News And Updates
2008 Christ Child Appeal is a Success Thanks to Generous Donors
By Michele Crowley, Director of Development, Catholic Charities-Norwich
Thanks to the generosity of over 500 donors, Catholic Charities-Norwich raised over $60,000 to provide social services to surrounding communities through its 2008 Christ Child Appeal, a record amount for the agency. As a recognized 501 (c) (3) non profit organization, Catholic Charities is the social service arm of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Norwich, which includes residents of New London County, Middlesex County, Windham County, Tolland County and Fishers Island, New York.
“The entire staff of Catholic Charities is overwhelmed by the generosity of our donors to this year’s Christ Child Appeal,” said Marek Kukulka, Executive Director of the Norwich office. “Given the latest economic downturn, we are truly grateful for the outpouring of compassion and generosity towards others less fortunate in our community.”
“With many residents in eastern CT facing unemployment and foreclosure, as well as the rising cost of living, more families need our help with basic needs such as food, utilities, and rental and mortgage assistance,” Marek continued. “We have been seeing an increase in requests for basic needs and emergency services, as well as foreclosure counseling and assistance in the past year, with many middle class families affected by the unstable economy.”
Fortunately, Catholic Charities-Norwich offers a Housing Program that includes Mortgage Delinquency Counseling, Budget/Credit Counseling, Rental Assistance, Landlord/Tenant Counseling, and Homebuyer Education Courses sponsored by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. “The Catholic Charities Housing Counseling Program specializes in analyzing the long-term affordability of the home, empowers the homeowner to gain the tools necessary to encourage long-term sustainability, and offers one-on-one counseling as well as group sessions designated to address the immediate and long-term needs of families facing foreclosure. The program also provides personalized counseling and assistance with money management, debt reduction, and other financial issues,” said Barbara Richardson-Crouch, MPA, Housing Program Specialist.
In addition, the Basic Needs & Emergency Services Program provides emergency financial assistance and case management services to individuals and families unable to meet their immediate basic needs such as food, clothing, transportation, utilities, and prescriptions. The organization’s target population includes individuals and families requiring assistance due to a crisis or an emergency (fire, flood, family violence, loss of income), as well as individuals and families who need assistance because they have insufficient income to meet their basic needs.
As Bishop Cote said in his annual letter to donors in November, “Because we are Catholic, we are compelled to see and hear the needs of our neighbors. The 2008 Catholic Charities Annual Christ Child Fund gives each one of us a chance to participate in making the world a better place for our brothers and sisters in need, with the goal of lifting individuals and families out of poverty so that they are in a better position to weather the economic downturn and provide a stable future for themselves and their loved ones.”
“The holiday season is traditionally the time of greatest need,” said Marek, “and Catholic Charities is extremely thankful to all the donors who contributed to our annual appeal. Their generosity made December a special month for remembering those people who are hungry, disabled, impoverished, or dealing with the loss of a job or home. Your help is so important, needed and appreciated.”
Catholic Charities has had a presence in eastern CT since 1921, making it one of the region's oldest social service agencies. For over eighty five years, the agency has been providing social services in the areas of basic human needs, adoption, mental health, family life education, teen mentoring, and pregnancy services. The agency’s goal is to provide services that effectively address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and families, with programs that are designed to help people develop self-sufficiency while protecting, preserving, and promoting their dignity.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Norwich is a member of Catholic Charities USA, a network of more than 1,700 local agencies and institutions which serves more than 7.8 million people each year throughout the country regardless of their religion, race, or background. For more information, call the Norwich office at (860) 889-8346.
Aid for Peachtree Apartments Fire Victims.
The early morning fire on April 26, 2008 at the Peachtree Apartments complex in Norwich left 150 people without homes. This devastating fire destroyed everything the victims owned. As a result of this tragedy, Bishop Michael R. Cote established the Aid for Norwich Families Relief Fund and he directed that all contributions be used to help victims recover from this tragedy.
To date, the Aid for Norwich Families Relief Fund has collected $11,548.60. Donations came from the generosity of parishes, schools and individuals. These funds have been forwarded to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Norwich. The City of Norwich’s Department of Human Services was charged with coordinating relief efforts. Catholic Charities is working with this and other organizations including the local chapter of the American Red Cross and the Dime Bank.
Survivors of this disaster were in need of basic necessities, and, most of all, they were in need of financial support to help them recover from this tragedy. All monies from the Aid for Norwich Families Relief Fund are being spent to help the victims in a variety of ways depending on the needs of a particular individual and/or family. Fire victims have used the financial assistance to purchase clothing, medications, food and other necessary household items. They have also received help with finding new places to live and relocations.
On behalf of the fire victims, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Norwich is grateful to everyone who responded so generously to the Aid for Norwich Families Relief Fund. To paraphrase the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (25:40), “When you did it for one of these, you did it for me.”