadness today’s announcement in Washington, DC, that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will be terminated. This program has been of such great assistance to so many in our Diocese who were brought to our country by their parents, often times as infants, having known no other nation. While we must certainly respect our borders and our laws, so we must also be guided in how we are to care for the least among us, including those who, through no fault of their own, have… Read More
25% of NC children under 5 go to bed hungry. YOU CAN HELP! Participate in Catholic Parish Outreach’s H2O for Hunger Challenge as part of National Hunger Action Month. Take the Challenge For one week– September 18-24— drink tap water instead of your preferred beverage. Make a tax-deductible donationto CPO using the money you save (or just make a donation) so that we can buy food for the hungry. Please note H20 for Hunger in the memo line on checks. Our address is: Catholic Parish Outreach 2013 N. Raleigh Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27604… Read More
Maria Zeitler is an Italian immigrant who traveled to the United States with her family when she was only four years old. “My father wanted to come to America first and when he finally saved enough money, he would sent for my mother and my siblings. However, because my mother did not want to break up the family we all came to America together.” Maria recalled. “I remember when we first moved to the United States, we lived in my uncle’s basement for five years.” Maria grew up in New… Read More
On Friday, August 4th, more than 140 members of the Raleigh community attended “Dancing for a Cause: Celebrating 20 Years of Centro para Familias Hispanas”. The event raised over $12,000 to support the work of Centro para Familias Hispanas (CpFH) in serving the Raleigh Hispanic community. Ms. Maty Ferrer, Director of CpFH, spoke about the impact the Hispanic Family Center has on the community before introducing a video highlighting the success stories of two clients. “The support shown by the community tonight means we can strengthen our programs and services… Read More