2011-2012 Annual Report - Catholic Charities

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6 Our Clients’ Stories Never Had to Ask for Help A single dad and his nine year old daughter returned to Catholic Charities late in the afternoon to bring back paperwork needed for utility assistance. The caseworker who had seen them earlier in the day had gone home so Jeanne Hayes, Director of Emergency Assistance, asked them to come to her office while she verified the documentation. As she reviewed the file, he anxiously began to tell what had brought him to Catholic Charities. He stated he couldn’t believe he was in this situation and had never asked for help before. He had recently lost his job in the information technology field, due to company down-sizing, and even with a bachelor’s degree and experience he was having a difficult time finding another job. To make matters worse he was without his car because the motor had blown. He had to borrow a car to come to Catholic Charities. As a single father of three elementary school aged daughters his main concern was finding a way to keep his lights on and his children fed. Throughout their conversation he kept saying he didn’t know if he could take anymore. Tears welled up in his eyes as he softly asked if she had food. As tears rolled down his face, he explained how hard it was to keep the children fed, especially since it was summer. That very day there had not been enough food for everyone to eat, so he fed the girls and went without food himself. He handed her his resume and asked if she knew of a job. Jeanne asked another staff member to prepare some bags of food for his family from our food pantry. Jeanne glanced over his resume and tried to keep back her own tears. Camp – A Family Affair Annette is a single mother of three beautiful daughters. Her nine year old daughter, Kaci, has Down Syndrome and requires more care, as do most special needs children. In addition to caring for her girls, Annette also has a full-time job and although her days are long and exhausting, she never complains, and says that all of her girls bring great joy into her life. She heard about Camp I Am Special at church and thought it sounded like a wonderful opportunity for her family to volunteer together. Annette and her daughters helped out in the kitchen, and when she saw how much the Campers loved being there and how they received one on one attention because they were matched up with a trained teenaged Buddy, she wondered if Kaci would enjoy it. Annette was nervous about leaving Kaci overnight, so Camp Director, Rebecca Aleman, said that Kaci could try it out during the day for a couple of days. She loved it and couldn’t wait to be a Camper! Karli and Kaitlynn volunteering in the kitchen. The next summer Kaci was enrolled as a Camper, the oldest daughter Karli volunteered as a Buddy and Annette and her middle Fortunately, he had brought in the needed documentation and utility assistance would be provided. Jeanne was also able to give him information on other resources, our food pantry, and the free USDA summer food program for children. She gave him her card and encouraged him to watch Catholic Charities’ website for more details about the start up of our Workforce Development Program. As they were handed the bags of food, the young man and his daughter repeatedly expressed their gratitude. He continued to tell Jeanne he did not know what he would have done without Catholic Charities’ help because he was at a point that he could not handle another negative thing happening. He appreciated the utility assistance, the resource information, and the words of encouragement. Jeanne watched as the little girl helped her dad carry the bags of food to the borrowed car and silently prayed that things would get better for this family. daughter Kaitlynn volunteered in the kitchen. It was a real family affair. Karli has continued volunteering as a Buddy for the past two summers and for some of the mini-camps. She will be a senior in high school this year and is considering going into physical therapy for special needs patients, because of her camp experiences. Kaitlynn hasn’t been old enough to be a Buddy but is looking forward to being one next summer. “I think it is important to help the kids at camp feel like they can do anything,” said Kaitlynn when asked why she likes to volunteer. Close friends of Annette’s encouraged her to take advantage of the break the camp offers parents of children with disabilities. “It was hard for me to give up that family time together, and to let go and allow the camp to care for Kaci. This year I volunteered at the beginning of Kaci’s week in camp, but when I gave her a hug one morning and she said with a big smile, ‘Hi mommy, going home now?’ I knew I could leave with total confidence that she was happy Kaci enjoying some pool time at Camp I Am Special. and secure, and that feeling was such a blessing.”
Photo by Peggy Smith Seeking a Better Life Jacinto arrived in Jacksonville in May, 2010 from Cuba, he was 77 years old. He came with his twin sons, daughter, and his third son came later. You may wonder why someone who is up in years would want to leave their homeland. From 1965 to 1975 Jacinto was imprisoned in Cuba for “collaborating against the system.” His land, home and truck were all taken from him and he was never allowed to own land again in Cuba. He wanted more for his family. After a lifetime of persecution he and his family sought out resettlement and came here as political refugees for a better chance at life. The family is taking full advantage of the freedom our country offers. His children are employed and one son and his daughter will soon be home owners. When asked why Jacinto wanted to come to the US his reply is “¡A trabajar!” which translates to, “we have come to work.” In his apartment complex he is known fondly as “El Presidente.” He and his family members can be seen at any time repairing things for their friends, working on cars and generally being good neighbors. Jacinto has been regularly attending ESL (English as a Second Language) classes since June of 2010, rarely missing a day. He watches out for his fellow classmates, especially new students, setting them up with paper, a perfectly sharpened pencil and paper clips. On any given day he can be seen speaking to them slowly in Spanish, riding the bus with a newcomer and introducing them to case workers. Wise beyond his now 79 years- Jacinto is a real testament to “Nunca es tarde cuando la dicha es buena,” which means it is never too late when the outcome is good! KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS Accomplishments Catholic Charities Jacksonville successfully integrated three new programs: Apostleship of the Sea, Immigration Services, and Ministry for Persons with Disabilities. Our Emergency Assistance Program helps families in crisis remain safe in their homes - 85% percent of the people served this year came to us for the first time. Of those who received assistance in 2011-12, 95% remained in their homes for 30 days; 90% for 90 days; and 82% for 180 days. 99% reported satisfaction with the service they received. Following months of planning and research, seed funding was awarded by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for a new Workforce Development Pilot Program. The goal of the program will be to help our clients find jobs and financial stability. Refugee Resettlement, as of January 2012, began providing English instruction at the first four English skill levels to all newly arrived refugees in Duval County. More than 200 students from over 16 countries have enrolled in the program. Classes are offered at multiple sites throughout Jacksonville. Support from the Warren P. Powers Foundation has been awarded to begin construction of a fully handicap accessible building for our camps that serve persons with disabilities. Volunteers provided 63,758 hours of service which has a value of $1,361,876 according to the Independent Sector. Buddy and adult volunteers at Camp I Am Special, Camp Care, and Camp Promise represented many of these volunteer hours. Donations to our Christmas Project provided gifts to 425 children. A new website was launched that better represents the services we provide and the people we serve. Generous individuals, parishes, and corporate sponsors helped raise over $323,240 through our special events: the 2011 Festival d’Vine and the 2012 Gala of Giving. Dollars raised through these events are specifically used to help families in need in our community through our Emergency Assistance and Food Programs. The Agency remains financially stable and has been recognized for our excellent fiscal practices with no material findings in our 2010-2011 audit. This year, the Agency was re-accredited by the Council on Accreditation through December 2015. 7
Page 1 and 2: ANNUAL REPORT 2011-2012 Jacksonvill
Page 3 and 4: Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Audited Numbe
Page 5: The Food Program Food from our Food
Page 9 and 10: With Gratitude. The board and staff
Page 11 and 12: Ms. Lisa Nevin Mr. Steve Newman Mr.

2011-2012 Annual Report - Catholic Charities

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