Annual Report 2004 - Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New ...

Children
& Families
Catholic Charities responds to the
needs of children and families –
helping parents to keep their
children safe and give them a
better chance in life.
It’s a miracle that Brenton, age
three, is alive. He had two
open-heart surgeries before he
was one week old, and spent
two years in hospitals. His
parents were told that Brenton
would die. Because Brenton
could not be with his family, his
mother brought the family to
him. She visited him every day,
traveling for hours from the
Bronx with Brenton’s sisters
and little brother.
Brenton finally came home
with a Pacemaker monitoring
his heart. He was unable to
speak, and needed a special crib
to keep him bacteria-free.
Maritza, a Catholic Charities
case worker, found the crib
and provided emergency food
assistance for the family and the
funds to pay the phone bill —
critical because Brenton’s
Pacemaker is monitored by
phone. Maritza also made sure
that Brenton and his family got
new coats and clothes from the
Catholic Charities Holiday
Adopt-a-Family Program.
SERVICES
■ Adoption, foster care and
preventive services
■ Family reunification
■ Parenting classes
■ Day care and nursery schools
■ Early intervention for
developmentally disabled
children
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