God Bless Father John!

Earlier this week Msgr. John Enzler, our president and CEO, celebrated his 40th Anniversary in the priesthood. What a milestone! Our headquarters on G Street has been abuzz this week with a huge outpouring of gratitude from the community, giving thanks for Father John's amazing and enthusiastic ministry to all of our neighbors here in the Archdiocese of Washington. Take a look!

We were so inspired by this congratulatory letter from Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, written to Father John on this special occasion. 

 A beautiful Spiritual Bouquet from some dear friends of Father John's and Catholic Charities' - each petal marks prayers said on his behalf!

Father John celebrated Mass with Catholic Charities' Board of Directors...

And the Board presented Father John with this plaque to commemorate his milestone anniversary in the priesthood. The quote on it read: 

You can do something I can't do

I can do something you can't do.

Together let us do something

beautiful to God.

Mother Teresa

Please join us in congratulating Father John on his 40th anniversary in the priesthood - leave a note in the comment box below!

Did you know? Father John is on Twitter - catch his thoughts on service, spirituality, and of course his favorite DC sports teams @FrJohnEnzler

Almost Anyone Can Find Themselves in Need

When crisis hits, families like Andy and Sarah,
and Paul and Yuliis (pictured above) know they can count
on support from Catholic Charities.

Andy, his wife, Sarah, and their baby daughter, Bella (names changed to protect client privacy), are not the people you might expect to find turning to Catholic Charities for help. Andy had a good job and the family was getting along just fine.

Then Andy's car broke down. The repairs were just too costly to manage for a family who had just had a baby, and he lost his job since he had no other transportation to work. 

Suddenly even minor expenses - like diapers and baby food for Bella - were impossible to afford. So they turned to Catholic Charities' Montgomery County Family Center (MCFC), where they heard baby goods were available to families in need. But those urgent items were just the beginning of what they found there. 

Staff at the Family Center worked quickly to meet the family's urgent needs: necessities for Bella, food stamps so the parents could  eat, too. More than that, a caseworker worked with Andy to develop a new resume and conduct a job search. Shortly after, he was able to find stable work at a hotel valet - not his ideal job, but he's grateful for the income. 
 "Every time we pass through a tough time, we learn a lot of little things," he said.

Our MCFC is a tremendous resource. Moms and dads can take classes in parenting, nutrition, and money management. They get access to affordable healthcare and legal services, counseling for women with unexpected pregnancies, and referrals to other programs throughout the community. With their help, families and individuals face the future with renewed hope. 

Our 2013 Spring Forward Drive is in progress. Please consider a gift: www.CatholicCharitiesDC.org/Spring

I Love My Mom Because...

Moms are such a special part of our lives - inspiring us to be the best version of ourselves. Mother's Day is a wonderful time to celebrate them!

Help us support new moms and new families in need with in-kind donations to our Baby Goods Drive - a great project for your family, parish, school, office, etc.! And don't forget to take a moment today to tell all the great women in your life how much you appreciate them. 

Happy Mother's Day from Catholic Charities!

Mom Finds Joy in her Son's New Smile

Rosa (name changed) was living in the United States for several years when she received the best news of her life: her teenage son, James was emigrating from Honduras to join her in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The sadness of their separation was over, but Rosa could see that James was struggling with his new life, especially in school. Dental care simply had not been available to him in Honduras, and he had lost his two front teeth at a young age due to severe rot. He struggled to enunciate English words and was frustrated and unhappy.

James is taking great care of his teeth now
with help from Catholic Charities'
dental clinic staff.

But Rosa would not give up. She took James to Catholic Charities' dental clinics, where he saw Dr. Kesha Stephenson, a volunteer dentist who did her pediatric residency work with Howard University at our dental clinic.

"Nearly all his teeth had cavities," said Dr. Stephenson, who worked with James over a series of visits. "It's quite common that in many parts of Latin America, limited access to care makes it very difficult to take care of your teeth."

James was fitted with a removable partial denture to replace his two front teeth, and at his mother's urging (he might say nagging!), began embracing his dental hygiene. It's made all the difference for him at school, Rosa said. 

"He is back to smiling his beautiful smile. I can tell he has so much more confidence now."

So many moms right here in our neighborhood are trying to care for their families in the face of tremendous challenges: poverty, homelessness, abuse, hunger, unemployment. Maybe, like Rosa, they don't have health insurance. Fortunately, we offer them a place to turn at their hour of need, regardless of their faith or background, and restore their hope for a brighter tomorrow. 

Please help mothers in our area who are in need or who are worried about providing for their children. Can you make a Mother's Day gift today in honor of your mom to help mothers and families? With your support, we can make sure that their child will always have a reason to smile. Please help now.

A Record Event! $2.1 Million Raised Supporting Everyday Miracles

From left to right: Doug Donatelli, Chair of Catholic Charities
Board of Directors; Raul and Jean-Marie Fernandez,
2013 Gala Chairs; Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington;
 and Msgr. John Enzler

What is a miracle?

At Catholic Charities, we see miracles every day, when hope blossoms where once there was despair. When food gets on the table of a hungry family. When a sick child can see a doctor. When someone unemployed and homeless finds works and can finally pay rent. 

Urban Nation HIP-HOP Choir welcomed guests
into the beautiful ballroom.

Our annual Gala on Saturday night was a celebration of these miracles that you help us create. This year we feel so blessed to have raised a record $2.1 million to fund so many more miracles for people who need them most!

This theme for the evening - "Believe...Together we can create everyday miracles" - was selected by our Gala Chairs, Jean-Marie and Raul Fernandez. "We strive to follow the example of Christ, who performed many miracles in his ministry to teach us the value of every life and the importance of loving our neighbor," they said. 

"Looking around the room, we see people from many different fields, backgrounds, and lives. Yet tonight, we all share the common bond to see our community made even stronger, to see those who have fallen get a hand up. We believe that we can be a part of creating everyday miracles!"

Cardinal Wuerl greets Pat and Mary Anne Clancy,
longtime supporters of Catholic Charities

The Fernandezes added several exciting new features to our annual event. Our live auction gave lucky bidders once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience the history and majesty of the Catholic Church, including a dinner with Cardinal Wuerl and a pilgrimage to Rome to highlighted with the chance to witness one of Pope Francis' weekly audiences. And guests raved over the evening's live entertainment from Urban Nation HIP-HOP Choir and the Spazmatics, a high-energy 80s cover band. Catholic Charities' Young Professionals kept the party going into the wee hours of the morning with our first-ever after-party!

It was a truly memorable night - both because of all the fun we shared, and because of all the good we can do thanks to the support of more than 1,000 guests. Thank you, thank you, thank you! All those whom we serve are blessed by your love, compassion, faith-filled service, and support.

Get a first look at the event in the pictures below:

During his remarks, Father John focused on Pope Francis' example of humility and service for the world. The everyday miracles of love and compassion he performs for those in need are true inspiration to us at Catholic Charities!

 Father John greets Mayor Vince Gray (right) and Robert S. Bennett

Why do the Trones look so excited? They placed a winning bid at our live auction for a wonderful trip to Rome - including attending the Pope's weekly audience!

High fives for Catholic Charities!

Catholic Charities' Young Professionals joined the main Gala for the band - then enjoyed a DJ dance party afterwards!

The Spazmatics were a huge hit...

...rocking the stage with favorite songs from the 80s!

Our "Cup of Joe" Means So Much More than Coffee

Joe Robert, Jr. was a well-loved businessman and philanthropist, committed to his community here in Washington, DC – particularly to the less fortunate. He gave his time and treasure freely to numerous causes that uplifted children and adults in need: Children’s Hospital, Fight Night, the Archdiocese of Washington, and Catholic Charities.

After a three-year struggle with brain cancer, Joe passed away in December 2011. Now, as a legacy to his inspirational work, our President/CEO Father John Enzler launched Cup of Joe - a healthy breakfast program for Catholic Charities' five low-barrier emergency shelters, which host more than 1,000 men and women each night. 

Cup of Joe addresses a very real need for the women and men who stay in our shelters overnight. Through a partnership with DC city government, we are able to provide protection from the weather and the streets, a bed, a shower, and a hot supper at our five shelters. Breakfast is not provided, and clients leave the shelter by 7 am. 

Volunteers from Cardinal Stritch packed 2,000 bags!

Cup of Joe helps Catholic Charities increase our commitment to our homeless neighbors by providing more than just the basic services. As Father John explained, "A healthy breakfast is just the start of ensuring that our clients have the physical, emotional, psychological  and spiritual sustenance to begin each day ready to improve their situation."

Essential to this initiative are volunteers to pack the bags with fresh fruit, juice boxes, instant coffee packets, granola bars and peanut butter crackers,and a reusable coffee mug. 

Deacon Jim works with WTOP Volunteers

The program has already bagged 14,500 breakfasts thanks to over 400 volunteers from local schools and parishes, community groups and businesses. Most recently, high school students involved in our Youth Service Day packed an incredible 8,240 bags in just one afternoon! It's a lot, but it's a number that needs to keep growing. 

At elementary schools, older students often pack bags
while younger kids write notes or color bags to brighten the
day for the clients who will receive them.

"We're just beginning," said Deacon Jim Nalls, Parish and School Program Manager. "Our goal is to provide breakfast every morning, to each of the women and men staying in our low-barrier shelters." That's some 7,000 meals a week, 28,000 a month - we'll stop there, but you can see that we need a lot of volunteer effort to make this program a success - and to make sure that our homeless neighbors don't need to start their day with an empty, grumbling stomach. 

Now, it's your turn! Commit your parish, your office, your class, etc. for a one-time or ongoing commitment with Cup of Joe. We'll come to you with the materials; we simply need your manpower to help us fill these bags to feed our homeless neighbors. Contact Mayra Griffiths for more information at (202) 772-4321 or email Mayra.Griffiths@CatholicCharitiesDC.org.

Thanks to all who have volunteered so far, including groups from Cardinal Stritch University, WTOP, St. Patrick's, St. Augustine's, Blessed Sacrament, Holy Cross Alumni, the University of Maryland, Novartist, and clients at Catholic Charities' Supported Employment programs, plus generous contributions from a friend of Joe Roberts. 

A Warmer Washington

It all started with a simple question:

What if everyone who had a coat to spare gave it to someone who couldn’t afford one?

The answer we got was a warm one – literally – with over 7,000 coats collected and distributed at our Joseph’s Closet. Seven thousand coats is a lot, but the number that really makes us smile is 7,000 children, men and women whose winter got a lot warmer, despite financial hardships in their family.

The doors of Joseph’s Closets opened weekly from November through February, and delivered coats directly to the shelters and programs where they were most needed. “It was overwhelming at times,” said Jackie Ogg, director of Catholic Charities’ Outreach. “People were lined up outside. It really made you realize the incredible need in the community.”

The effort depended on incredible volunteer leadership at individual parishes, schools, and community groups – 54 in all. They collected coats. They counted and sorted the donations. They even served as “personal shoppers” for the thousands of clients who came for a coat.  Here are just a few highlights from their efforts:

One client was so grateful for the coats she was able to receive for herself and her family that she crocheted dozens of scarves and hats, which volunteers were able to distribute along with the coats at Joseph’s Closet.

St. Patrick’s in Rockville was eager to help, but collecting coats was a challenge as their parish underwent major renovations. Their creative solution? Stuff the coats – 600 in all! – into two vans, easy for delivery to a distribution site.

Collaboration among St. Mary of the Mills, St. Vincent Pallotti High School, and the Boy Scouts helped collect over 500 coats.

The youth group at St. Francis Xavier (headquarters for Joseph’s Closet) volunteered to sort, hang, and bag coats for delivery to Catholic Charities homeless shelters. Other student groups hailed from Georgetown Prep, Visitation, Mater Dei, and St. John’s College High School.

A volunteer slips a note into a coat pocket to be discovered later
by the coat's new owner.

Olympic gold medalist Katie Ladecky and her teammates on the Stone Ridge swim team held a poolside coat drive, with over 70 coats collected. Stone Ridge Brownies also made hundreds of cheery notes to place in coat pockets.

And those who could afford to made a small donation for their coat. This money was used to purchase coats in special sizes for others in need.

Planning is already underway for next year, with hopes of new distribution sites in Maryland counties. Find out more ways you can get involved in our work in the coming months. 

Special Opportunity for High School Students: Catholic Charities' annual Youth Service Day returns on Saturday, April 13. Don't miss this great opportunity to serve your community with friends (new and old) from all across our archdiocese. After working hands-on at Catholic Charities programs, enjoy a reflection and after-party.