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Tag: Catholic Charities
All Saints Neighborhood holds grand opening for ‘Main Street’ phase
The plans originally called for an outdoor ceremony — a grand opening with guest speakers, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremonially opening the next phase in the All Saints Neighborhood in Madison.
Mobile food pantries serve rural communities
MADISON — The Parish Mobile Food Pantry program operated by Catholic Charities Madison serves rural communities who do not have access to the larger pantries in Madison.
Parishioners from participating Catholic parishes volunteer to unload and distribute food delivered to the parish by a Second Harvest foodbank truck. Parish volunteers organize each monthly pantry and assist their neighbors who depend on the pantry for food or to help offset other expenses (such as medical and utility bills).
Catholic Charities to operate new homeless day resource center
MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino called it a way to “deepen our effort to be good neighbors, one to another in these days.”
On September 7, the bishop, along with city and county leaders, leaders with Catholic Charities Madison, and other organizations that help the area homeless announced and praised a new partnership during a press conference at Holy Name Heights in Madison.
The partnership is between Catholic Charities and Dane County to operate a homeless day resource center to be housed at 615 East Washington Ave. in Madison, near the downtown area.
Solving challenges
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said the county has been committed to solving the challenge of helping the homeless in the area.
Parisi called it the “ideal location to help our homeless friends in need” and decided to partner with Catholic Charities because “we want to do this right and we want to do this right the first time.”
Catholic Charities Madison was selected as the center operator of the new facility by Dane County through a request for proposals submission process.
The goals for the new partnership include support for those suffering from poverty; refuge from the elements; offering referrals to appropriate services as needed by each individual; providing direct services such as a computer lab, laundry, showers, and storage; and building trusting relationships.
Catholic Charities brings experience to the table
MADISON — A recent report shows that 3,370 people need homeless services in Dane County. The survey included 473 families with 946 children under the age of 18.
“These are disturbing numbers,” said Jackson Fonder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Madison in an interview. “It catches us in Madison off guard.”
Catholic Charities, Bethel Lutheran join forces to aid homeless
MADISON — Bethel Lutheran Church and Catholic Charities Madison have announced a new partnership to support the homeless through a joint operation of the Winter Day Resource Center, expanding services from two days to five, at 312 Wisconsin Ave., in downtown Madison.
The Church Council at Bethel Lutheran Church, with the Board of Directors at Catholic Charities, voted in favor of operating the Winter Day Resource Center as partners, which will allow expansion from the current Tuesday and Thursday, to Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Nov. 1 through March 31, 2017.
A beloved building is reborn!
In 1995, many of us in the Diocese of Madison were very sad when Holy Name Seminary closed its doors.
The seminary had been a focal point for the diocese, with the building housing seminarians and many diocesan events. It was even the site of a pre-season training camp for the University of Wisconsin Badger football team for many years.
The seminary’s spire towered over the west side of Madison, a sign of the Church for all to see and hear as the seminary’s bells pealed every 15 minutes.
Catholic Charities’ Healthy Aging Conference
MADISON — Catholic Charities presents the sixth annual Healthy Aging Conference on Thursday, Oct. 13, at the new All Saints Neighborhood Main Street, 503 Commerce Dr., in Madison.
The daylong conference is devoted to helping seniors, adult children, and professionals who work with older adults become familiar with the scope of alternatives that lead to positive, healthy aging, and introduce them to organizations they can turn to for support.
Care Team volunteer builds relationships through home visits
Mary Nellis (right) and her husband, Bob (center), visit Betty Bormett (left) at Bormett’s home in Madison. The Nellises are part of the Parish Care Team through St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison and Catholic Charities Madison. Care Team members volunteer to help the homebound or those living alone to preserve a rich and independent lifestyle through home visits and other means. (Contributed photo) |
MADISON — “It’s a very personal ministry, taking care of people.”
For the past 10 years, Mary Nellis of Madison has been involved in that “personal ministry.”
She is one of two team leaders of the Parish Care Team at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison.
Nellis said the mission of the care team is “to be able to keep [those homebound or living alone] as independent as possible with a little bit of support from the parish and from fellow parishioners.”
Team members offer friendly visits and phone contacts; assistance with shopping, errands, and household tasks; along with emotional support, prayer, and home Communion visits.
“We will go in and bring the Eucharist to them and visit with them,” said Nellis, “and share something from the Mass the previous weekend, or just do a social visit with somebody who is lonely and who would appreciate somebody within the parish coming and just being a friend.”
The team also offers respite, relief, and support to family caregivers so they may rest and relax.
Catholic Charities Madison partners with the team to provide training and on-going consultation.
Getting involved
Nellis said she comes “from a long line of volunteers in my family,” and saw a need to get involved in the care team ministry as her own parents eventually needed respite care and realized some people don’t have anyone to come and check on them.
Her husband, Bob, got involved with the ministry first, and she soon followed.
One of her first partners was a wife suffering from dementia and nearing death.
Wisconsin bishops issue statement on terrorists, refugees
The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Catholic Conference have issued the following statement on the terrorist attacks and the refugee situation in Syria.
The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin join bishops across the United States in expressing our deepest condolences to the French people for the horrific loss of life at the hands of ISIS terrorists. There is no justification for such barbarism, especially when done in the name of God.