Posts Tagged ‘Catholic Charities New York’
Wednesday, May 29th, 2013
Ron and Linda Potwin sit Friday in the living room. The Leader Herald
Buckets and bowls are stacked in a corner of Ron and Linda Potwin’s living room, ready to catch rainwater from a leaking roof.
Parts of the ceiling, bowed and cracked, are supported by beams and poles.
“The roof only leaks when it rains,” Ron says, showing the couple’s ability to stay lighthearted in the face of a struggle that’s been ongoing since August 2011, when Tropical Storm Irene battered the region with heavy rains, wind and flooding.
Through 51 years of marriage, the Potwins have overcome struggles through their faith, hope and strength.
They’re now on their way to having life restored to normal after connecting with a disaster case manager at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, an organization that’s associated with the Fulton Montgomery Long Term Recovery Committee.
“It’s a blessing, believe me,” Linda said. “I just thank God for it, because we never could have done it on our own.”
Catholic Charities New York, in recognition for its success helping victims within the Archdiocese of New York recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, now provides disaster recovery services beyond the Hudson Valley. The Catholic Charities Disaster Case Management Program works directly with the New York State Office of Emergency Management and 24 partner agencies to provide ongoing case management for nearly 10,000 families recovering from Hurricanes Irene, Lee and Superstorm Sandy spread over 34 counties from Long Island to the Canadian border. While many short-term goals following these massive storms have been met, Catholic Charities is now focusing on helping families with long-term case management to rebuild their homes and lives.
Read the Potwin’s full story published in The Leader Herald.
Looking for help?
Tags: Catholic Charities Disaster Case Management Program, Catholic Charities New York, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, Disaster Case Manager, Fulton Montgomery Long Term Recovery Committee, hudson valley, Hurricane Irene, Linda Potwin, New York State Office of Emergency Management, Ron Potwin, The Leader Herald, Tropical Storm Irene, Tropical Storm Lee
Posted in Agencies, Hudson Valley, New York City, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
From Left to Right: George Rodriguez, Fidelis Care NY Director of Marketing; Mark Sclafani, Vice President, Marketing; Pamela Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer; Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Catholic Charities Executive Director; Beatriz Diaz Taveras, Executive Director CCCS
By Alice Kenny
Fidelis Care, a partner with Catholic Charities Community Services (CCCS) for nearly a decade, donated $509,000 to Catholic Charities on May 3, 2013 to further the two agencies’ aligned mission to serve the poor and needy of New York.
This partnership has proved particularly important in light of the punishing impact the lasting effects the economic recession and deep cuts in social service programs have had on families in need.
- One in every six New Yorkers – 1.4 million of our neighbors – now relies on daily emergency food.
- More than half are employed yet still cannot manage to make ends meet with their earnings. Close to 9,700 families with 15,000 children sleep in homeless shelters.
These numbers indicate what Catholic Charities already knows. Poverty is not merely the lack of adequate financial resources. Instead, it entails a profound deprivation, a denial of full participation in the economic, social and political life of society and an inability to influence decisions that affect one’s own life. It means being powerless in a way that assaults not only one’s pocketbook but also one’s fundamental human dignity.
Fidelis Care is the New York State Catholic Health Plan, providing health coverage to children and adults in 58 counties statewide. The mission of Fidelis Care is to ensure that every resident, regardless of income, age, religion, gender, or ethnic background, has access to quality health care and is provided with dignity and respect. Through partnerships with providers, schools, and community agencies like Catholic Charities New York, Fidelis Care works to foster healthier futures for members and their families.
Now as more and more individuals and families seek help, the Fidelis Care grant assists Catholic Charities Community Services as we continue to respond as we always have, with professional case management services across the ten counties of the Archdiocese of New York that alleviate crises and set families and individuals on a path toward stability.
Tags: Archdiocese of New York, Beatriz Diaz Taveras, case management services, Catholic Charities Community Services, Catholic Charities New York, economic recession, emergency food, Fidelis Care, health coverage, homeless shelters, New York State Catholic Health Plan, quality health care, social service programs
Posted in Agencies, Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
President Barack Obama plans to lay out his vision for immigration reform in Las Vegas today, January 29, 2013, a vision, CBS news reports, that he originally laid out in a major immigration speech in El Paso, Texas in May 2011.
A group of bipartisan senators formally unveiled their framework for comprehensive immigration reform yesterday that is said to be similar to the president’s plan.
“It is both overdue and heartening that the critical issue of immigration reform is moving to the top of Washington’s agenda,” said Catholic Charities Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan. “Each day Catholic Charities responds to many calls for assistance from immigrants who needlessly struggle and are threatened by the dysfunctions in our current system.”
Day in and day out, Catholic Charities helps immigrants reunite legally with their families, obtain proper work authorization, learn English and civics, and prepare to pass citizenship exams. Catholic Charities also assists immigrants in avoiding exploitation by unscrupulous practitioners by providing correct information and realistic counsel about immigration status.
In any given year…
| 3,378 |
families counseled and protected from exploitation |
| 40,651 |
calls answered in 18 languages with accurate information |
| 445 |
breadwinners helped to obtain authorization to work |
| 417 |
immigrants reunited with their families |
| 281 |
refugee and asylee families resettled |
| 291 |
immigrants taught English |
“Keeping families together, fair and humane legal immigration policies, reducing illegal immigration, protecting against exploitation and an earned way out of the shadows for the undocumented are all parts of broad immigration reform that this country needs,” Msgr. Sullivan continued. “Catholic Charities is ready and willing to work with many partners to achieve this critical goal.”
Do you need help? Get correct information in 17 languages:
Call Catholic Charities at the New York State New Americans Hotline: 212-419-3737 or 1-800-566-7636 (toll-free in NYS).
For more information please visit the following web links:
Tags: asylee, Catholic Charities, Catholic Charities New York, immigration, Immigration Reform, immigration status, legal immigration policies, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, New York State New Americans Hotline, refugee, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, undocumented
Posted in Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Policy and Advocacy, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees | No Comments »
Monday, January 28th, 2013
Upstate non-Catholics and Catholics alike came together to support those downstate affected by Superstorm Sandy. Through special collections, fundraisers, school events, and generous individual contributions, the total amount raised by the Catholic Church and its ministries in the five upstate dioceses was $1,364,822.
“The response has been overwhelming,” said Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Albany Diocese and representing the five upstate bishops. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are still recovering from this storm, and these donations will be put to work right away. We want our fellow New Yorkers, and all affected by the storm, to know that we stand in solidarity with you during this period of recovery.”
Bishop Hubbard, along with his colleagues throughout all New York, issued a special collection for Sandy Relief shortly after the storm wreaked its havoc. Schools, parishes and the community quickly pulled together vital supplies and arranged to bring them to the disaster zone. A large symbolic check representing the donations raised was presented to Catholic Charities representatives in the three downstate dioceses hardest hit by Sandy including the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
The response is especially noteworthy, considering that at a similar time the previous year gifts were coming into upstate New York to help with recovery efforts from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York is the overall managing agency administering outreach efforts to help people in 34 counties throughout New York State still recovering from these earlier storms.
In accepting the check from the upstate dioceses, Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director of the Catholic Charities of the New York Archdiocese, said, “In every community of New York State, every day, Catholic Charities helps individuals and families to resolve problems and rebuild lives. When Sandy devastated so many communities in New York City and Long Island, Catholic Charities was present to be able to respond immediately to alleviate hardships and help hurting families. In the immediate aftermath and for the long-term, the range of Catholic Charities services are available to meet critical human needs.”
Tags: Albany, Albany Diocese, Bishop Howard Hubbard, Catholic Charities, Catholic Charities New York, Catholics, Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, Diocese of Rockville Centre, dioceses, donations, downstate, emergency disaster relief, fundraisers, Hurricane Sandy Relief, Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund, Hurricane Sandy victims, Kevin Sullivan, New York State, recovery, sandy relief, school events, Superstorm Sandy, Upstate
Posted in Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Friday, January 18th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Catholic Charities New York kicked off New York State’s coordinated disaster case management (DCM) program by offering a two-day orientation and training on January 10-11 for disaster case managers, supervisors, and other key staff. This kickoff training event was held at Cardinal Spellman Center in lower Manhattan.
More than 50 Catholic Charities New York staff members along with staff from various social service organizations including Catholic Charities Brooklyn Queens, Project Hope and BronxWorks attended.
Training topics included disaster impacts, resources available to help New Yorkers hurt by Hurricane Sandy, the role of disaster case managers, and essential steps for providing disaster case management and how to coordinate with other agencies providing DCM services. Representatives from FEMA, New York State Office of Emergency Management, Project Hope, and Catholic Charities provided feature presentations.
Ongoing trainings will be offered on a regular basis to delve deeper into the material presented in this initial training and to introduce new topics and resources as appropriate.
Tags: agencies, Bronx Works, Cardinal Spellman Center, Catholic Charities Brooklyn Queens, Catholic Charities New York, CCBQ, DCM service, Disaster Case Management, disaster case managers, disaster impacts, disaster relief, Disaster Response, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, natural disaster, New York State, New York State Office of Emergency Management, orientation, Project Hope
Posted in Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, New York City, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Volunteering, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
By Chelsee Pengal
After the rush of shopping and deals post-Thanksgiving, a more meaningful celebration has taken shape to kick off the giving season. On Tuesday, November 27th, charities, families, businesses and individuals are all coming together to join in acts of giving.
As a partner of the #GivingTuesday initiative, Catholic Charities New York is raising funds and food for this year’s Feeding Our Neighbors campaign.
Thousands have been helped by emergency food after Sandy. At the same time, hundreds of thousands don’t have enough to eat every day. Help us raise 1 million meals for needy New Yorkers by contributing to Feeding Our Neighbors. Do your part to make the spirit of #GivingTuesday last throughout the year.
How to participate:
- Spread the word about #GivingTuesday on Facebook and Twitter
- Make a quick $10 donation to Feeding Our Neighbors by texting “CCHOPE” to 85944
Tags: #GivingTuesday, Catholic Charities New York, emergency food, feeding our neighbors, Thanksgiving
Posted in Events, Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, New York City, Staten Island, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 20th, 2012
By Alice Kenny
In the midst of Catholic Charities’ efforts to help those impacted by Hurricane Sandy and left without adequate food or shelter, Catholic Charities continues to meet the basic human needs of thousands of New Yorkers. On November 20, 2012, Timothy Cardinal Dolan led the annual Catholic Charities distribution of Thanksgiving meals to more than 400 needy New Yorkers at the Kennedy Center in Harlem.
“We don’t ask people what their creed is,” Cardinal Dolan said. “We don’t ask people where they come from. We love everyone and we open our doors to them–there’s always another chair at the table.”
Calling attention to the plight of the hungry throughout the year, Cardinal Dolan also announced the 2013 Feeding Our Neighbors campaign to replenish New York’s stretched food pantries and soup kitchens.
This year, UJA-Federation of New York will join with Catholic Charities to make Feeding Our Neighbors 2013 an interfaith campaign on behalf of New York’s hungry. John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice President and CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, joined Cardinal Dolan and Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, for this announcement.
During the Thanksgiving season and beyond, we remember New Yorkers who must turn to food pantries, soup kitchens and senior center meal programs in order to sustain themselves. To contribute to this year’s Feeding Our Neighbors campaign:
- Donate to the campaign online by specifying “Feeding Our Neighbors” in the comments field
- Contribute food
- Volunteer at a food pantry
- Text CCHOPE to 85944 to make a one-time $10 donation to the Feeding Our Neighbors campaign
Tags: Catholic Charities New York, feeding our neighbors, Hurricane Sandy, Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Center, Thanksgiving, UJA Federation of New York
Posted in Agencies, Cardinal Dolan, Events, Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Interfaith, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Volunteering, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Sunday, November 18th, 2012
By Alice Kenny
Nearly three weeks after Sandy left the New York area, victims are still struggling to rebuild their lives. On Saturday, November 17th, Timothy Cardinal Dolan and Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities New York, visited disaster recovery sites and Holy Rosary Parish on Staten Island to continue assessing ongoing needs and providing help to individuals and families.
Mount Manresa, a temporary housing facility for Sandy victims, is currently housing 30 families who lost their homes. At FEMA’s NYC Restoration Center on Hylan Boulevard, Catholic Charities workers are staffing the case management service at the center.
Catholic Charities, in conjunction with parishes and communities, will continue assisting Sandy victims with everything from the basics like food and clothing to long-term services such as counseling and legal assistance.
“We know that it will take time for people to be able to put all of the pieces of their lives back together, but the Church – our parishes, Catholic Charities, the Al Smith Foundation, and so many dedicated volunteers – will be there with them every step of the way,” Cardinal Dolan said. “I am particularly grateful to those who contributed to our Sandy relief fund, because that will enable us to provide direct assistance to those who need it most right now.”
The Sandy Relief Fund, which has so far raised close to $1 million for relief efforts, is being distributed to the parishes so pastors can put the money directly into immediate services the nearly 1000 families and individuals need.
If you’d like to contribute to the ongoing relief efforts:
Text SANDY to 85944 to make a one-time $10 donation
Tags: Al Smith Foundation, Catholic Charities New York, disaster recovery sites, FEMA, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Mount Manresa, NYC Restoration Center, Sandy victims, Staten Island, The Sandy Relief Fund, timothy cardinal dolan
Posted in Agencies, Archdiocese News, Cardinal Dolan, Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Parishes, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
