Story - July 14, 2021 - On a clear spring afternoon, Lexington’s Cardinal Valley neighborhood is buzzing with activity. Birdsong mingles with the bass beat of a passing car stereo, while people move between homes, hair salons, taquerias and panaderías. In the midst of all this life, the bright stucco facade of Centro de San Juan Diego rises up. It is…

Story - July 7, 2021 - Parish, diocesan and national Catholic charities help the Catholic Church live the Gospel by being a “church of tenderness and closeness where the poor are blessed, where mission is at the center and where joy is born of service,” Pope Francis said. The Gospel teaches only one Christian lifestyle: “It is the style of humble…

Story - June 29, 2021 - By Sister Evelyn Lobo, SSpS “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 Catholic Charities USA requested of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) for sisters to volunteer at Catholic Charities border sites in California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. They were…

Story - June 24, 2021 - With pandemic restrictions easing as summer approaches, people from Princeton to Palmyra are planning road trips, parties, and more. Tricia Risley is brushing up on motherhood. Tricia lost custody of her daughter eight years ago because of her mental illness. But now 15-years-old, her daughter is coming to live with Tricia for the summer –…

Story - March 9, 2021 - The coronavirus pandemic has taken an emotional toll on Americans, with mental health professionals reporting they are getting more requests for assistance from people feeling helpless and experiencing anxiety and depression. Inquiries are coming from people of all ages — young children, teenagers, the middle-aged and the elderly — as they struggle to cope with…

Story - February 18, 2021 - Rose Bak has seen the stress on the faces of the social workers and case managers of the staff at Catholic Charities of Oregon. Under the yearlong pandemic, they look weary. Workers have described feeling depressed, anxious and isolated after hearing hundreds of tough challenges their clients are facing. “People are tired and they’re stressed…

Story - February 8, 2021 - In this pandemic, we are all experiencing amplified feelings of loneliness and isolation, but these experiences are, perhaps, felt most acutely by senior citizens— a highly vulnerable group that has been advised to stay at home and out of harm’s way because they are particularly susceptible to COVID-19. With many senior centers closed and organized…

Story - January 11, 2021 - The Max Kolbe Program (MAX) of Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland addresses and alleviates poverty using an enhanced peer support program that incorporates job training, community collaboration and social enterprise. MAX offers certified peer support services to clients who are in poverty and struggling with addiction. MAX staff meet clients in crisis in emergency rooms…

Story - January 5, 2021 - The coronavirus has reshaped life in the United States in many ways, but in key respects it has affected Black, Native American and Latino individuals more than other racial or ethnic groups. People of color get sick and die of COVID-19 at rates higher than white individuals and higher than their share of the population,…

Story - November 10, 2020 - Kelly Miller works with people coming out of prison, helping them find housing, jobs and whatever else they need to be successful as they reintegrate back into society. She knows how hard it can be to find affordable housing. And because she works for a social services nonprofit in New Jersey, she can fully empathize…

Story - September 29, 2020 - As an undocumented immigrant, there’s a long list of things Darling Cerna can’t do. When she was a teenager, she could only sit on the sidelines as she watched her friends excitedly get their driving permits and first jobs. When it came time for college, she couldn’t get state financial aid to help pay tuition.…

Story - September 29, 2020 - Theresa Geslicki likes to clean. Stop by her home in South Jersey, and you’ll likely find her with a rag or trash bag in hand, polishing and picking up until everything sparkles. “She’s very helpful. Sometimes we got to stop her, or she will help you from one end of the house to the other…