May 22nd, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Day laborers’ children battled to capture bishops, kings and pawns at chess competitions held with Franciscan Friars at a family day celebration on May 19th. For the first time ever, St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers opened its doors to Obreros Unidos and their families on Pentecost Sunday. City of Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano joined in the festivities.
The Catholic Charities-sponsored Family Day brought together more than 150 local day-laborer family members with seminarians, friars and Catholic Charities staff. It was part of Catholic Charities’ ongoing involvement with Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, a group of approximately 300 day laborers in the Yonkers area.
Through this program, Catholic Charities educates workers on employment rights and responsibilities to prevent exploitation and abuse. Catholic Charities also assists in the collection of unpaid wages, helps workers get access to healthcare services, provides emergency food, and offers English language and computer skills instruction.
The midday event began with Pentecost Sunday mass to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. Next, at an indoor picnic pulled together in response to the pouring rain outdoors, participants feasted on tacos, churros and flan. Then they partied together as they faced off at chess matches, danced in Zumba exercise classes, painted faces and dabbled with arts and crafts.
Check out our Facebook page for more photos of the event.
Would you like to join Obreros Unidos de Yonkers?
Call (914) 375-6729/48 or visit the office at St. Peter’s Church basement, 91 Ludlow Street, Yonkers, NY 10705
Call the Catholic Charities Help Line — (888) 744-7900 — to find services you need.
Tags: arts and crafts, Catholic Charities Help Line, catholic charities staff, chess competitions, chess matches, day laborers, emergency food, employment rights, exercise classes, family day, family members, Franciscan Friars, friars, healthcare services, mass, Mayor Mike Spano, Obreros Unidos, Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, Pentecost Sunday, seminarians, St. Joseph’s Seminary, St. Peters Church, Yonkers
Posted in Events, Hudson Valley, Parishes, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees | No Comments »
May 21st, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those hurt by the devastating, mile-wide tornado that touched down near Oklahoma City yesterday, killing at least 51 people—including 20 children—decimating homes, businesses and a pair of elementary schools.
As New Yorkers who have unfortunately struggled through Hurricane Sandy, Tropical Storm Irene and the World Trade Center destruction, we know firsthand about coping with disasters.
At Catholic Charities, we know firsthand how to help.
Please remember that we are here to help during disasters and every day.
From disaster response professionals visiting parishes to deliver information and resources, to volunteers collecting and distributing food and supplies, to neighbors checking in on neighbors, the entire Catholic Charities community responds to meet the human needs of the victims, providing help and creating hope for rebuilding lives.
Many still struggle to recover from Hurricane Sandy. Please come see your local Disaster Case Manager for help rebuilding your life.
For disaster recovery, click to learn more.
Click here for Help.
Click here to Help.
Help is here.
Tags: businesses, Disaster Case Manager, Disaster Response, elementary schools, food, homes, Hurricane Sandy, Oklahoma City, parishes, Supplies, tornado, Tropical Storm Irene, Volunteers
Posted in Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
May 20th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Determined to raise 8,000 – 10,000 pounds of vegetables for the hungry, dozens of volunteers planted pepper, lettuce, broccoli, tomato and eggplant seedlings at the Catholic Community Services of Rockland “Garden of Love” on May 18. Vegetables from the garden are distributed to families through food pantries throughout the county.
The garden, preparing for its fourth season, has been expanded with the help of volunteers and those who donated materials including tools, soil and fences. Renewing its commitment to the community, organizers have recently renamed the initiative “Produce the Produce.”
Check out photos of your neighborhood volunteers and more Garden of Love updates in The Journal News.
Are you hungry and need help?
- Contact us. At Catholic Charities, no one is ever turned away.
- If you live in Rockland County, please call 845 942-5791.
Help us help your neighbors in need.
Tags: Catholic Community Services of Rockland, community garden, families, food pantries, Garden of Love, hungry, Hungry New Yorkers, neighbors in need, Produce the Produce, Rockland County, seedlings, The Journal News, Volunteers
Posted in Hudson Valley, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
May 17th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
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Tags: Facebook, newsletter, online, social media, twitter
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
May 16th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
- Check out JustLove’s radio interview with the famed miniseries’ coproducer and actress Roma Downey.
- Find Out inside info about this epic 10-hour television series.
- Win a novel based on the show.
Want to win? Just correctly answer one of the daily trivia questions we’re posting on Facebook during the next two weeks.
Enter the contest now.
Questions are based off of Msgr. Kevin Sullivan’s interview with Roma Downey and his upcoming interview with Dan Polotta author of Charity Case: How the Nonprofit Community Can Stand Up For Itself and Really Change the World. Winners will be selected from a random drawing.
For those new to the show, The Bible Series is based on the story everyone knows and told like never before. Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) and Mark Burnett (The Voice, Survivor, Shark Tank, Celebrity Apprentice) coproduce the series.
Tune in to JustLove with Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities New York, on The Catholic Channel 129, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio.
JustLove, aired weekly on Saturday at 10 am EDT and Sunday at 5 am EST, features conversations about the church in the world to promote a just and compassionate society.
Tags: Catholic Charities Community, Celebrity Apprentice, Charity Case: How the Nonprofit Community Can Stand Up For Itself and Really Change the World, Dan Polotta, Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, Shark Tank, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, Survivor, television series, The Catholic Channel 129, The Voice, Touched by an Angel, trivia questions
Posted in JustLove, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan | No Comments »
May 15th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Catholic Charities’ Monge Codio — known best, perhaps, for Catholic Charities-sponsored pilgrimages he made to Haiti to help those hurt by the 2010 earthquake disaster and the American Haitians for Economic Advancement & Development program he founded — celebrated his three-year anniversary as Director of Operations for CYO’s Hudson Valley Region during a live broadcast last week on AM1300 WRCR.
He spoke not only about ongoing help for folks still reeling from the Haiti disaster but also about a host of activities and initiatives offered by Catholic Charities CYO.
For example, more than 17,000 youth participate in CYO NY’s basketball program alone.
Yet CYO offers far more than the basketball program for which it is best known, said this former college basketball coach whose resume includes stints coaching at Concordia, Iona and Northeastern University.
CYO serves children from third through eighth grade and offers, for example, art and essay contests, scouting, retreats, track and field contests, soft ball and even a special golf program for children with developmental disabilities.
“We welcome everyone,” Monge said.
Check Monge out live on AM 1300 WRCR . The link is slow but it’s worth the wait.
Read more about Monge’s trip to Haiti in Catholic New York.
Would you like to volunteer to help run an existing CYO program or help start a new one? Contact Monge at 212-271-1000 x 2058.
Tags: AM1300 WRCR, American Haitians for Economic Advancement & Development, basketball program, Catholic Charities CYO, Concordia, Director of Operations for CYO’s Hudson Valley Region, earthquake disaster, Haiti disaster, Haiti Earthquake, Iona, Monge Codio, Northeastern University, volunteer
Posted in New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Volunteering | No Comments »
May 14th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
The New York State National Alliance on Mental Illness honored Astor Services for Children & Families’ Early Head Start Program, an affiliate of Catholic Charities NY, on May 7 for their work successfully addressing the issues of children’s mental health. This includes early identification, outreach, family education, providing mental health awareness in schools, and successfully intervening on behalf of afflicted children and their families. Astor Services received this award during a reception at the 2013 “What’s Great in Our State – A Celebration of Children’s Mental Health Awareness,” at the New York State Museum in Albany.
Astor’s Early Head Start Program serves over 200 infants, toddlers and their families in seven sites across Dutchess County. Astor has operated the Head Start Program in Dutchess County since 1978 and later assumed responsibility for the Early Head Start Program. Head Start and Early Head Start are federally-funded programs for low-income families.
The children in Astor’s Head Start and Early Head Start Programs receive mental health screening through collaboration with Astor’s Hudson Valley Behavioral Health & Prevention Programs. This program provides early identification and intervention of social emotional problems in children, ages 2 to 18, through the Child and Family Clinic Plus Program (Clinic Plus). This program is a state-wide initiative by the Office of Mental Health to furnish mental health services for children and families.
“On behalf of the children, families and staff, I am delighted to receive this recognition,´ said Mary Sontheimer, Assistant Executive Director, Astor Services for Children & Families, Early Childhood Programs. “These are the issues at the core of our Early Head Start Program: social emotional development, health relationships and positive attachments for children. All stakeholders in our program play a critical role in ensuring optimal mental health and positive self-esteem.”
Tags: Assistant Executive Director, Astor Services for Children & Families, Behavioral Health, Clinic Plus, dutchess county, Early Childhood Programs, Early Head Start Program, Head Start Program, hudson valley, Mary Sontheimer, mental health, mental illness, New York State Museum, New York State National Alliance, Prevention Programs
Posted in Events, Hudson Valley, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
May 13th, 2013
Dennis Scimone, Director of Residential Services for Beacon of Hope House with Denise Bauer Director, Beacon of Hope House
By Alice Kenny
Hosted by and for consumers with mental illness, the Catholic Charities Beacon of Hope annual talent show and dinner theatre– now in its twenty-eighth year — is always packed with creativity, comedy and fun.
But this year’s show held at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Center in Harlem on May 1 went over the top thanks to a last-minute rendition of “God Bless America” belted out by the Harlem Alumni Boys and Girls Choir.
Catholic Charities Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Center is always a hopping place. Dance classes, music, theatre and social service programs fill this central Harlem meeting spot day in and day out from its basement to its top floor.
Sometimes the synergy morphs into magic, as it did on Talent Show night.
Ninety consumers along with family and friends from Beacon of Hope residential programs and its vocational club house had already feasted at the dinner theatre event as fellow consumers emceed and regaled them with a fashion show, songs, dances, original poetry, and outstanding music played on the guitar, drums and harmonica.
A special night like this, however, seemed to need something extra, said Damian Buzzerio, who helped coordinate a team of five volunteers that helped at the event. That’s when the Harlem Alumni Boys and Girls Choir that had been training in their usual rehearsal room, made their surprise appearance. As their special gift to this special group, the choir trooped on stage and belted out God Bless America.
“It is becoming more and more difficult to find such a special and safe place for events such as these to flourish,” says Debbie Ciraolo, an American Sign Language interpreter with Beacon of Hope who assisted with the show. “I cherish this experience.”
Join us to find a “special, safe place” that recognizes your talents and creativity.
Click here to find a volunteer opportunity tailored just for you.
Tags: American Sign Language interpreter, annual talent show, Beacon of Hope, Damian Buzzerio, Dance classes, dances, Debbie Ciraolo, Harlem, Harlem Alumni Boys and Girls Choir, Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Center, mental illness, Music, poetry, social service programs, songs, theatre
Posted in Agencies, New York City, Policy and Advocacy, Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged, Volunteering | No Comments »
May 10th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Accustomed to hard work, scant funds and dreams only of their children’s futures, 15 wives and relatives of day laborers instead received free haircuts, makeovers and all-round pampering on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 in the St. Peter’s Parish gym in Yonkers, in preparation for Mothers Day.
The women belong to a mothers group associated with Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, a group of approximately 300 day laborers in the Yonkers area.
The women received haircuts free of charge provided by two hairstylist/salon owners who are also parishioners of St. Peter’s Parish. They also received a make-up lesson and application by a Mary Kay representative. And two of the recipient moms, far more accustomed to giving than receiving, opted to donate their cut hair to Locks of Love, a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair loss.
The Mothers Day celebration was part of Catholic Charities’ ongoing involvement with Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, a group of approximately 300 day laborers in the Yonkers area. Through this program, Catholic Charities educates workers on employment rights and responsibilities in order to prevent exploitation and abuse. Catholic Charities also assists in the collection of unpaid wages, helps workers get access to healthcare services, provides emergency food, and offers English language and computer skills instruction.
Looking for more information about Obreros Unidos de Yonkers?
Call (914) 375-6729/48 or visit the office at St. Peter’s Church basement, 91 Ludlow Street, Yonkers, NY 10705
Call the Catholic Charities Help Line — (888) 744-7900 — for help finding services you need.
Wishing you a wonderful Mothers Day!
Tags: Catholic Charities Help Line, computer skills, emergency food, English language, hairstylist, healthcare services, Locks of Love, Mary Kay, Mothers Day, Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, salon owners, St. Peter’s Parish
Posted in Events, New York City, Parishes, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees | No Comments »
May 8th, 2013
We’re opening a new food pantry site at St. Margaret Mary Church on Staten Island this Friday, May 10th, and we’re looking for volunteers.
Tasks can include:
1. Setting up a client choice pantry outside on folding tables. This will require moving cases of food weighing 20-50 lbs. A hand truck will be available.
2. Greeting the clients of the pantry, providing information and maintaining an orderly flow of people.
3. Breaking down the tables and putting the food away. This will involve some use of stairs and carrying cases of food.
We will also be looking for volunteers willing to help at this new site through June. More postings will be made for future dates.
Please share with your friends and sign up to help the hungry.
Tags: client choice pantry, food donations, pantry, St. Margaret Mary Church, volunteer opportunities, Volunteers
Posted in Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Parishes, Staten Island, Volunteering, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
By Alice Kenny
