Catholic Charities News

Pack the Porches 2026

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:01:36 GMT

Catholic Charities is thrilled to announce the success of our 16th Annual Pack the Porches Food and Fund Drive, held on March 27th, 2026.

Thanks to the incredible support of our community, we surpassed our goals and made a significant impact on fighting hunger in the St. Cloud area.

Event Highlights:

Food Collected: A remarkable 6,615 pounds of nonperishable food items were collected!
Total Dollar Amount Raised: A total of $24,665 was raised to help our neighbors gain food security!
Generous Match: Coborn’s matched all food donations up to $15,000 !

By donating to Catholic Charities your contributions not only stayed local but also counted towards a statewide effort to stock the shelves of every food shelf in Minnesota. The more we raised locally, the greater our share of the statewide campaign, helping us reach even more individuals and families in need.

Several businesses across the St. Cloud area also hosted Pack the Porches food and fund drives, leading up to today’s event, with some continuing throughout the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign, which ends April 6.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated, donated, and supported this year's Pack the Porches event. Special thanks to our drop-off location partners: Pioneer Place on Fifth, St. Cloud Financial Credit Union, and St. Cloud Hyundai. We also deeply appreciate Coborn’s for their generous match, which significantly boosted our fundraising efforts.

Even though Pack the Porches has concluded, the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign continues until April 6th. You can still bring nonperishable items to Catholic Charities Food Shelf and donate funds in person or online .

Meet Nicole from Emergency Services

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 19:00:05 GMT

If you ask anyone at Emergency Services, they’ll tell you the same thing: Nikki is unstoppable. Every single day, she goes above and beyond for Catholic Charities, our clients, and her team.

Nikki is a proud mom of two, and her youngest recently moved out on their own. Life hasn’t always been easy—she lost her children’s father suddenly in 2006, a time she describes as chaotic and life-changing. Today, she’s in a happy relationship and loves spending time at the cabin, traveling, riding motorcycle, and making the yearly trip to Sturgis.

Catholic Charities “found” Nikki in a very full-circle way. At the time, she was helping her dad with his job as a grocery vendor—the same stores that donate to Catholic Charities.

difference for the community every day. At the end of each night, she lays her head down knowing she helped someone—and that’s what keeps her going.

When her dad broke his elbow, Nikki stepped in to help him. Her strong work ethic caught the attention of a Catholic Charities program manager who had grown up with her dad. He saw something special in her and offered her a position.

Her first assignment? Driving the Catholic Charities food truck—even though she had never driven a truck before. She remembers being terrified backing down the ramps, but her supervisor simply told her, “Keep it between the yellow lines.” She did—and that moment sparked the confidence that has fueled her ever since.

Over the past 13 years, Nikki has worked in nearly every corner of Emergency Services.

Nikki originally got pulled into Mardi Gras because her mom is crafty, and she’s been involved ever since. She especially loves the decorating and seeing everything come together. Last year’s event was particularly wild with so many new people, but Nikki’s natural leadership helped bring everyone together to create a fantastic experience.

When asked what motivates her, Nikki doesn’t hesitate: positive thinking.

“Negative thoughts will never give you a positive life,” she says. She believes positivity is contagious, and her mantra is simple: Do the best you can with what you have, take it one day at a time, and always pay it forward.

Mary’s Journey to Financial Stability

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:00:08 GMT

When Mary reached out to FHC, she was overwhelmed and worried about losing her home. A devoted wife and mother with a strong career, she never expected that sudden health issues would reduce her income and cause her to fall behind on her mortgage. Missing several payments left her feeling vulnerable and unsure of where to turn.

Once her health improved and she returned to full-time work, Mary was determined to regain control of her finances. She partnered with a housing counselor who helped her take a clear look at her household budget, identify areas to reduce expenses, and create a realistic plan to address her debt.

During the process, Mary shared heartfelt gratitude with her counselor:

“I can’t thank you enough for being my voice when I couldn’t advocate for myself and not judging me for my mishaps. I’m thankful Catholic Charities is part of our community and is a blessing for many.”

With renewed confidence, Mary contacted her mortgage company to explore available workout options. Because her illness qualified as a hardship, she was eligible for a partial claim. This option allowed her to resume regular mortgage payments while moving the past-due balance to the end of her loan—giving her the breathing room she needed.

Today, Mary feels empowered and more intentional about managing her household finances. She has also brought her husband into the budgeting process, realizing she doesn’t have to shoulder everything alone. This experience has strengthened her confidence and set her family on a path toward long-term financial stability.

Where Are They Now: Nick’s Journey from Survivor to Leader

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:16:48 GMT

Nick’s story isn’t easy to tell - but it’s powerful. He grew up in a world that didn’t give him much. Abuse, neglect, and instability were part of his everyday life. As a kid, Nick felt like he didn’t measure up. He didn’t have what other kids had, and he learned to lie - not to hurt anyone, but to protect himself. It was a survival skill that followed him into adulthood, where it stopped serving him and started hurting him. Drugs, broken relationships, court dates, Nick was stuck in a cycle that felt impossible to escape. But three years ago, something shifted.

Nick entered treatment, and this time, he was ready. It wasn’t just about getting clean it was about rebuilding. And for the first time, people started believing in him. That belief made all the difference. Slowly, Nick began to see what others saw in him: potential, strength, and a future worth fighting for.

Through the Catholic Charities Men’s Domestic Violence Program, Nick found something he’d never really had before. Real friendship, trust, and support. A supervisor gave him rides to work and treated him with respect. His housemates at the halfway house had his back. The men’s group became a safe space where Nick could grow. He joined a church. He started going to AA six times a week. He was building momentum, and he didn’t want to lose it.

When Nick finished the program, he didn’t walk away. He asked himself, “What now?” and decided to keep showing up. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He knew he could help others. He understood the fear, the ego, the resistance to change, but because he’d lived it. And now, he was ready to help others break through those walls.

Today, Nick leads the very group that helped change his life.

He’s been promoted at work. He’s dreaming big and thinking about school, about becoming a counselor, about going all the way to the top. And we believe he will. Because Nick is the kind of person who lifts others up, who shows up even when it’s hard, and who never stops trying to be better. At Catholic Charities, we see how incredible Nick is. We’re proud to have him on our team—and we’re cheering him on every step of the way. The sky’s the limit, Nick. Keep doing amazing things!

More than Just a Meal

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:45:02 GMT

Our Senior Dining programs offer more than just a meal – they provide a nurturing environment that fosters friendships, healing, and a sense of belonging. Roberta, a Senior Dining Coordinator for 15 years, has witnessed the powerful impact of our services at the Grasston and Mora locations. Among the many events that have touched her heart, one couple’s journey stands out as a beautiful testament to the healing power of community.

A woman who had recently suffered a stroke, faced significant challenges. Most of her right side, including her vision, was affected, and she was determined to regain her independence. After her therapy sessions, she and her husband would come to Senior Dining, where they found not only a meal but a circle of support and care.

Every visit, a group of women diners would greet them with warm smiles, helping with her jacket and guiding the couple to their table. These kind-hearted women went beyond mere kindness – they helped the woman with her meal and made sure she was comfortable and well-cared for throughout the dining experience.

Over time, the woman’s strength and independence began to improve. The therapy sessions, combined with the unwavering support of her new friends at Senior Dining, made a significant difference in her recovery. The bonds formed in that dining hall grew stronger, evolving into genuine friendships that transcended just shared meals.

What had started as a place for nourishment soon became a sanctuary of laughter, conversation, and companionship. It was clear that the true nourishment was not just the food – it was the emotional and social support the diners received, creating an atmosphere that was as healing as it was comforting.

The couple still maintains their deep friendships with the group of women they met at Senior Dining. Even in their 80s and 90s, they continue to get together three or four times a year, reminiscing about the meals that sustained them, the friendships that uplifted them, and the kindness that made all the difference.

For Roberta, this story is a reminder of the true essence of her work. It’s not just about coordinating meals – it’s about creating a community where people care for one another, lifting each other up in times of need.

Catholic Charities Barnes & Noble Bookfair – December 12, 2025

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:14 GMT

Get your holiday shopping done while supporting a great cause!

Catholic Charities is partnering with Barnes & Noble in St. Cloud for a Bookfair on Thursday, December 12, 2025 . A percentage of your purchase will benefit Catholic Charities’ programs—just mention you're shopping to support Catholic Charities at checkout!

Shop in-store or online:

In-store: Visit Barnes & Noble in St. Cloud on December 12 and let the cashier know you're supporting Catholic Charities.
Online: Shop at https://www.bn.com/bookfairs from December 12–16, 2025 and enter Bookfair ID 12695763 at checkout.

How to apply the Bookfair ID online:

Add items to your cart and proceed to checkout.
Scroll to the bottom of the checkout page.
Click the plus sign next to “Add Bookfair ID.”
Enter 12695763 and click Apply .

Everything counts! Books, DVDs, music, vinyl, toys & games, and even Café purchases (except Starbucks-operated locations). Stock up for the holidays and help support Catholic Charities’ vital services in our community.

Note: Gift cards, memberships, textbooks, video games, digital content (eBooks), and purchases at Starbucks-owned Cafés are excluded from Bookfair totals. Institutional discounts may not be applied.

A Family's Fight to Stay Home

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:00:00 GMT

Allie and Ben’s dream of owning their first home came under threat when Ben unexpectedly lost his job. With two young children at home, Allie balanced evening classes while Ben had a steady income. However, when Ben lost his job, he struggled to make mortgage payments and, feeling overwhelmed, kept the issue hidden from Allie until it was too late. The arrival of a “sheriff sale” notice signaled their impending foreclosure.

Determined to protect their home and their family, Allie turned to Catholic Charities’ Financial and Housing Counseling team for help. With guidance from a counselor, Allie learned about the foreclosure process and the potential solutions available to them. Together, they worked closely with the mortgage company, exploring options to address the overdue payments. After persistent efforts, Allie and Ben were able to negotiate a resolution that would prevent foreclosure.

Thanks to the support they received, Allie and Ben were able to keep their home, which not only brought them financial stability but also strengthened their bond as a couple. Allie reflected on the importance of teamwork and open communication, acknowledging the valuable lesson they learned through the experience.

“I’m so grateful for the support we received,” Allie said. “It taught us that facing challenges together is key to protecting what matters most—our home and our children.”

Catholic Charities’ Financial and Housing Counseling program, which has been providing expert guidance since 1982, is available to anyone, regardless of income.

As a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-licensed provider, our team is committed to helping families like Allie and Ben navigate financial challenges and build a secure future.

Rally for Good: A Call to Action for Central Minnesota

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:48:39 GMT

THE NEED IS URGENT.

This winter, Catholic Charities of St. Cloud is issuing a heartfelt plea to our community: we need your help—now more than ever.

With SNAP benefits suspended due to the federal government shutdown, the holiday season approaching, and temperatures dropping fast, families across our region are facing impossible choices. Do they buy groceries or winter boots? Pay rent or get toys for their children? These are decisions no one should have to make.

At Catholic Charities, our Emergency Services program is seeing unprecedented demand. Shelves are emptying faster than we can fill them. The need for food, winter gear, hygiene items, and toys is urgent and growing by the day.

That’s why we’re launching Rally for Good this November—a community-wide movement born from an internal campaign that inspired us to take action beyond our walls. We’re inviting everyone in Central Minnesota to rally with us and ensure that no one goes without this season.

Right now, these donations are lifelines. And right now, those lifelines are stretched thin.

We believe in the power of community. We believe that when we come together, we can make sure every neighbor is fed, warm, and cared for. We believe that your generosity today can impact generations to come. This is more than a donation drive. It’s a movement to show what Central Minnesota is made of.

Let’s rally for the single parent trying to make ends meet. For the senior choosing between medication and heat. For the child who deserves to wear a warm coat while waiting for the school bus. Let’s rally for good.

Want to get involved? Here’s how to help.

ccstcloud.org/rally-for-good

Make God's Love Visible: Raphael's Story

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 13:00:36 GMT

Raphael's Story: Senior Dining

My name is Raphael Burgess. I was born and raised in South America, and over the years, life has taken me to many places. But for the past 15 years, I’ve called Saint Cloud, Minnesota home. It’s here that I discovered something truly special, the Catholic Charities Senior Dining Program.

This isn’t just a place to eat. It’s a space where my body, mind, and spirit are nourished. I still remember hearing about the program for the first time and something told me to check it out. I’ve been coming ever since.

What makes this place extraordinary isn’t just the meals, it’s the people. When you walk in, you’re met with warm smiles, kind eyes, and stories that stretch across lifetimes. Sharing a table here means sharing laughter, memories, and a sense of belonging. These aren’t just seniors, they’re resilient, soulful individuals who’ve lived through so much and still radiate grace.

Over the years, I’ve made more friends here than I ever imagined. I used to work at the Whitney Senior Center in different roles, including with Senior Dining, and that experience opened my eyes to the magic this program creates. It’s a place for connection, creativity, and healing. From the artwork on the walls to the joy in the room, you can feel burdens lift, if only for a little while.

Every visit reminds me how deeply this community matters. Many of the folks here are veterans, and I’m often humbled to learn who has served. They carry their stories quietly, with dignity and love. This program honors those stories. It’s a refuge where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.

And the staff? They’re incredible. Their compassion shines in every detail. Sue, our cook, has been here for years, and her meals are more than food, they’re an extension of her heart. You can taste the care she puts into every dish. I adore her.

If I could say one thing to our community, to those who support this program or are thinking about it, it would be this: we need you. The seniors who come here, many of whom carry untold stories and unseen struggles, need you.

The Catholic Charities Senior Dining Program brings immeasurable value to our community because it’s built on people. Without people, there is no community.

So please, help us keep this program going. Come spend time with these remarkable individuals. Their journeys aren’t over. They’re simply entering a new chapter. And I promise, you’ll leave richer for having met them.

Thank you for reading my story.

Raphael Burgess

Together, we can ensure that no senior in our community feels forgotten. Please consider donating to Catholic Charities today. Your support brings comfort, dignity, and connection to those who need it most.

Help Keep Central MN Warm this Winter!

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 20:34:27 GMT

As the crisp autumn air settles in and football season hits its stride, Catholic Charities is proud to partner with the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University for a heartwarming cause: a Winter Wear Drive during the Johnnie Football Game on Saturday, October 25, 2025 , part of the schools’ Family Weekend celebration.

While fans gather to cheer on the Johnnies, we’re inviting everyone to bring the warmth—literally. We’re collecting coats, hats, mittens, boots, and other cold-weather gear to support families in need across Central Minnesota. With winter fast approaching, this drive is more than a donation—it’s a lifeline for those facing the season without adequate protection from the cold.

Our goal? 250+ coats.

Our mission? Ensuring no one faces winter unprepared.

Collection boxes will be conveniently placed around campus, near the field, and in the tailgate area , making it easy for attendees to drop off their donations while enjoying the game-day festivities.

Can’t make it to the game? No problem! You can still be part of the effort. Donation boxes will be available at BOTH Blueline Sports locations , so you can contribute at your convenience.

This collaboration between Catholic Charities and CSB/SJU is a powerful example of community coming together—not just to celebrate, but to care. Let’s rally for warmth, compassion, and generosity. Together, we can make a real difference.

Let’s make this Family Weekend one to remember—for all the right reasons.

A New Opportunity for Tyrone

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:45:00 GMT

Homelessness can be an isolating and heartbreaking experience. For many individuals, it can feel like an endless cycle of setbacks, leaving them uncertain of where to turn for help. This is the story of Tyrone, a 37-year-old man who, after spending an extended period on the streets, found his way to Catholic Charities Emergency Services—and with it, a renewed sense of hope and a path forward.

Tyrone's journey began when he was introduced to Catholic Charities by the staff at Place of Hope in St. Cloud, a shelter that provides support for individuals experiencing homelessness. Tyrone was eager to make a change, but he knew he faced some significant challenges: securing stable housing and finding a job. To do this, he needed identification and other key documents, which would be vital for his employment and housing applications.

When Tyrone came to Catholic Charities, he was not just seeking food assistance—he needed tangible support to help him rebuild his life. We were able to offer exactly what he needed, starting with a free bus pass to help him get around. This small but crucial gift allowed him to travel to job interviews and important appointments without the burden of transportation costs.

In his appointment with our Financial Assistance program, Tyrone was relieved to learn that Catholic Charities could offer additional support. First, we helped him obtain his state identification card, followed by his birth certificate. These documents were essential for Tyrone to move forward with securing employment and housing.

After some interviews, Tyrone accepted a job at a local restaurant in St. Cloud. We were able to help him purchase two pairs of black pants, a necessary uniform requirement for his new position. With the right clothing and documentation, Tyrone was ready to take on his new job.

Looking back on his experience, Tyrone shared how grateful he was for the help he received from Catholic Charities. Our services gave him more than just the physical items he needed—they provided him with the tools and resources to regain his independence and start a new chapter in his life.

We are proud to have been a part of Tyrone’s journey, and we are committed to helping others in our community who are facing similar struggles.

Raphael’s Story at the Whitney Center

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:30:00 GMT

Our team is deeply committed to providing a welcoming and supportive community for our seniors, and the journey of one special individual exemplifies this mission. Raphael's story began two years ago when he discovered our Senior Dining services at the Whitney Center, thanks to a recommendation from a friend. From the moment he walked through our doors, he found more than just a place to eat — he found a home.

Raphael quickly became a cherished member of our Senior Dining community. He was drawn to the warm, inviting atmosphere and the delicious meals prepared by our dedicated Food Coordinator. Raphael often shared how much he appreciated the quality of the meals, a sentiment that echoed throughout his time with us.

Beyond the food, it was the kindness and professionalism of our volunteers and staff that left a lasting impression on Raphael. “Such beautiful people,” he often said when talking about his experience with us. It was this sense of belonging that inspired Raphael to give back, and with the help of our Senior Dining Coordinator, he was able to become a valued volunteer. Whether helping in the dining room or assisting behind the scenes, Raphael’s contributions were always appreciated.

However, life’s changes sometimes bring new challenges. Recently, Raphael’s schedule shifted, making it harder for him to visit us regularly. Yet, our Senior Dining Coordinator remained committed to ensuring he still received the meals he relied on. Despite Raphael not being initially eligible for Meals on Wheels, our team worked diligently to secure county approval, so he could continue to benefit from this essential service. For Raphael, this thoughtful care reinforced his belief that he is "blessed" to have access to our services.

What stands out most for Raphael, however, is the personal touch he receives from our staff and volunteers. “Being greeted by name,” he says, “makes all the difference. It shows that you are valued and appreciated.” These small but meaningful gestures help to foster a strong sense of community and are what make the Whitney Center such a special place.

A Call for Volunteers

At Catholic Charities, we know that the warmth of our community would not be possible without the support of our dedicated volunteers. We are always in need of individuals willing to make a difference in the lives of seniors in our community. If you’re looking for a way to give back, we have opportunities in several areas:

Delivering Meals on Wheels

Preparing food in our kitchens

Setting up dining sites for meals

Serving meals to seniors

Cleaning up after meals

Assisting with clerical tasks

These opportunities may vary by location, so please reach out to your local Catholic Charities Senior Dining Site Coordinator to learn more and sign up to volunteer.

By offering your time and talents, you can help ensure that more seniors like Raphael continue to experience the sense of community and care that makes our Senior Dining services so meaningful.

Thank you for being a part of the Catholic Charities family and for helping us make a difference every day.

Introducing Porch

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:36:29 GMT

We’re excited to partner with PORCH Communities to boost food donations and support our local pantry. PORCH makes it easy for anyone to make a difference—whether you're a busy parent, a student, or a community leader. With just 3 hours a month , you can help stock shelves and feed families in need.

The PORCH model is simple, effective, and designed to empower volunteers with all the tools and guidance needed to start a local chapter. Whether you rally your neighbors or bring a friend, your efforts will directly impact food insecurity in your community.

�� Virtual interest meetings are happening now! Learn how to start a PORCH in your neighborhood:
�� Register here

Hi g h school students : Become a PORCH Student Ambassador and lead the charge against hunger in your neighborhood. You’ll gain leadership experience while building a sustainable hunger relief program.

#neighborshelpingneighbors #fighthunger #foodinsecurity

Gordon's Story

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:35:07 GMT

We are always honored to serve seniors like Gordon, whose story reminds us of the profound impact our Senior Dining program has on the lives of individuals in our community. Gordon, a widower of 58 years, currently lives with his son, but he continues to make the five-mile drive to the Senior Dining congregate site in Maple Lake every weekday. For Gordon, this is more than just a meal, it’s a chance to connect, stay healthy, and maintain his independence.

"I can’t cook, and often I’m left eating Cheerios and coffee at night," Gordon shared. That’s where the Senior Dining program becomes so vital for him. The nutritious meals provided at Catholic Charities help him maintain a balanced diet and ensure he’s getting the nutrients he needs. While Gordon says, “You can’t please everyone all the time,” he enjoys the meals offered and values the healthy options available to him.

But it’s not just about the food for Gordon. It’s the sense of community he experiences each day when he visits the Maple Lake site. Gordon enjoys visiting the other diners and the staff, who he calls "perfect" and insists they "do their jobs well." He appreciates the laughter, the warm welcome, and the connection with others that make each visit special.

Catholic Charities Senior Dining Program serves seniors aged 60 and over, offering nutritious meals that help them stay healthy and independent. Whether it’s through congregate dining sites, or Meals on Wheels services, we are committed to providing seniors with the support they need to lead a healthy, independent life.

Gordon is one of many seniors who rely on this program, and his continued dedication to attending every weekday demonstrates the importance of these services in maintaining his health and quality of life. He says he plans to keep coming as long as he’s able—a sentiment that reflects the value that Senior Dining brings to seniors in our community.

We’re grateful for Gordon’s participation in our Senior Dining program and for the positive impact it has on his well-being. For Gordon and many others, it’s not just about the food, it’s about the connections, the care, and the opportunity to stay independent and healthy.

Grow & Give

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:30:13 GMT

If your garden is overflowing this summer, you’re not alone—and that’s a good thing. Whether it’s tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, or beans, your extra produce can do more than fill your pantry. It can help feed families right here in our community.

Catholic Charities of St. Cloud is hosting a Grow & Give donation event, running now through October 2025. The idea is simple: if you’re growing a garden, consider growing a little extra—or sharing what you won’t use—and donate it to Catholic Charities Food Shelf.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are always in high demand, and your homegrown produce can make a real difference for neighbors facing food insecurity.

How to Donate

�� Drop-off Location:

Catholic Charities Food Shelf

157 Roosevelt Road, Suite 100, St. Cloud, MN (Use Door D)

�� Donation Hours:

Monday through Thursday: 9 am to 3 pm
Friday: 9 am to 12 pm

�� Please ring the buzzer at Door D during donation hours. Staff or volunteers will meet you at the door to accept your donation. For food safety, donations must be handed directly to staff—please do not leave produce unattended or drop off outside posted hours.

How Senior Dining Supports Health, Independence, and Community

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:15:00 GMT

Rebecca and Daniel's Story

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 18:45:00 GMT

In 2024, Rebecca and Daniel were facing a difficult reality: their home was in the foreclosure process. With Daniel recently diagnosed with a serious, terminal illness, Rebecca had become the primary financial provider while also caring for her husband and their disabled daughter. What began as a hopeful purchase of a home in 2022 quickly became a financial burden as life’s unexpected challenges took a heavy toll on their family.

Overwhelmed and unsure of how to move forward, Rebecca and Daniel turned to Catholic Charities’ Financial and Housing Counseling program for help. After meeting with one of our experienced counselors, they gained a clear understanding of the foreclosure process in Minnesota, including available options and timelines.

The first step was to assess their hardship and review their home’s affordability. Despite Rebecca’s best efforts to contact the mortgage company, the stress of managing multiple responsibilities made it difficult to complete the required paperwork. Our counselor worked directly with the mortgage company, helping Rebecca and Daniel fill out the necessary forms. As a result, they were offered a partial claim mortgage assistance program that allowed them to bring their mortgage current and stop the foreclosure.

“I don’t have to worry about losing our home while dealing with Daniel’s healthcare needs,” Rebecca shared with relief. Our team also helped the family apply for energy assistance and connected them with additional social security resources, further supporting their financial recovery.

Catholic Charities’ Financial and Housing Counseling program, available since 1982, has no income limits and provides expert guidance to anyone looking for assistance. As a licensed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provider, we are committed to helping individuals make informed financial decisions and build a secure future.

Rebecca’s heartfelt gratitude says it best: “Many thanks to you, Lois, for everything you do

for us!! God Bless You!”

Catholic Charities receives grant from Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and Stearns Bank

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:58:22 GMT

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud receives $10,000 grant from Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and Stearns Bank through the Member Impact Fund

Grant program supports affordable housing and community development

We are thrilled to announce Catholic Charities has received a $10,000 grant from Stearns Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) through the Member Impact Fund. This grant is part of $20 million in funding awarded by FHLB Des Moines through a matching grant program to support affordable housing and community development in Minnesota.

This award will invest $10,000 into our Central Minnesota community and support our Home Stretch Homebuyer Education classes which provide essential guidance for individuals looking to navigate the homebuying process with confidence. Topics include mortgage qualification, credit and affordability, loan closing procedures, and the responsibilities of homeownership.

Homebuyer Education offers valuable resources to help individuals get ready for homeownership. Additionally, many lenders require Homebuyer Education to ensure first-time buyers are well-informed about the process and expectations.

Attendees hear from industry experts in lending, real estate, title services, and home inspection. They also receive a certificate of completion, which may be required by certain loan programs. Participants can also take advantage of free pre-purchase advising services for personalized support.

"This grant opens the door to more than just a class—it offers families and individuals the chance to build a future with confidence,” said Lois Rengel, Catholic Charities Financial & Housing Counseling Supervisor. “Through homebuying education, participants gain essential tools to navigate budgeting, credit, mortgage options, and the true cost of owning a home. It’s not just about buying a house; it's about empowering people to make informed, confident decisions that protect their dreams and create lasting stability for generations to come."

FHLB Des Moines provides funding solutions to more than 1,200 members to support mortgage lending, economic development and affordable housing in the communities they serve. The Member Impact Fund provides FHLB Des Moines members up to $3 for every $1 in matching grant donations to strengthen the ability of not-for-profits or government entities to support the needs of their communities.

“The Member Impact Fund enables our members to directly support local organizations who matter to them, creating value and a profound impact in their own communities,” said Kris Williams, president and CEO of FHLB Des Moines. “The commitment of Stearns Bank to champion organizations like Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud inspires us all.”

Recipient organizations were selected based on the needs for grant funding to support capacity-building or working capital necessary to strengthen their ability to serve affordable housing or community development needs including job training, affordable housing, financial literacy, food banks and youth programs.

Since its founding in 2023, the Member Impact Fund has supported affordable housing and community development with nearly $70 million in grants awarded by FHLB Des Moines. Member institutions apply and receive Member Impact Fund matching grants to be distributed to eligible organizations alongside their own grant contribution.

About Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines is deeply committed to strengthening communities, serving 13 states and three U.S Pacific territories as a member-owned cooperative. We work together with over 1,200 member institutions to support affordable housing, economic development and community improvement.

FHLB Des Moines is one of 11 regional Banks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Members include community and commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, thrifts and community development financial institutions. FHLB Des Moines is wholly owned by its members and receives no taxpayer funding. For additional information about FHLB Des Moines, please visit www.fhlbdm.com .

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Summer Challenge

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 19:11:16 GMT

Summer should be a time of fun and freedom — but for many families in Central Minnesota, it’s a time of deep uncertainty. Without school meal programs and with rising grocery prices, far too many of our neighbors are struggling to put food on the table.

That’s why we’re excited to announce that Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf is once again participating in the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Summer Challenge — and we need your help! What Is the Summer Challenge?

Every July, food shelves across Minnesota take part in the Open Your Heart Summer Challenge — a statewide fundraising effort where donations are matched through grant funding. That means every dollar you give to our food shelf during the month of July helps us qualify for a matching grant of up to $4,000.

It’s a powerful way to double your impact and ensure we can continue meeting the growing need in our community.

The Need Has Never Been Greater

Food insecurity remains heartbreakingly common in our state. According to a 2024 statewide hunger study, 1 in 5 households in Minnesota are food insecure. Here at Catholic Charities, we’ve seen that need firsthand. Our food shelf has seen a dramatic rise in the number of shoppers — including many families who have never needed help before. The cost of food is higher than ever, and families are forced to make tough decisions between buying groceries and paying for rent, gas, or medications.

What We’re Doing

At Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf, we offer more than just food — we offer choice, dignity, and hope. Our shoppers are able to select the food that fits their family’s dietary, cultural, and health needs. We provide a respectful, welcoming experience and access to nutritious foods, including fresh produce, meat, and dairy. In 2024, we distributed over 2.7 million pounds of food through our food shelf, mobile outreach, and emergency food bag programs — but we can’t do it alone.

How You Can Help

This July, your support means more than ever. Every donation made to our food shelf during the Summer Challenge will be matched through the Open Your Heart Summer Challenge, stretching your gift further to help feed families in Central Minnesota.

➡️ Donate Today: Click here to give now

Thank you for being part of this mission of compassion and community.

Want to learn more about our Food Shelf and other food programs?

Visit ccstcloud.org/food-services

To learn more about the statewide Summer Challenge, visit oyh.org/summer-challenge

The Kickball Miracle

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:17:06 GMT

A Lesson in Trust, Patience, and Unexpected Joy

I have a story that gave me goosebumps as a skills counselor.

Recently, one of my colleagues, whom I trust deeply, posed a heavy question to me, asking if I thought we could play kickball together with two groups of our clients here at day treatment. My first thought was, there is no way this will work, but the amount of respect I had for my coworker outweighed my common sense. To be clear, in the past, many a kickball game was had successfully. However, with this specific group, I was sure we did not even know which way to run. But I was “all in,” as they say.

So, we prepared for a kickball game. My colleague found some equipment, pumped up a ball, and coached his group on what was happening. Since we were getting together with two groups, and one group was younger than the other, I chose to prepare the youngest group by calling it a “mentoring activity”—words our youngest group understands, as they get to spend time with the “older” kids. I also pre-taught that it is you younger kids that are going to mentor the older clients, as “they are having a hard time lately following directions.” Now was this true, or was I trying to motivate the young ones to be leaders, giving the older kids no option to “act out”? You can be the judge.

So, I get the younger kids prepared—bathroom, drink, sunscreen. Ok, great. Now I can see who has not played kickball before, as I had a couple of minutes before the older group showed up. I asked, “Raise your hand if you have ever played kickball before.” No hands went up. The group was smaller in number, but nobody! Seriously, I’m thinking, I knew this was a bad idea! It’s too late now—the older kids started to gather near me. Before I knew it, all eyes were on me to prepare for the big game.

I greeted everyone and began saying, “This is a mentoring activity. Younger kids, you are mentoring the older kids on how to follow directions, and older kids, you are mentoring how to play kickball, as some people have never played before.” Ok, brilliant, I am thinking—now we all know some kids will not know which way to run.

We headed for a space nearby with a larger flat area, put down some cones for bases, and split the two groups into equal teams based on basic coordination skills, which I had in my head as I called out names and pointed where to go, picking the least coordinated clients first. (Remember getting picked last in grade school for team events? I do, and this does not happen in our groups here at day treatment.)

This whole time I am thinking, how can we just play for five minutes before moving on, calling it a mentoring activity? There were a lot of what I would call afraid faces, but a couple of excited leaders too. My trusted colleague began to speak in a very direct coaching voice—something he has had experience with. He was amazing. He explained the rules of kickball in about two minutes or less (including which way to run), and we began, with me just cringing as I know my group.

We have active trauma kids, several unmedicated, very impulsive kids, and kids that have been bullied in team sport games all their lives. I just knew this was going to be a big disaster, and maybe I could put the whole thing on just one incident report. I was feeling anxiety as my colleague pitched the first ball.

Those students began teaching, cheering, and supporting each other beautifully. Some older kids were getting down to younger kids’ level, coaching calmly. Staff were actively involved in the game, and ALL the younger kids were mentoring how to listen to everyone. We played in that summer heat on that rock-hard field for four innings, and to a person, everyone had a great time.

How do I know this? Several reasons. One, I was confident it would not work. Two, the afraid faces were gone and replaced with alert, participatory, joy-filled excitement. And three, something happened at the end of the game that has never happened before— nobody asked what the score was , as we all completely enjoyed our time together.

We had some small bruises, a skinned knee, and that one student who was “never going to play” kicked in the first two runs of the game—because the negativity was simply ignored.

The goosebumps came to this writer as I walked off that field thinking: Taking risks makes us stronger, patience is golden, and memories are real.

God bless ,

Marc Ruegemer

How Catholic Charities Helped Kenneth

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:15:03 GMT

When life feels overwhelming, finding the right support can make all the difference. That is exactly what happened for Kenneth, a 30-year-old father who found himself facing several impossible choices. With overdue bills, rent payments, and the pressure of providing for his children, Kenneth was struggling to keep his family afloat. On top of that, he needed his children’s birth certificates to register them for Catholic Charities' Toys for Tots program, so they could have presents for Christmas.

Though Kenneth had never used the Food Shelf before, he was introduced to our services by a Financial Assistance Program Coordinator, who showed him how utilizing the Food Shelf could ease some of the financial strain. The ability to save money on groceries would allow him to prioritize other needs, like utilities and rent. Our Financial Assistance program assisted Kenneth with obtaining his children's birth certificates and provided him with a cart full of groceries for his family. Additionally, we provided Kenneth with a list of community resources to help him continue moving forward.

This assistance gave Kenneth and his family a renewed sense of hope. With a little help from our team, Kenneth felt a weight lift as he began to “dig out” of his financial struggles. The ability to provide his children with meals, secure the birth certificates needed for their Christmas gifts, and access other helpful resources helped him regain some stability during a tough time.

Kenneth’s story is a powerful reminder that our work extends far beyond providing food. It is about offering hope, relief, and the tools needed to help individuals and families navigate challenges. Whether it is a grocery cart full of food, helping with essential paperwork, or connecting people to the broader network of resources, every bit of support contributes to making our neighbors’ lives better.

We are honored to provide this kind of support to families like Kenneth’s. It is the generosity of our community that allows us to continue serving those who need it most. Whether through food donations, financial gifts, or volunteer time, the contributions we receive leave a lasting impact on our neighbors' lives.

Alexander & Sherise

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:00:27 GMT

A Journey of Hope and Resilience

At Catholic Charities, we believe in the power of new beginnings. From affordable housing to mental health services, our life-giving programs help our neighbors begin anew and find a brighter tomorrow. In 2024, we provided a helping hand and a fresh start to more than 47,000 people across Central Minnesota. People like Alexander and Sherise, whose story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of community support .

Alexander and Sherise had always dreamed of a stable life, but a series of unfortunate events left them struggling to make ends meet. Alexander lost his job due to downsizing and Sherise's health took a turn for the worse, leading to big medical bills. With no income and their savings depleted, they were evicted and found themselves on the streets.

Desperation set in as they faced the harsh realities of homelessness. Sleepless nights and uncertain days became their new normal. They often went without food, and the constant stress took a toll on their spirits. But amidst the darkness, they found a beacon of light in Catholic Charities Emergency Services' three programs: Food Shelf, Financial Assistance, and Basic Everyday Essentials.

A New Beginning

The first glimmer of hope came from our Food Shelf, which provided them with the nourishment they desperately needed. They soon discovered additional services available, like the Financial Assistance program which provided free bus passes so Alexander and Sherise could search for jobs and attend interviews. Their perseverance paid off when Alexander secured a job. The bus passes continued to be their lifeline, ensuring he could get to work every day.

Your support has the power to transform lives like Alexander and Sherise’s. Donating to Catholic Charities today will help us provide critical support to the people who need it most in our community.

When Alexander and Sherise finally found an apartment that felt like home, Financial Assistance covered the application fee, removing another barrier to stable housing. Basic Everyday Essentials provided them with clothing and footwear, restoring their dignity and confidence.

Today, Alexander and Sherise are building a new life filled with hope and gratitude. Their story is a testament to the power of community support and the resilience of the human spirit. Despite the many challenges they faced, they emerged with hope for a brighter future.

Join Us in Creating More New Beginnings

Your support makes stories like Alexander and Sherise's possible. With your generous donations, we can continue to provide essential services to those in need, helping them find their own new beginnings. Together, we can make a difference and bring hope to our neighbors.

Please consider making a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us create a brighter future for individuals and families in our community.

$25 provides 75 meals to struggling families, seniors and children.
$50 helps an individual secure bus passes so they have transportation to work or school.
$100 can provide essentials like dishes, towels, hygiene supplies and more to turn a place to stay into a home.

Bryce's Pumpkins

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:45:00 GMT

At Catholic Charities Emergency Services, we see countless acts of kindness every day, but a recent donation from a remarkable young man left a special mark on our hearts. On a chilly Friday afternoon, Bryce, a 17-year-old student at Albany High School, donated an impressive 860 pounds of squash. This generous gift highlights the power of community support, proving that even in challenging times, there is always hope.

Bryce has grown his own pumpkins, squash, and gourds under the name Bryce Pumpkin’s, which has become known for fresh, locally grown produce. His efforts extend beyond growing, as he sells his harvest at farmers markets and even had a booth at the Made in Minnesota Expo in November, supporting local businesses and sustainable farming. What makes his story even more inspiring is how Bryce uses his success to give back. His donation will directly help families in need through our food shelf, which serves St. Cloud and surrounding areas.

Bryce’s squash donation will be a vital part of our monthly food distribution, helping to provide nutritious meals to hundreds of families in our community. His gesture demonstrates not only a heart full of compassion but also the interconnectedness of local farmers, businesses, and families. When young people like Bryce step up, it’s a reminder that the future is well cared for. Bryce’s story proves that even small acts of kindness can grow into something truly transformative.

Through donations like Bryce’s, we are able to provide food to those who need it most, including seniors on fixed incomes and single parents working multiple jobs. The connection between local farmers and organizations like Catholic Charities sustains our community and fosters hope for those struggling.

Looking ahead to the upcoming growing season, we’re excited to see what other generous community members, like Bryce, will share. His efforts remind us that every small contribution adds up to something much bigger, and it’s not just about the food—we’re also strengthening our community and inspiring hope for all.

Pack the Porches 2025!

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 21:44:23 GMT

PACK THE PORCHES FOOD AND FUND DRIVE RECEIVED OVER

6,000 POUNDS OF FOOD AND MORE THAN $21,000

Our 15th Annual Pack the Porches Food and Fund Drive, held on March 28th, 2025, was a HUGE success! Thanks to the incredible support of our community, we made a significant impact on fighting hunger in the St. Cloud area.

Event Highlights:

Food Collected: A remarkable 6,437 pounds of nonperishable food items were collected!
Total Dollar Amount Raised: A total of $21,291 was raised to help our neighbors gain food security!
Generous Match: Coborn’s matched all food and fund donations up to $15,000 !

Thank you to all those who supported Pack the Porches food and fund drive and Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf!

A Day of Joy and Connection at Pond View Estates

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:30:00 GMT

On Tuesday, January 28th, a group of students from Trex North School visited Pond View Estates in Albany, organized by Sandy Baldwin, group leader, and in collaboration with Catholic Charities in St. Cloud. Julie Ueland, the student advisor, helped oversee the project to ensure everything went smoothly. Pond View Estates is a Senior Dining Congregate Kitchen, where seniors gather to enjoy meals and socialize, making it a perfect environment for these students to connect with the residents.

When the students arrived, the residents were delighted by the youthful energy and enthusiasm they brought. The students quickly got to work helping the seniors create Valentine’s cards before lunch. The atmosphere was filled with creativity and laughter as everyone worked together to make colorful and thoughtful cards. Afterward, the group enjoyed lunch together, where the dining hall was full of lively conversation. The students interacted with the seniors, hearing their stories and building new connections. The visit bridged generations, fostering meaningful and joyful interactions.

The highlight of the day was the bingo game that followed lunch, where excitement filled the room as the numbers were called. Friendly competition brought plenty of laughs, especially when someone was just one number away from winning, only for another participant to grab the prize first. The fun, camaraderie, and shared moments left everyone smiling.

A few standout interactions included Joseph and Riley spending time with resident Victor Tschida, and Tianna sharing a special moment with resident Ken Bunger.

These connections highlighted the deep impact of intergenerational friendships.

For many of the residents, the visit from the students was an unexpected but cherished experience, reminding everyone of the importance of making time for one another. It was a beautiful day of fostering community, connection, and kindness.

As the students prepared to leave, there was a sense of fulfillment in the air. Not only had the day brightened the seniors' lives, but it also left a lasting impression on the students, who gained a deeper understanding of the joy and fulfillment that comes from spending quality time with others.

The day ended with smiles, hugs, and promises to return, a reminder of how powerful and meaningful human connection can be.

Volunteering at Lincoln Elementary

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:45:01 GMT

At Lincoln Elementary in Little Falls, the pre-K classroom thrives thanks to Miss Maranda and Dorothy, a Foster Grandparent volunteer.

Ms. Maranda values having Grandma Dorothy in the room. "It's great to have someone with a fresh perspective who connects with students," she says. Dorothy helps students with academics and brings a caring approach to the youngest learners.

Dorothy enjoys her role, finding it both fun and meaningful. "The kids are so much fun, and I'm happy to help with lessons that impact their learning for years," she says.

The appreciation between Miss Maranda and Dorothy is mutual. "Dorothy brings positivity, is helpful and kind, and has become an integral part of our classroom team," Miss Maranda shares. Dorothy feels valued, especially when teachers note her impact on students. "When my teacher tells me, 'I can tell which students you've worked with,' it lets me know I’m making a difference," Dorothy says.

Their collaboration has led to touching moments, such as a student hugging Dorothy at Walmart. "It shows the lasting connection we’ve made," Dorothy recalls. Miss Maranda echoes this, saying, "We’d gladly welcome another foster grandparent into our program. It’s refreshing to have a grandparent figure who makes a lasting impact on both learning and relationships."

Dorothy’s support is important for struggling students. "I love encouraging them to do their

best," she says, finding joy in seeing their proud faces when they grasp a concept or complete a project.

The partnership between Miss Maranda and Dorothy highlights the impact of volunteers. Dorothy’s positivity, support, and perspective enhance the learning experience and

provide invaluable help to teachers, showcasing the mutual benefits of the

Foster Grandparent Program.

Daniel’s Journey of Hope at Granite City Counseling

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 22:08:41 GMT

At 47, Daniel was ready to make a change. Struggling with mental health issues for years, he found himself trapped in a cycle of prison, fractured relationships, and despair. Determined to break free for himself and his family, he reached out to Granite City Counseling, a program of Catholic Charities, St. Cloud, for the support he needed.

“I wanted to stop going in and out of prison and break the cycle for me and my family,” Daniel shared.

When Daniel first came to Granite City Counseling, his goals were clear: manage his depression and anxiety, rebuild trust, improve communication, and maintain his sobriety. With therapy and medication management, Daniel received the support he needed from our compassionate team of professionals. “I’ve been coming here for counseling and medication,” Daniel said. “It’s helped me stay out of prison and develop relationships with my family.”

Granite City Counseling takes a holistic approach, promoting the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being of all people. For Daniel, this comprehensive approach has been
life-changing, helping him break free from patterns that once held him back. “It’s helped me identify things I didn’t see as problems,” Daniel explained. “I’ve developed relationships with my family, which I wasn’t able to do before.”

Daniel’s story is one of hope, resilience, and the power of seeking help. Through his commitment to healing and the guidance of the Granite City Counseling team, he’s breaking the cycle that once seemed impossible to escape.

If you or someone you know is struggling, Granite City Counseling is here to support you in building a brighter future.

A Beacon of Kindness and Learning in Central Minnesota

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:51:43 GMT

For over five years, Grandma Cory has been a dedicated volunteer with the Central MN Foster Grandparent Program, sharing her love of learning and kindness with classrooms across the community. Driven by a deep passion for children, Cory joined the program to make a meaningful difference and inspire the next generation.

For the past three years, Cory has had a lasting impact in Suzanne Robben's preschool classroom at Oak Ridge Early Learning Center. On World Kindness Day, Suzanne posted a heartwarming photo of herself with Cory, capturing the spirit of their shared mission to spread kindness and positive energy.

Devoting two hours a day, four days a week, Cory’s presence is felt throughout the classroom. While she primarily focuses on reading and math stations, her caring and flexible nature often sees her lending a hand with a variety of tasks. Suzanne describes Cory as having a magnetic effect on the students: “They are like magnets to her. She is so kind, caring, and has a special way of engaging their learning.”

Cory’s approach to teaching is as heartwarming as it is effective. She connects with the children by meeting them at their level—often sitting crisscross-applesauce with them during story time. Her interactions with the children have created lasting bonds, with the kids eagerly asking about her whenever she is absent and excited for her return. They also love it when she participates in special celebration days like Whacky Wednesday, PJ Day, and Hat Day, making those moments even more memorable.

Beyond her daily presence in the classroom, Cory has committed to using the Foster Grandparent Program’s Assignment Plan, a tool designed to measure student progress. Although she works with all of the children, certain students who need extra one-on-one support with reading and math receive focused attention. At the end of the year, these children will be reassessed to track their progress and celebrate the improvements they’ve made with Cory's guidance.

Grandma Cory’s dedication and warmth have already made a significant impact on the students and the broader Oak Ridge Early Learning Center community. The lasting relationships she has built, along with the academic progress of the children she mentors, reflect the powerful role that the Foster Grandparent Program plays in enriching young lives.

The Central MN Foster Grandparent Program continues to provide meaningful intergenerational connections through tutoring, mentorship, and supportive relationships that benefit both volunteers and children alike. In 2023 alone, 195 senior volunteers served over 77,500 hours across 88 stations in Central Minnesota, working with nearly 10,000 children. With a focus on school readiness, literacy, social skills, and more, the program helps children thrive in ways that go beyond the classroom.

Grandma Cory’s story is a beautiful example of the difference one dedicated volunteer can make. Her love, support, and kindness continue to inspire not just the children she works with, but all of us fortunate enough to be a part of the Foster Grandparent Program.

Learn more about how the Foster Grandparent Program is making an impact in Central Minnesota.

How the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School Culinary Program is Using Bread to Fight Food Insecurity

brittany.hoversten@ccstcloud.org (Brittany Hoversten) — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 22:54:04 GMT

In the heart of Sauk Rapids, there’s a group of students learning more than just the skills to work in a kitchen—they’re learning the importance of community, service, and giving back. Each year, the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School Culinary Program, led by instructor Mary Levinski, joins forces with King Arthur Baking’s Bake for Good program to bake bread that nourishes local families in need. This year, the partnership has led to an inspiring 80-pound donation of fresh bread to Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf in St. Cloud. The impact goes far beyond the loaves of bread themselves—it’s about building stronger communities and empowering young people to make a difference.

Bake for Good is a program initiated by King Arthur Baking Company that encourages students to bake bread from scratch and then share it with someone in need. The program provides all the supplies, including King Arthur flour, and teaches students not only how to bake but also the science and math behind bread-making. For the students in Sauk Rapids, this hands-on experience serves as a powerful lesson in both culinary skills and community service.

For years, the program has allowed students to bake delicious, preservative-free bread and donate it to food shelves, brightening the holidays for families facing food insecurity. “I love seeing how the students’ hard work comes to fruition,” says Mary. “They don’t just bake bread—they get to see the difference it makes in people’s lives. It gives them a sense of purpose beyond themselves.”

Each year, the bread donation is made around the holidays when families are often struggling the most. The gesture helps ease the stress of holiday meals for families who are uncertain about where their next loaf of bread will come from. For the students, it’s a tangible reminder that their skills can serve a greater good and offer hope to those who need it.

For Catholic Charities Food Shelf, the donation of bread means much more than just food. Eric Vollen, Emergency Services Program Manager, shared his gratitude for the donation, highlighting how it not only provides essential nourishment but also fosters a sense of community. “Receiving this donation is incredibly meaningful to us at Catholic Charities Food Shelf,” Eric explains. “It helps us provide nutritious food to families in need and shows the power of community support."

This collaboration is a shining example of how different parts of a community—schools, businesses, and local organizations—can come together to make a real difference. It’s a reminder that even small acts of kindness, like baking bread, can have a profound impact on the lives of others.

Jolly Trolley Returns!

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 16:10:05 GMT

Jolly Trolley Food Drive Returns for 14th Year!

Metro Bus and its partners are excited to announce the dates, times and locations for this year’s Jolly Trolley events! On December 9-12, from 4:30-6:30 PM each day, the Jolly Trolley Food Drive hits the road with stops at Lunds & Byerlys on Monday, Coborn’s – St. Cloud-Cooper on Tuesday, St. Cloud Cash Wise East on Wednesday and Coborn’s – Sauk Rapids on Thursday. Community members are invited to donate cash and non-perishable food items.

Jolly Trolley sponsors include Townsquare Media, Metro Bus, North Central Bus and Equipment and SpartanNash; the grocery stores hosting the drive each night; and contributors Rengel Printing Company and Mustang Signs & Graphics. Donations benefit Catholic Charities Emergency Services , the Promise Neighborhood of Central MN and the St. Cloud Area Salvation Army.

“As part of our mission to serve the communities we proudly belong to, the Jolly Trolley offers a meaningful way to support those in need during the holiday season,” said Metro Bus CEO Ryan Daniel. "We are dedicated to helping put food on the tables of local families and bringing a little extra joy to our neighbors this time of year.”

Cash donations allow food shelves to purchase up to five times as much food with each dollar as retail customers. Food shelves are also able to purchase for specific needs.

Last year the Jolly Trolley collected 12,726 pounds of food and $4,884 for totals of almost 68,000 pounds and over $34,000 over the 13-year history of the Jolly Trolley!

Make God's Love Visible: Gary's Story

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:29:57 GMT

From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Gary’s Financial Counseling Journey

Gary has been a client of Catholic Charities Financial and Housing Counseling program since 2013.

He was referred to the program by his family after it became overwhelming for his mother and three sisters to manage his finances. Gary was having trouble paying all his bills, including his rent. When it became clear that he could face eviction, his family offered to help him cover his back rent if he would meet with a financial counselor at Catholic Charities.

Gary enrolled in Catholic Charities managed checkbook service program which offers managed checkbook services through a local bank where clients’ funds are held in a protected “For the Benefit Of” account.

Your gift to Catholic Charities provides Gary and thousands of others the help they need AND gives them a chance for a brighter future.

For the past decade Gary has been meeting with Emily, a Catholic Charities Financial and Housing Counselor, at the beginning of each month. Over the years, a positive professional relationship has developed between Emily and Gary. As his trusted advisor, Gary feels comfortable and safe asking Emily to help with his finances. With Gary’s permission, Emily is also able to keep his family informed of his finances and provide them with peace of mind.

Through the managed checkbook service, Gary’s essential bills such as rent, health insurance, car insurance, and utilities are paid. After these bills are paid, Gary receives a weekly spending check which is used for items such as gas, food and medication. Along with receiving social security, Gary works and over the years has built up a healthy balance in his checking account. This allows him to weather any unplanned emergency such as a health crisis or car repair.

Catholic Charities Financial and Housing Counseling helps keep people in their homes, become more financially self-sufficient and maintain a safe place for their families to live. We meet people where they are and empower them to build the skills necessary for future financial success, stability and independence. Last year, 472 individuals like Gary received financial and housing counseling services.

Our ability to continue helping our neighbors depends on donors like YOU . Please consider donating to Catholic Charities today to provide help and hope to people in their hour of greatest need.

“Financial and Housing Counseling services from Catholic Charities is something that we had no idea was available until a friend of the family suggested it. As a family it has brought peace of mind for us all, knowing that Gary’s finances are being expertly managed.” - Gary’s sister, Ann

Donating Safely: Avoiding Charity Scams

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:08:23 GMT

With the numerous natural disasters devasting thousands of communities and the holiday season coming up, it’s important to be vigilant about charity scams. When you decide to support a cause you care about, you want your donation to count. Here are some tips to help you plan your donation before you give – and avoid charity scams.

5 Things to do the Before Donating to a Charity

Search online for the cause you care about — like “hurricane relief” or “homeless kids” — plus phrases like “best charity” or “highly rated charity.” Once you find a specific charity you’re considering giving to, search its name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” “fraud,” or “scam.” If you find bad reviews, it might be best to find another organization.

2. Check out the charity’s website. Does it give you details about the programs you want to support or how it uses donations? How much of your donation will go directly to support the programs you care about? If you can’t find detailed information about a charity’s mission and programs, be suspicious.

3. Use one of these organizations that help you research charities:

4. Find out if the fundraiser and the charity are registered. Some states require that charities register with the state regulator. Check to see if a fundraiser and the charity they’re calling on behalf of are registered in Minnesota at https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Charity/ .

5. Check if the donation will be tax deductible. If this is important to you, confirm that the organization you’re donating to is registered with the IRS as a tax-exempt organization. Look up the organization in the IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search .

Avoid Donating to a Fake Charity

Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. Scammers rush you so there’s no time to research their claims or think it through.

Don’t trust your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information. Calls can look like they come from your local area code, or from a specific organization, even if they don’t. In reality, the caller could be anywhere in the world.

If the fundraiser says you already pledged, stop and check. They may lie and say — in a phone call or a mailer — that you already pledged to make the donation, or that you donated to them last year. They think that means you’ll be more willing to donate.

Listen carefully to the name of the charity, write it down, and then research it. Some scammers use names that sound a lot like other charities to trick you. Do some research before you give.

Watch out for sentimental claims with few details. Be suspicious if you hear a lot of vague sentimental claims, for example, that the charity helps many families that can’t afford cancer treatment and veterans wounded at war who can’t work, but don’t get specifics about how your donation will be used.

Don’t donate with a wire transfer or gift card. Anyone asking you to donate this way is a scammer.

Sweepstakes winning in exchange for a donation? Nope. If someone guarantees you’ll win a prize or contest if you contribute, that’s a scam. You won’t win anything, and your donation money will go to a scammer.

Information brought to you by Catholic Charities Financial and Housing Counseling .

Resources:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-and-donating/donating-charity

https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/donating-safely-and-avoiding-scams

https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Charity/

https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/publications/GivingToCharities.asp

Program Highlight: Domus Transitional Housing

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 16:13:02 GMT

Domus Changes the Lives of a Mother and Child

Mia arrived at Domus with her 7-year-old son, Noah, excited and nervous about starting fresh in this new place. She had previously found herself couch hopping at her mother’s place for several months after being evicted from her apartment due to decreased work hours and increased monthly rent.

When her mother began using drugs again, Mia knew it was critical to remove herself and her son from that environment. She was grateful to be in the St. Cloud area where she had support. She enrolled Noah in school immediately and began looking for a job. Within a week, Mia secured a full-time job.

Domus staff helped assist Mia with finding a balance of working full time and having a young child in school. Mia was also able to get Childcare Assistance and was approved to utilize Dial-A-Ride to help her get to work.

Unfortunately, the sudden passing of a cousin and her mother deeply affected Mia as she struggled to continue her progress while dealing with her grief. As Mia found a new normal for herself and Noah, she was approved for an apartment through HRA.

She quickly requested assistance with the deposit and first month’s rent for the apartment. Mia and Noah moved into her new apartment, excited to start this new chapter in their journey together.

What to do if you've been scammed

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 20:26:52 GMT

You were scammed. What can you do now? Learn what steps you can take to minimize the damage and avoid being scammed again.

1. Stop contact with the scammer. Hang up the phone, don’t reply to any messages. Don’t make any payments to the scammer and beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

2. Notify the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion).

3. Check your computer. if your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company.

4. Change ALL your account passwords. Update your bank, credit card, social media, phone and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when you change passwords.

5. Report the scam. Reporting helps protect others. While authorities can’t always track down perpetrators, they can gather information to record patterns of abuse. https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

What if You’ve been a Victim of ID Theft?

File a police report
Put a fraud alert on your credit reports
Consider putting a credit freeze on your reports
Check your credit reports
Contact any institution directly affected
Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 1-877-438-4338
Notify affected creditors or bank
Send creditors a copy of your ID theft report
Change all account passwords
Contact the Social Security fraud hot line
Contact your telephone and utility companies

Resources:

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/help-for-crime-victims/Pages/Identity%20Theft.aspx

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed

How to Support Fraud Victims

Avoid judgment
Listen empathetically
Remind them that fraud criminals are experts at deception and that they are not alone
Help them report the crime to their bank, credit card company, etc.
Help them change their passwords or freeze their credit
Help them file a fraud report
Be available to discuss any new suspicious solicitations
Help them identify a financial advocate to help their money safe from future exploitation

Common Scams

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 20:26:50 GMT

Romance. Grandparents. Sweepstakes. Gift Cards. What do all these things have in common? They are frequently used to scam people out of their hard-earned money.

Below you will find some examples of common or popular scams to be on the look out for so you can protect yourself and your money.

Government impersonation: government impersonation scammers pretend to call you from a government agency, like the FBI, Social Security Administration or IRS. They say something bad will happen—you’ll go to jail, for example—if you don’t pay.

Romance/confidence: Often posing as military or a trades person working overseas to avoid meeting face-to-face, these scammers develop fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of their victims before asking for money for emergencies.

Grandparent: a grandparent scam involves the scammer impersonating a loved one who is in trouble and needs money. These scams have become even more convincing in recent years due to artificial intelligence that can mimic anyone’s voice.

Lottery/sweepstakes/inheritance: The victim is told they’ve won a prize or inherited a large sum of money, which they can only access if they pay taxes and fees upfront, or if they give up their identity and bank account information for direct deposit.

Investment: Victims are asked to tap retirement accounts, home equity or credit cards, and put their money into low-risk investments with guaranteed returns. Investment scams often take the form of pyramid schemes, market manipulation or real estate investing. More recently, criminals have been using cryptocurrency for their investment scams, asking victims to purchase crypto, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, and transfer it to their digital wallet.

Non-delivery: Fake advertisements entice people to order and pay for items online. They either never receive the order or get something completely different from what was advertised.

Gift cards: Posing as a business or government agency, the scammer will request payment in gift cards, telling their victim to send them the numbers on the back of the cards. The scammer convinces the consumers to go to a nearby store (e.g., Walmart, Target, Walgreens, or CVS) to purchase a gift card. he scammer then directs the consumer to scratch off the security film on the back of the gift card and read out the numbers to the scammer. The scammer can then remotely access and retrieve the gift card’s value or, more commonly, the gift card information will, be sold and resold on a secondary market.

Often predators also target people who are seeking relief from financial stress. Below are a few common scams targeting people already experiencing financial strain.

Protect yourself before you’ve been scammed

Identity Theft Freeze Law

This law allows anyone to contact the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and request a credit freeze…it’s FREE
The freeze must be placed within 3 days after the request and within 10 days you will be provided a unique PIN
You can temporarily life or “thaw’ your report for a specify amount of time
We recommend this be done for anyone under the age of 18 or any senior citizen that has no need to open new credit

https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Publications/CreditFreezesFraudAlerts.asp

Spotting and Avoiding Scams

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 20:26:46 GMT

Trust is the number one reason why people fall for scams. Fear is the number one strategy used by scammers.

Most 'too-good-to-be-true' offers are scams. Below we offer information on how to recognize and avoid scams to keep you, and your finances, safe.

Anyone can be scammed. In 2022, 1 in 4 people said they lost money to a scam.

People ages 20-29 reported losing money to fraud more often than people ages 70+.
While younger people lost money 41% of the time, older adults’ lost money only 17%.
However, when older people did lose money, they lost a significantly higher amount of money.

Techniques used by Scammers

Truth Bias – exploiting the human tendency or assumption that others are telling the truth, especially when it’s repeated consistently.
Foot in the Door – by getting you to commit to small commitments first, people want to remain consistent and are hard pressed to say no later after saying yes earlier. Scammers build momentum in this way.
Financial vulnerability - Often predators target people who are seeking relief from financial stress.

Scammers are after your Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Credentials – SSN, birth certificate, driver’s license, financial accounts, usernames & passwords
Attributes – name, phone number, address, license plate, date of birth
Biometrics – fingerprints, photos, voice print
Behaviors – spending habits, browsing activity, travel activity, geolocation, online quizzes

The more the scammer knows about you the easier it is to fool you. The more information publicly available online about you makes it easier for criminals to fool you.

Things only scammers will say

“Act now!” That’s a scam. Scammers use pressure, so you don’t have time to think. But pressuring you to act now is always a sign of a scam. It’s also a reason to stop.
“Only say what I tell you to say.” That’s a scam. The minute someone tells you to lie to anyone — including bank tellers or investment brokers — stop. It’s a scam.
“Don’t trust anyone. They’re in on it.” That’s a scam. Scammers want to cut you off from anyone who might slow you down.
“Do [this] or you’ll be arrested.” That’s a scam. Any threat like this is a lie. Nobody needs money or information to keep you out of jail, keep you from being deported, or avoid bigger fines. They’re all scams.
“Don’t hang up.” That’s a scam. If someone wants to keep you on the phone while you go withdraw or transfer money, buy gift cards, or anything else they’re asking you to do: that’s a scammer. DO hang up.

And here’s a list of things that only scammers will tell you to do

“Move your money to protect it” is a scam. Nobody legit will tell you to transfer or withdraw money from your bank or investment accounts. But scammers will.
“Withdraw money and buy gold bars” is a scam. Always. Every time.
“Withdraw cash and give it to [anyone]” is a scam. Doesn’t matter who they say: it’s a scam. Don’t give it to a courier, don’t deliver it anywhere, don’t send it. It’s a scam.
“Buy gift cards” is a scam. There’s never a reason to pay for anything with a gift card. And once you share the PIN numbers on the back, your money’s as good as gone.

Other red flags

If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true
Someone that is pressuring you to get them money as quickly as possible
High pressure sales tactics
Fear tactics
Requesting bank account and routing numbers
Someone who doesn’t want you to discuss the phone call with a loved one
A person posing as law enforcement or a government official

How to avoid scams

Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages.
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.
Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.

Resources:

https://www.identitytheft.gov/

https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

https://www.lssmn.org/financialcounseling/tools-and-resources/avoid-scams

https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft

https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft

https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central

https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/identity-theft

https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/Publications/IdentityTheft.asp

Program Highlight: Hunger Doesn't Wait

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:00:06 GMT

After Ronald’s wife passed away, he found himself struggling. He was not doing well, even struggling to get the food he needed. Ronald’s daughter lives out of town, so she called Catholic Charities to learn more about a food delivery program. Emergency Services Hunger Doesn’t Wait program turned out to be a great fit for Ronald.

Catholic Charities Hunger Doesn’t Wait program serves many people like Ronald in our community. Hunger Doesn’t Wait provides a pre-packed serve to individuals who may be homebound or in specific situations. This program not only provides food for people unable to get it themselves, it provides a lifeline to people who feel isolated.

“Each month I have fruit, vegetables, even milk and eggs, plus a whole box of stuff for the cupboard,” said Ronald. “It is marvelous, simply great!”

Catholic Charities Emergency Services has a variety of food services including the Food Shelf, Hunger Doesn't Wait Food Delivery program, and the Mobile Food Shelf.

We Are There: Catholic Charities Joins National Campaign

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:51:13 GMT

WE ARE THERE: CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. CLOUD JOINS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE THE LIFE-GIVING WORK OF THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES NETWORK

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud is joining with the Catholic Charities network around the country to participate in We Are There, a national awareness campaign highlighting the life-giving services Catholic Charities agencies provide in their local communities.

“For over 70 years, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud has brought hope and relief to our neighbors, regardless of their faith, across Central Minnesota,” said Chad Johnson, Director of Organizational Advancement at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud. “People are at the heart of the work we do. People seeking help, people offering help and people who believe that we are all a community of neighbors.”

The work that Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud does in Central Minnesota is mirrored by services provided at Catholic Charities agencies around the country. There are 168 independent Catholic Charities agencies and 3,900 collective locations spread out across the United States and its five territories.

Collectively, the Catholic Charities network served more than 15 million people last year and provided more than 30 million meals to those in need. The dedicated, selfless staff of Catholic Charities agencies are aided in this work by the indispensable contributions of more than 215,000 volunteers nationwide. The services offered by each local Catholic Charities agency differ because they are tailored to the specific needs of the vulnerable members of their individual communities.

Catholic Charities USA, the national membership organization for Catholic Charities agencies, organized and launched the We Are There campaign. Over the coming months, the campaign will raise awareness for the work of Catholic Charities through a variety of national media outlets. Here in Central Minnesota, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud will continue to highlight the different ways we aid and accompany our neighbors in need.

To learn more about the We Are There campaign, visit WeAreThere.US . To learn how to volunteer or make a gift supporting the work of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, visit ccstcloud.org .

Summer Food Shelf Challenge

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:54:43 GMT

CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE HUNGRY AND HOMELESS ANNOUNCE FOOD SHELF CHALLENGE GRANT THROUGHOUT JULY

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud and Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless announce a food shelf challenge grant, benefiting Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf, throughout the month of July.

In partnership with Hunger Solutions, now a part of The Food Group, Open Your Heart’s Summer Challenge makes it possible for Minnesota food shelves to restock and distribute fresh and frozen foods during this difficult time of year.

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will proportionally match donations to Catholic Charities Food Shelf during the month of July, up to $4,000, to help end food insecurity in the St. Cloud area. The more funds raised in July towards the food shelf, the larger the matching grant from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will be. Donations to Catholic Charities Food Shelf can be made online!

“In a normal summer, we see an increase in children visiting during the summer,” said Eric Vollen, Catholic Charities Emergency Services program manager. “When school is out for summer vacation, many children miss out on free school meals and families turn to us for support. We are seeing an increase of food-insecure people here in the St. Cloud area, and the summer challenge comes at a time when our food shelf needs help the most.”

In 2023, Minnesotans made a record 7,551,147 visits to their food shelves statewide – up nearly 2 million visits from the year prior. Last July alone, Catholic Charities Food Shelf served 4,909 people and distributed over 180,000 pounds of food.

Older Americans Month: May 2024

Wed, 15 May 2024 15:52:19 GMT

History of Older Americans Month

When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About 1/3 of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing. A meeting in April 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens led to designating May as ‘Senior Citizens Month.’

Two years later, in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Older Americans Act of 1965 and formally declared May as Older Americans Month.

This act did much more than raise awareness or encourage community involvement – although it did both things well. Johnson took Kennedy’s proclamation and intentions a step further by taking action that resulted in positive change, financial assistance, and federal support for older Americans.

The Older Americans Act:

established the Administration on Agency, the first federal agency designed to address the struggles of older Americans.
introduced nutrition programs, transportation assistance, federally funded adult day care, legal assistance, and other services for seniors.
paved the way to passing the Medicare program to offer health care to seniors.

7 things to know about Minnesota's older adults

1. Minnesota's older adult population is growing

In 2022, there were almost 950,000 adults age 65+ in Minnesota , making up almost 17% of the population. By 2038, that population is projected to top 1.26 million, and more than 1 out of every 5 Minnesotans will be an older adult.

2. Greater Minnesota is "greyer" than the Twin Cities

Most greater Minnesota counties have a larger share of older residents than the Twin Cities metro area counties have. For many rural counties, more than 1 in 4 residents is over age 65. Communities in greater Minnesota face unique challenges in meeting the needs of aging populations, including infrastructure maintenance, access to broadband, shifts in traditional industries, and stagnating or declining working-age populations.

3. Older adults are less racially and ethnically diverse than younger Minnesotans

4. Health care needs increase with age

Older adults are much more likely to have a health condition that makes it difficult to live independently without help. While about 1 in 14 Minnesotans under 65 have a disability, that figure rises to 1 in 5 for Minnesotans ages 65-74, 1 in 3 for those 75-84, and 2 in 3 for those 85 and older. Ensuring that our health care system can meet this growing need is one of the biggest challenges Minnesota faces as its population ages.

5. Most older adults live independently

90% of older adults in Minnesota live independently in their own homes, with another 6% living with relatives or roommates, and 4% living in group facilities. Among older adult heads of household in Minnesota, 3 in 4 own their homes . However, about a third of older adult-headed households are paying an unaffordable amount for housing. That includes about 1 in 5 older homeowners, and more than half of older adult renters.

6. Many older adults work beyond traditional retirement age

Traditional retirement age is 65 years, but we know that many older adults continue working for years or decades after their 65th birthday. Today, more than a quarter of 65-74-year-olds are still in the workforce , along with 7% of adults 75 and older.

Projections show that Minnesota will have 3.4 million jobs in 2030, but only about 2.8 million working-age adults employed. Older adults could help fill about 40% of the shortfall if current employment levels continue.

7. Older adults are engaged in their communities

Minnesota adults age 65+ have one of the highest rates of volunteering in the nation. Minnesota’s older adults are also the most likely of any age group to vote , and 2 out of 3 Minnesota’s aging population brings challenges for our state’s workforce, housing, and health care systems, but we start out with the advantages of an independent and civically engaged older adult community.

https://ww w.mncompass.org/data-insights/articles/7-things-know-about-minnesotas-older-adults

Speaking of amazing older Minnesotans who volunteer… check out this great video from the St. Cloud area school district about volunteerism featuring Grandma Bonnie, one of our own Foster Grandparent volunteers!

Program Highlight: Emergency Services

Mon, 13 May 2024 13:00:44 GMT

The first time Anthony visited Emergency Services Financial Assistance was four days after being released from incarceration. His main goal after release was finding gainful employment in the St. Cloud area. Catholic Charities was able to help him kickstart the next chapter of his life in several ways.

First, Anthony needed his birth certificate from out of state. Once he received the documents, we were then able to help him obtain a valid Minnesota ID. He was also encouraged by our program coordinator to connect with a Catholic Charities caseworker to help him navigate his reentry into the community including finding employment and an apartment.

When Anthony was hired to work at a lumberyard, our program helped him purchase the necessary steel toe work boots. Our Emergency Services Food Shelf and Basic Everyday Essentials programs also helped him get food, bedding, clothing, and kitchen cookware and utensils for his new apartment.

Anthony was extremely grateful for our program's help and the opportunity to forge a new beginning for himself.

Dignity in Bloom - Helen's Story

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:00:01 GMT

Together we can plant enough love to create a garden of belonging in our community.

During the pandemic, Helen, like so many people, became isolated and overwhelmed as her world grew smaller. She was having difficulty accessing community resources to care for her health and basic needs while suffering from mental health issues and chronic pain.

In 2022, Catholic Charities hired Ellen who began working with Helen through Catholic Charities Supportive Living Services (SLS) In-Home program. Since then, Ellen has supported Helen in establishing care with medical providers, making appointments, managing her documents and even organizing her apartment. Decluttering her home helped reduce Helen’s stress and allowed her to donate some of her items to organizations supporting veterans and domestic abuse survivors.

Like Helen and Ellen, you have the power to plant seeds of love today so that tomorrow they can bloom into a better future. Donate to Catholic Charities today and help us continue to provide critical support to the people who need it most in our community.

During their time working together, Ellen provided support to Helen in accessing community resources and being active in her community. Helen struggled the most with accessing crowded settings like stores and interacting with men due to her anxiety and PTSD.

Ellen accompanied Helen when shopping and worked through strategies to navigate crowds and handle unexpected situations. Ellen encouraged Helen to face her fears and practice initiating communications with others in social settings. With Ellen’s steadfast support, Helen became more comfortable going out in the community. Now, Helen can ask for assistance from employees in stores and even access the community independently using Dial-A-Ride and communicating with her male drivers.

Helen joined the YMCA and plans to take Dial-A-Ride to work out independently at the YMCA. For Helen, accomplishing this will help her feel more independent and have a sense of belonging in her community. Through the support Helen has received from SLS In-Home program, she has begun to realize new possibilities and gain more independence in her life.

Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. Your financial gift is a way to say you support the mission of Catholic Charities. Donate to support people like Helen. Donate to help us cultivate the soil of our community, to plant love that will bloom into a garden of belonging for all of us.

Employee Spotlight: Paul

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:00:01 GMT

Employee Spotlight: Paul Sad

Every employee, whether in direct or supportive service, is working to make a different tomorrow for our central Minnesota neighbors.

Meet Paul.

Paul Sad has been working for Catholic Charities for 11 years and is currently our Database Administrator / Software Developer.

What inspired you to join the Catholic Charities team?

I drive by the Food Shelf frequently since I live near there and I’d see a lot of cars in the parking lot. I wanted to offer my abilities to help our community.

What does your job entail?

Searching and analyzing data, creating reports for grant requirements, developing software tools to perform functions not handled by our purchased software programs and general help desk tasks.

What do you think is the most important skill a successful employee at Catholic Charities needs to have?

Communication. I believe a person needs to have good listening skills along with verbal and written communication abilities. You will deal with a lot of people with varied backgrounds.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

The appreciation I get after I’ve created a report or a software tool that saves a co-worker time and makes their job easier.

What do you think makes you unique as a team member at Catholic Charities?

I can use my knowledge and experience as a software developer to help others, and save Catholic Charities money.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in your department?

Be flexible and be able to multitask. Your daily plans might change with one phone call or service ticket.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Traveling, reading, keeping up on current events.

Thank you, Paul, for your 11 years of service at Catholic Charities!

Pack the Porches 2024

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:19:08 GMT

PACK THE PORCHES FOOD AND FUND DRIVE RECEIVED OVER

4,000 POUNDS OF FOOD AND MORE THAN $21,900!

Catholic Charities' 14th annual Pack the Porches food and fund drive, benefiting Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf, received 4,108 pounds of food and $21,974 in donated funds during the six-hour event from 7 am to 1 pm. Coborn’s matched all food and fund donations up to $13,000.

Pack the Porches curbside drop-off locations were located at Pioneer Place on Fifth , St. Cloud and St. Cloud Financial Credit Union , Sartell. Catholic Charities Emergency Services also received food donations, and funds were received online through Catholic Charities website at ccstcloud.org. The St. Cloud Hyundai location was under construction during this year's Pack the Porches and will join Catholic Charities again next year for Pack the Porches 2025.

“Increasing costs continue to create challenges and food insecurities right here in our communities,” said Renae Sternke, Acting Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud. “In 2023, our Emergency Services Food Shelf distributed more than 2,000,000 pounds of food and we anticipate the need to increase this year. Catholic Charities remains grateful for our community’s unwavering support as families struggle to put food on their tables. Together, we can ensure that no family has to choose between food and other basic essentials.”

Thank you to all those who supported Pack the Porches food and fund drive and Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf!

Women's History Month

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 18:00:00 GMT

Women's History Month: Activists

Dolores Huerta

Co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association, Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta is one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement.

Born on April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico, Huerta was the second of three children of Alicia and Juan Fernandez, a farm worker and miner who became a state legislator in 1938. Her parents divorced when Huerta was three years old, and her mother moved to Stockton, California with her children. Huerta’s grandfather helped raise Huerta and her two brothers while her mother juggled jobs as a waitress and cannery worker until she could buy a small hotel and restaurant. Alicia’s community activism and compassionate treatment of workers greatly influenced her daughter.

Discrimination also helped shape Huerta. A schoolteacher, prejudiced against Hispanics, accused Huerta of cheating because her papers were too well-written. In 1945 at the end of World War II, white men brutally beat her brother for wearing a Zoot-Suit, a popular Latino fashion.

Huerta received an associate teaching degree from the University of the Pacific’s Delta College. She married Ralph Head while a student and had two daughters, though the couple soon divorced. She subsequently married fellow activist Ventura Huerta with whom she had five children, though that marriage also did not last. Huerta briefly taught school in the 1950s, but seeing so many hungry farm children coming to school, she thought she could do more to help them by organizing farmers and farm workers.

In 1955 Huerta began her career as an activist when she co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO), which led voter registration drives and fought for economic improvements for Hispanics. She also founded the Agricultural Workers Association. Through a CSO associate, Huerta met activist César Chávez, with whom she shared an interest in organizing farm workers. In 1962, Huerta and Chávez founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), the predecessor of the United Farm Workers’ Union (UFW), which formed three year later. Huerta served as UFW vice president until 1999.

Despite ethnic and gender bias, Huerta helped organize the 1965 Delano strike of 5,000 grape workers and was the lead negotiator in the workers’ contract that followed. Throughout her work with the UFW, Huerta organized workers, negotiated contracts, and advocated for safer working conditions including the elimination of harmful pesticides. She also fought for unemployment and healthcare benefits for agricultural workers. Huerta was the driving force behind the nationwide table grape boycotts in the late 1960s that led to a successful union contract by 1970.

In 1973, Huerta led another consumer boycott of grapes that resulted in the ground-breaking California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, which allowed farm workers to form unions and bargain for better wages and conditions. Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Huerta worked as a lobbyist to improve workers’ legislative representation. During the 1990s and 2000s, she worked to elect more Latinos and women to political office and has championed women’s issues.

The recipient of many honors, Huerta received the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. As of 2015, she was a board member of the Feminist Majority Foundation, the Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus of the United Farm Workers of America, and the President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

Ella Baker

Ella Baker was an American community organizer and political activist who worked in many of the major civil rights organizations of the mid-20th century.

Baker was raised in Littleton, North Carolina. She began attending the high school academy of Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1918 and graduated from the college as valedictorian in 1927. She moved to New York and found people suffering from poverty and hardship caused by the Great Depression and was introduced to the radical political activism that became her life’s work. In the early 1930s, she helped organize the Young Negroes Cooperative League, which was created to form cooperative groups that would pool community resources and provide less expensive goods and services to members.

Baker married T.J. Roberts in the late 1930s and then joined the staff of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), first as a field secretary and later as national director of the NAACP’s various branches. Unhappy with the bureaucratic nature of the NAACP and newly responsible for the care of her young niece, she resigned from her director position in 1946 but worked with the New York branch to integrate local schools and improve the quality of education for black children.

Inspired by the historic bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, Baker co-founded the organization In Friendship to raise money for the civil rights movement in the South. In 1957 she met with a group of Southern black ministers and helped form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate reform efforts throughout the South. Martin Luther King, Jr., served as the SCLC’s first president and Baker as its director. She left the SCLC in 1960 to help student leaders of college activist groups organize the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). With her guidance and encouragement, SNCC became one of the foremost advocates for human rights in the country. Her influence was reflected in the nickname she acquired: “Fundi,” a Swahili word meaning a person who teaches a craft to the next generation.

Baker continued to be a respected and influential leader in the fight for human and civil rights until her death on her 83rd birthday.

Dorothy Kenyon

Dorothy Kenyon was a New York attorney, judge, feminist and political activist in support of civil liberties. During the era of McCarthyite persecution, she was accused of being affiliated with 28 communist front organizations. Kenyon was a charismatic speaker, and she regularly travelled throughout the U.S. lecturing about civil liberties, the law, and women's equality.

Dorothy Kenyon began her career as a lawyer in New York City in 1917. In 1936, she moved into public service by serving first as the Deputy Commissioner of Licenses in New York City, and later as a Justice on the city's Municipal Court. In these positions, in her capacity as the U.S. representative to the League of Nations Commission to Study the Legal Status of Women from 1938-40, and as the first delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women from 1947-50, "Judge" Kenyon worked tirelessly to advance the status of women and minorities in the U.S. and internationally.

In addition to her political appointments and private law practice, Kenyon also held offices in many organizations including the Consumers' League of New York, the League of Women Voters, and the American Association of University Women. She served on the National Board of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1930 until her death and almost single-handedly persuaded the organization to take on cases that challenged sex discrimination.

Despite Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist attack on her in 1950, Kenyon remained politically active in the 1960s and early 1970s through her work in the War on Poverty and her participation in the Civil Rights, anti-Vietnam War, and Women's Liberation movements. In 1968, at age 80, she and another lawyer established an office for legal services for the poor on Manhattan's Lower West Side under the aegis of Mobilization for Youth.

Her speeches and writings and research files addressed such issues as worldwide suffrage, the status and role of women, domestic and foreign policy, birth control, minority legal rights, civil liberties, the Equal Rights Amendment, anti-communism, and women's liberation.

Dorothy died five days short of her 84th birthday in 1972. A young female lawyer had just volunteered as an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, focusing on gender equality and women’s rights. She had read extensively about Dorothy Kenyon’s career and was greatly inspired by her.

That young lawyer was Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Michals, Debra. "Dolores Huerta." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2015.

Smith Collection, Agents of Social Change Exhibit

Todd Moye, Ella Baker: Community Organizer of the Civil Rights Movement (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2013).

Financial & Housing Counseling: Lisa's Story

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:57:19 GMT

Financial & Housing Counseling Help Lisa Pay Off Debt

The Financial and Housing Counseling Program staff met Lisa while presenting a Senior Fraud and Scams training for Foster Grandparents. She asked for a business card and a few days later she called to schedule a Financial and Housing Counseling appointment. This program strives to meet people where they are at, so a Catholic Charities staff member met over the phone due to Lisa's lack of transportation.

Lisa’s biggest concerns were getting a better handle on her bills and paying off her debts, of which she owed about $6600. At her first appointment, Lisa and her counselor created a budget with action steps, laying the foundation to help Lisa get out of debt. Due to Lisa’s fixed income and the rise in rental costs, she pays over 40% of her income for rent.

Lisa diligently completed all of her action plans, including tracking her spending which would give her a realistic picture on how much she was spending each month. Nine months later Lisa still tracks her spending.

In September, Lisa called and shared that one of her debts was paid off. She was so excited, and we were grateful to be able to celebrate that success with her. Since April she’s paid off over $2800 in debt and built up her savings account. Lisa’s budgeting, expense tracking, goal setting, savings and renters rebate all helped her get that debt lowered. Lisa shared that she was proud of the work she has done and that Catholic Charities Financial and Housing Counseling staff were 'considerate, compassionate and very helpful."

Learn more about our Financial and Housing Counseling services here.

Jolly Trolley Food Drive Returns December 12-14

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:00:04 GMT

The Jolly Trolley Food Drive is back on the road for 2023!

Metro Bus, along with its partners, encourage members of the community to donate cash and/or nonperishable food items December 12-14. The Jolly Trolley will be at Coborn’s on Cooper in St. Cloud, Lunds & Byerlys and Coborn’s in Sauk Rapids, respectively, from 4-7pm each afternoon.

Jolly Trolley donations will go to area food shelves including Catholic Charities Emergency Services, Promise Neighborhood of Central MN and the St. Cloud Salvation Army. Cash donations are encouraged since food shelves can purchase up to five times as much food with each dollar as retail customers.

“Every person in our service area deserves to have food on the table this holiday season and all year," said Ryan Daniel, CEO of Metro Bus. "The Jolly Trolley Food Drive’s mission is to do everything we can to meet those needs and hopefully spread some cheer!”

Last year the Jolly Trolley collected 9,280 pounds of food and $4,164 for totals of over 40,000 pounds and nearly $25,000 over the 12-year history of the Jolly Trolley!

Additionally, all monetary donations made in December to Catholic Charities, St. Cloud Salvation Army and St. Joseph Community Food Shelf will be matched through the Stearns Bank Community Challenge , up to $100,000! Donations for the Stearns Bank Community Challenge need to be received by December 31, 2023.

Contributions should be sent directly to any of the eligible food shelves listed above to the attention of the “Stearns Bank Community Challenge.”

Barnes and Noble Bookfair!

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 21:08:16 GMT

Catholic Charities will be having a Bookfair at Barnes & Nobles on December 3, 2023!

Get some holiday shopping done and support a great cause at the same time!

Shop at Barnes & Noble Sunday, December 3 through Thursday, December 7 and a percentage of your purchase will go to Catholic Charities! Just say you are shopping to support Catholic Charities before you check out!

You can also visit bn.com/bookfairs to support Catholic Charities online from 12/03/23 to 12/07/23 by entering Bookfair ID 12695763 at checkout.

Looking to Support our Bookfair Online?

Add the items you want to purchase to your cart and select Checkout.
From the Checkout page, scroll to the very bottom and click the plus sign next to Add Bookfair ID.
Enter the Bookfair ID into the Apply Bookfair ID field and click Apply.

EVERYTHING Barnes & Noble sells counts! Books, DVDs, music, vinyl, toys & games, and anything in the Cafe! Visit Barnes & Nobles in St. Cloud or online Dec. 3-7 and stock up for the holidays while supporting the critical programs of Catholic Charities!

*The purchase of gift cards, Barnes & Noble memberships, textbooks, video games, digital content (eBooks), purchases made at Cafés owned and operated by Starbucks® and other items Barnes & Noble may exclude from time to time in its sole discretion are not included in bookfair totals. Institutional discounts may not be applied.

Give to the Max 2023!

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 22:29:01 GMT

Catholic Charities to participate in 15 ^th Annual Give to the Max Day on November 16!

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud is proud to participate in the 15 ^th annual Give to the Max Day on Thursday, Nov. 16. Give to the Max is a statewide, grassroots giving event that raises tens of millions of dollars each year for more than 6,000 causes across Minnesota and beyond. Considered Minnesota’s holiday for generosity, donors have given more than $290 million to more than 10,000 organizations since the inaugural Give to the Max Day in 2009.

Catholic Charities is one of the largest social service nonprofit organizations in Central Minnesota, with programs that provide food, shelter, basic everyday essentials, mental and behavioral health services, supportive living services, financial counseling and more. In 2022, Catholic Charities served 44,205 people across 16 counties in Central Minnesota. Donations support more than 20 programs across these areas.

“We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from our friends and neighbors here in the heart of Minnesota during Give to the Max,” said Chad Johnson, Director of Organizational Advancement, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud. “It’s no surprise that our state dedicates and supports 24 hours of giving to nonprofits and schools statewide because we see the generosity of our community every day.”

To participate in Give to the Max in support of Catholic Charities, visit ccstcloud.org/donate-funds or go to givemn.org/organization/Ccstcloud .

“Give to the Max is a celebration of Minnesotan generosity and the impact it has in every community across our state,” said Jake Blumberg, executive director of GiveMN. “Every year, we start at $0 and are humbled by the power hundreds of thousands of gifts can have when our community gives together during Minnesota’s giving holiday.”

Give to the Max’s Early Giving period began November 1 and continues through Give to the Max Day on Nov. 16, with random drawings throughout for more than $100,000 in prize grants for Minnesota organizations.

Additionally, each donation through GiveMN.org qualifies Catholic Charities for additional prize grants, thanks to the continued generosity of the Bush Foundation. Through this year’s campaign, GiveMN will award:

$500 Early Giving Golden Tickets daily on Nov. 1-15
$500 Golden Ticket prizes every 15 minutes on Nov. 16
$1,000 Hourly Golden Ticket prizes hourly on Nov. 16
$6,000 Power Hours, shared among the top three organizations based on amount raised between 10:00–10:59 a.m. and 10:00–10:59 p.m. on Nov. 16
The grand prize of Give to the Max Day, a $10,000 Super-Sized Golden Ticket , drawn from all gifts made from Nov. 1-16

Together, we can make a different tomorrow for our friends and neighbors in Central Minnesota.

Program Highlight: Youth House

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 20:21:49 GMT

Mike creates his own future with help from Catholic Charities Youth House.

Mike moved to Minnesota from across the country after meeting who he thought was the love of his life online. Their relationship soon turned toxic and he turned to a friend for a place to stay. Unfortunately, he was not able to stay with his friend long and ended up sleeping on the floor of an overcrowded shelter where he experienced many challenges.

Mike found it difficult to maintain employment because his work shifts would end after the shelter’s curfew, leaving him with nowhere to go. He was forced to haul all his belongings with him each day for fear that they would get stolen. Mike’s wallet and his vital documents had already been stolen soon after he came to the shelter.

During this time, Mike met with the Catholic Charites Street Outreach Worker who provided him with community resource information, including the Catholic Charities Youth House. After a tour and meeting with the staff, Mike shared that he felt safe and thought he could make positive changes in his life.

While at the Youth House, staff helped Mike obtain medical insurance, food assistance and his vital documents so he could gain new employment. Before long, he was working full-time and had created a savings plan. Mike was feeling inspired and developed a plan for his future. With staff assistance, Mike completed the financial aid and admission applications to St. Cloud State University. He was accepted into the honor’s program where he will be studying graphic design.

Just as Mike’s life was getting brighter, tragedy struck. He received a phone call late one night in July and was told his sister had died unexpectedly after battling kidney disease. Catholic Charities staff assisted with travel plans so he could attend the funeral. Although his family begged him to not come back to Minnesota, he knew he needed to return for his chance at a better life.

Upon his return, staff assisted him in the final steps of becoming a full-time college student. On August 17th, 2023, the Youth House staff moved Mike into the dorms and made sure he had the items he needed to start this new chapter of his life. When saying ‘farewell’ to the Youth House staff, Mike asked if he could come back and visit. The staff told him he would always be welcome and that they would always be there to support him.

Learn more about this program at https://www.ccstcloud.org/services/housing/homeless-youth#youthhouse.

AWG Cares: Annual Day of Service!

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:43:27 GMT

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) Annual Day of Service

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) and their charitable organization, AWG Cares, held their Annual Day of Service on Saturday, September 23. The AWG Upper Midwest Division Team of Volunteers spent time helping at the Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf. The team had a fun, rewarding experience cleaning and stocking the shelves.

Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf provides access to healthy and nutritious food for individuals and families faced with missing meals and primarily serves the cities of St. Cloud, St. Augusta, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park. However, our food shelf services are available to anyone who needs them regardless of where they live.

In 2022, Catholic Charities Food Shelf distributed 1,737,320 pounds of food to 11,443 individuals across 3,937 households in central Minnesota and beyond.

In August 2023, Catholic Charities Food Shelf distributed 184,109 pounds of food to 4,872 individuals and anticipates an ever-increasing need throughout 2023.

Thank you to Catholic Charities team members Eric and Nikki who also spent some of their Saturday with the AWG volunteers!

AWG Cares is an employee-managed, company-supported and community-focused non-profit charitable organization. Its purpose is to help AWG and subsidiary employees support the charities they care about and to give back to the communities where they work and live. AWG Cares focuses on three main areas: disaster relief, medical research, and hunger/homelessness.

AWG Cares is more than just a charitable giving fund. The organization sponsors dozens of community service projects to help give back to communities. During AWG Cares Annual Day of Service, employees and their families are invited to participate in a variety of community service opportunities. AWG matches employee donations to the organization and regularly donates additional resources to the efforts of AWG Cares.

Since its inception in 2017, AWG Cares has made 213 grants to organizations nominated by AWG and subsidiary employees. AWG Cares has donated more than $559,000 to charitable organizations in the communities where their employees work and live.

Thank you, AWG and AWG Cares, for your continued support of Catholic Charities. Together, we can make a different tomorrow for our community.

Catholic Charities Food Rescue

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 13:59:20 GMT

CATHOLIC CHARITIES FOOD SHELF HELPS PEOPLE AND THE PLANET THROUGH FOOD RESCUE

Every day, vast quantities of food go to waste because grocery stores, food producers and even farmers have no other options. When packaged goods, dairy, produce and meats near the end of their “best by” dates, retailers, growers and food manufacturers are looking for an alternative to landfills.

With its Food Rescue program, Catholic Charities Emergency Service Food Shelf teams up with local food sources to divert safe, edible food from landfills and distributes it to households experiencing food insecurity.

“Food rescue does just what the name suggests: saves fresh and edible food from going to landfills,” said Eric Vollen, Catholic Charities Emergency Services program manager. “There are many reasons why food might not have sold at a business, including close-dated product, dents in the cans or overstock, and although it might not be perfect food, it’s good and nutritious food.”

According to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States each year, which equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion. Nearly 40 percent of all food in the United States is wasted, contributing heavily to carbon emissions which hurt our environment. Food waste is also a missed opportunity for the hunger relief network as this fresh and edible food could be helping feed families.

This is why Food Rescue business partners in the St. Cloud area, including Coborn’s, Cash Wise, Costco, Sam’s Club, Fresh Thyme and more are so important—all are participating in retail food rescue, collecting thousands of pounds of produce, dairy, deli, meat, bakery and grocery items for distributing to Catholic Charities Food Shelf.

Coborn’s grocery stores have been participating in retail food rescue for more than 15 years, with all 66 Coborn’s stores across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan participating and providing food to those who need it in their communities.

“Our Food Rescue partnerships with foodservice retailers like Coborn’s allow us to gain access to unsold, yet wholesome food that would otherwise be wasted,” said Vollen.

“Plus, food rescues from grocery stores, restaurants and farms that donate to Catholic Charities Food Shelf and other nonprofit food rescue organizations can get a tax deduction for their donation. It’s a nice incentive for those businesses not to toss that food in the trash.”

MPCA and Local St. Cloud Companies Also Help Prevent Wasted Food

When food spoils or is thrown away before we eat it, the resources that went into creating the food are wasted. The food takes up space in landfills and releases greenhouse gases as it decomposes, rather than nourishing people or helping alleviate food insecurity.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is committed to ensuring that every Minnesotan has healthy air, sustainable lands, clean water and a better climate, and in 2019, launched the “Prevention of Wasted Food and Food Rescue” grants program. The program, approved by the Legislature in 2019, is specifically designed to fund projects that help feed hungry people and help organizations minimize their wasted food.

In 2022, Catholic Charities Food Shelf collected 1,026,276 pounds of food through its Food Rescue program and was awarded the MPCA’s “Prevention of Wasted Food and Food Rescue” grant for help in building a new walk-in freezer.

A new walk-in freezer was a critical need, as Catholic Charities Food Shelf has seen a 120 percent increase in the number of pounds of food rescue collected annually. The food shelf needed an increase in storage capacity, or it would need to continue to outsource freezer space and turn away food rescue collections.

The new walk-in freezer addition was completed by local businesses SCR (St. Cloud Refrigeration) and Rice Companies, Sauk Rapids, who both contributed significantly to the project, bringing it to life.

“This additional 400-square feet of freezer space helps us in feeding our community and ending food insecurity,” said Vollen. “With the generous help and support of our state and community, we can continue serving healthy and nutritious food to our neighbors who need it most.”

The benefits of food rescue are many. It helps both food shelves and families save money, offering no-cost nutritional food while helping tackle food insecurities. Food rescue also prevents thousands of pounds of edible food from ending up in landfills, where it could create environmental pollutants as it decays.

National Preparedness Month

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 21:24:34 GMT

Extreme weather and natural disasters can occur with little warning. Are you ready to leave your home at a moment’s notice?

National Preparedness Month is a great time to get ready for whatever may come your way. Making a plan is the best way to protect you and your family.

Make a Plan

You can reduce your anxiety by making sure you are prepared if, and when, they happen. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Check your insurance. Find out if any of your home, health, or other insurance policies will pay for temporary shelter, replacement clothing, furniture, or other items if you are affected by extreme weather or a disaster.

Plan for your pets. If you’re like millions of animal owners, your pet is an important member of your household. A little planning today can help ensure safety for your pets during an emergency.

Choose an out-of-town contact. Ask a friend or relative to be the point of contact for your family. Make sure everyone in your family has the information. After some emergencies, it can be easier to make a long-distance call than a local one.

Sign up for alerts and warnings in your area. Public safety officials use systems to alert you and your family in the event of severe weather and disasters.

Find out if your local public shelter is open , in case you need to evacuate your home and go there. If you need to evacuate, prepare a “go kit” with personal items you need during an emergency.

Organize Your Finances

In a disaster, financial readiness is as important as a flashlight with fully charged batteries. Leaving your home can be stressful, but knowing that your financial documents are up to date, in one place, and portable can make a big difference. If you’re missing important documents, now’s the time to replace them.

Do a household inventory. Make a list of your possessions and document it with photos or a video. This could help if you file insurance claims.

Take advantage of technology. Technology offers tools — like online bill-pay, virtual safe deposit boxes, and USB flash drives — for safeguarding your important documents. It also can make it easier to get to your records, and more convenient to update them.

Buy a lockable, fireproof file box. Put important documents in it and keep it in a secure, accessible location so you can grab it and go. Include your household inventory, a list of emergency contacts, copies of current prescriptions, insurance information, and copies of other important financial and family records — or notes about where they are.

Rent a safe deposit box. Documents to store might include: leases and ownership records; credit and loan agreements; birth certificates; Social Security cards; and military papers. For quicker access, consider placing originals in your fireproof box and copies in your safe deposit box.

Update your information. Review the contents of your household inventory, your fireproof box, safe deposit box, and the information for your out-of-town contact at least once a year.

For more financial readiness tips, visit https://www.fema.gov/emergency-financial-first-aid-kit

Program Highlight: Emergency Services Financial Assistance

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 14:23:12 GMT

Lori has been a customer of Catholic Charities Emergency Services since 2018.

In times of need, Lori has shopped for clothing, receiving help with “scrubs” for her work; received food from the food shelf; and she has been helped financially with fuel cards.

Since January 2023, Lori has been experiencing homelessness, and gas cards from Emergency Services Financial Assistance kept her warm all winter inside her vehicle. She also was coached on how to successfully search for an apartment. When Lori found an apartment, she received an apartment application fee. She had a job lined up but couldn’t leave her dog in the car while she worked. ( Remember how bitterly cold this winter was? )

Lori also made use of the “Multi-Pass” feature of the Catholic Charities Food Shelf so she would not go hungry. As soon as Lori found housing, she could go to work and start getting back on her feet. Each month she visited Financial Assistance and was given information about different resources that may be available to her. In May, Lori stopped by to let us know she was so grateful because she was now in an apartment, had started her job, and her dog was happy to be running around his new home!

In 2022, Catholic Charities Emergency Services Financial Assistance helped 4,967 people. These individuals received assistance in the form of gas vouchers, bus passes, prescription and medical co-pays, fees for birth certificates and state identification documents and apartment application fees.

Learn more about this program at ccstcloud.org/financial-services/financial-assistance

Lemonade Stand for Good

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:30:00 GMT

Never underestimate the power of a lemonade stand, especially one that’s run by Lorelei, Everett and Ayren, grandchildren of Mary Ann and Henry who are regular volunteers at our Emergency Services Food Shelf.

These kids raised $159.66 by selling lemonade and cookies to support our food shelf and the people we serve. When they recently presented their check to Eric Vollen, Emergency Services Program Manager, they had the chance to stand on our weigh station’s scale, tour the food shelf, and even cool down inside our new walk-in freezer!

They also learned that with our three-to-one buying power, we can now purchase $500 of food to support our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. They thought that was amazing!

“I’m so proud of these ‘philanthro-kids’ and their support of Catholic Charities Food Shelf,” said Eric Vollen. “Having Lorelei, Ayren and Everett do this for their community—their neighbors—is truly inspiring. They know that some people don’t have what others have when it comes to food, and they want everyone to be happy and healthy. What’s not to love about that?”

Community support sometimes comes from surprising places—and little people. Together, we really can make a different tomorrow. Thanks, kids!

2023 Century Farm and Rural Business Awards

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 20:00:00 GMT

Catholic Century Farm Awards, 2023

Catholic Charities and Bishop Patrick Neary of the Diocese of St. Cloud will present the Catholic Century Farm Awards at the annual Diocesan Rural Life Celebration taking place on Sunday, August 20 ^th , 2023.

Since 2019, Catholic Charities, along with the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, has been honoring Catholic families from throughout the diocese who have been farming the same land for at least a hundred years, with these Catholic Century Farm Awards.

The Catholic Century Farm Awards are a way that Catholic Charities and the Bishop of St. Cloud honors those Catholic families who have farmed and nurtured the same land for 100 years or more. Different from the state or county-based century farm registries, the Catholic Century Farm Awards are an opportunity for our whole diocese to recognize the deep connection between our faith and farming traditions, and reflect on our many neighbors who are living out the Catholic social teaching of care for creation through their vocation of farming and stewardship of the earth. The award allows us to share our gratitude for the nourishment they provide to our communities in more ways than one through their faith in God and the work of their hands.

This year, eight farm families will be recognized. Each of these families have cared for God’s creation for more than 100 years. Honorees will be receiving a Catholic Century Farm Award certificate, along with a special gift for their home in recognition of their outstanding legacy in faith-based family farming within our diocese.

The eight families who will be honored this year come from multiple regions of our diocese. The honorees come from six different parish communities within three different counties. Our longest standing farm is 151 years, and three of our “youngest” farm honorees are each celebrating 107 years of farming. Altogether, these eight families have 1,015 years of farming behind them!

This year’s Catholic Century Farm Award recipients include:

Kimman Family Farm in Pierz, established 1916
Gary and Diane Botzet Family Farm in Carlos, established 1874
Waldvogel Family Century Dairy Farm in Osakis, established 1913
Koudela Family Farm in Alexandria, established 1886
Heitzman's Family Farm in Avon, established 1916
Bruce and Lourdes Botzet Farm in Carlos, established 1876
Udermann Family Farm in Sartell, established 1916
Lusty Farm in Miltona, established 1872*

* indicates a sesquicentennial (150 years) farm

What 2023 Catholic Century Farm Award Recipients are saying about their farm

When farm families apply for the Catholic Century Farm Awards, they are asked to tell us a little bit about why the farm and farming is important to them.

All our recipients have a strong focus on the importance of family and the legacies created through farming, especially the values as well as the land being passed on to future generations.

Here are a few of the sentiments from the award recipients:

"We can grow food to feed the world!"

"The farm also keeps the family together as we work together on the different farming tasks."

"We have been honored to continue the legacy of dairy farming started 110 years ago. We feel so blessed to be able to [continue operating a dairy and crop farm] and pass it on to the next generation."

"[Farming] is a lifestyle for those who like to work hard and take pride in their work. Working with animals and growing crops is a 24/7 job."

"Being the 4 ^th generation means a lot. Raising up 4 great children with my wife. We all worked hard for what we have and had good times."

"Farming brings peace and enjoyment, connects us to nature and reliance on God."

"Farming is a lot of work, but very rewarding. What better place to raise your children? They have all learned great work ethic and respect for the animals and land they helped tend to. We all take great pride in what we do! We all do our part to take care of it for the next generation. We are thankful for all God has given us."

"Our family is proud to be farmers on the homestead. It is a wonderful place to raise a family and teach the children good ethics of hard work."

Second annual Rural Business Award

2023 will be the second year that Catholic Charities and the Diocese of St. Cloud have honored a Catholic business owner who lives out their Catholic faith in the ways they run their business and serve their community. Businesses must be within the diocese and are nominated by fellow community members throughout the diocese.

The winner is selected based on the ways they bear witness to their Catholic faith, and show commitment to their rural community, both within their faith community and beyond the church, through involvement in practices of stewardship, advocacy and support for rural life. Businesses must also uphold the dignity of their employees and clients through workplace practices that promote the common good and human flourishing.

Of the six nominations received in 2023, Roers Family Bakery in Alexandria was selected as this year’s recipient of the Rural Business Award. Nominated by a fellow-parishioner at St. Mary’s Parish in Alexandria, Rory and June Roers were described as active members of their parish, and always giving back. This includes various volunteer roles, as well as donating baked goods to the church at the end of each work week, as a collaborative service project with the youth of the parish.

“Growing up on a farm and in a large family of 11 children, there was much to be done. After morning chores, Rory would help his mother in the Kitchen. This is where he first started baking.”

The Roers, along with their three children, have owned the business for 28 years.

“June and Rory truly live their faith and are so generous and humble. I am honored to be a part of shining the light on these people and their business,” their nominator said. “Sharing from their blessings is not only the right thing to do, it’s the ‘sweet’ thing to do!”

Congratulations Rory and June Roers and family at Roers Family Bakery on your 2023 Rural Business Award!

The Catholic Charities’ Century Farm and Rural Business Award winners will be honored as part of the annual Rural Life Celebration on Sunday, August 20 ^th , 2023 at St. Nicholas in Carlos.

Catholic Charities Open Your Heart Summer Challenge

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:39:42 GMT

Catholic Charities is participating in the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Summer Challenge grant, benefiting Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf, throughout the month of July .

In partnership with Hunger Solutions Minnesota, Open Your Heart’s Summer Challenge makes it possible for Minnesota food shelves to restock and distribute fresh and frozen foods during this difficult time of year.

Minnesota summers were made for trips to the cabin, boat rides on the lake, and farmers market outings, not food shelf visits. But that’s the reality for thousands of Minnesotans. Children are home from school and the family budget is tight. Catholic Charities Food Shelf helps provide nutritious fruits and vegetables to these families and they need your help this summer.

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will proportionally match donations to Catholic Charities Food Shelf during the month of July, up to $4,000 , to help end food insecurity in the St. Cloud area. The more funds raised in July towards Catholic Charities Food Shelf, the larger the matching grant from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will be. Donations to Catholic Charities Food Shelf can be made online here .

“In a normal summer, we see an increase in child visits during the summer,” said Eric Vollen, Catholic Charities Emergency Services program manager. “When school is out for summer vacation, many children miss out on free school meals and families turn to us for support. This summer, more families are experiencing economic hardship due to inflation, soaring food and gas prices, and the impacts of expiring pandemic relief programs. For those reasons and more, we are seeing an increase of food-insecure people here in the St. Cloud area, and the summer challenge comes at a time when Catholic Charities Food Shelf needs help the most.”

Every day, Minnesotans make over 15,000 visits to food shelves statewide – that is more than ten visits to a food shelf every minute if food shelves were open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 2022, Minnesotans made a record 5,505,100 visits to their food shelves statewide – up almost 2 million visits from the year prior. Children represented 35 percent of food shelf visits in Minnesota with a total of 1,934,205 visits, up 55 percent from 2021. Even before COVID-19, there was a record level of need across the state. In July 2022, Catholic Charities Food Shelf served 3,607 individuals across 1,201 households; 1,664 of those individuals were children.

Scammers Use Artificial intelligence (AI) to Enhance their Family Emergency Schemes

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:44:26 GMT

You get a call. There's a panicked voice on the line. It's your grandson. He says he's in deep trouble — he wrecked the car and landed in jail. But you can help by sending money. You take a deep breath and think. You've heard about grandparent scams. But darn, it sounds just like him. How could it be a scam? Voice cloning, that's how.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a far-fetched idea out of a sci-fi movie. We're living with it, here and now. A scammer could use AI to clone the voice of your loved one. All they need is a short audio clip of your family member's voice — which they could get from content posted online — and a voice-cloning program. When the scammer calls you, they’ll sound just like your loved one.

So how can you tell if a family member is in trouble or if it’s a scammer using a cloned voice?

Don’t trust the voice. Call the person who supposedly contacted you and verify the story. Use a phone number you know is theirs. If you can’t reach your loved one, try to get in touch with them through another family member or their friends.

Scammers ask you to pay or send money in ways that make it hard to get your money back. If the caller says to wire money, send cryptocurrency, or buy gift cards and give them the card numbers and PINs, those could be signs of a scam. If you spot a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

*Brought to you by the Financial & Housing Counseling program (320) 650-1664.

Your May Financial To-Do List

Mon, 22 May 2023 17:33:06 GMT

1. Stop Paying PMI
If you bought your home for less than 20 percent down, you've probably been paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) on your loan, typically an extra 1 percent of the purchase price. If your equity position is now at least 20 percent of the original purchase price, you may not have to pay mortgage insurance anymore. Contact your mortgage servicing company to see whether they can remove the PMI. You may have to pay a few hundred dollars for a new appraisal, but you could save thousands per year.

2. Take Advantage of '529 Day'
The college savings industry has embraced May 29 as "529 Day," an opportunity to remind parents of future college students of the benefits to saving in a tax-advantaged 529 college savings account. Money put into a 529 plan grows tax-free, and you won't pay any taxes on withdrawals used to pay for college.

3. Dispose of Unneeded Financial Documents
This is a good time to weed out financial documents you no longer need. How long you should wait before disposing of a document varies. Generally, you can throw tax documents after seven years. Also, look into removing documents that are stored on your computer, external drives, and mobile devices.

4. Review Recurring Charges
Small charges can slip through unnoticed, especially if they're recurring fees for a service you keep meaning to cancel. But these small fees add up quickly. Take a look at your most recent credit card statement and highlight any charges you could eliminate. Contact the companies to cancel your subscription—and try your luck at requesting a refund for previous charges as well.

5. Budget for Home Improvement Projects
May is a great time to find deep discounts on materials for the home improvement projects you plan to tackle this summer. Whether you want to install a new deck or replace the front door on your home, you'll save money if you make these purchases now, rather than in the middle of the summer. Even if you aren't quite ready to get to work, you can still determine what materials are needed so you can take advantage of the great sales this month, especially around Memorial Day.

*Brought to you by Catholic Charities Financial & Housing Counseling program:

(320) 650-1664

Older Americans Month

Wed, 17 May 2023 14:46:49 GMT

Each year since 1963, the month of May has been set aside for the purpose of honoring our country's oldest Americans. This year's Older Americans Month theme is, "Aging Unbound", which offers an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences. The goal is to promote flexible thinking about our aging – and how we all benefit from staying engaged and independent throughout our growth.

Volunteerism is a great way for us to stay engaged in our communities as we age. It’s a great way to meet other like-minded individuals, and to give back and make our communities a better place to live.

Here at the Central MN Foster Grandparent Program, our volunteers are giving back to their community and are remaining engaged by volunteering regularly at local schools and community-based non-profit programs as mentors and tutors to students. In 2022, 168 Foster Grandparent Volunteers served 78,370 hours, serving 7,557 students. 1,176 of those students were identified as having special or exceptional needs.

We often hear from our volunteers that being a part of the program gives them a great sense of purpose and how they look forward to their time in the classroom. Some of our volunteers have even stated, “I’m not sure who’s benefiting more, them or me”.

There are many opportunities in your community to stay involved. If working with and mentoring children is something that you think would help you give back and stay engaged, contact the Central MN Foster Grandparent Program today!

(320) 229-4589 or https://www.ccstcloud.org/services/community/foster-grandparents .

Ten Tools for Resiliency

Wed, 10 May 2023 14:55:42 GMT

Check out these 10 tools for resiliency that can help make you feel stronger and more hopeful.

1. Connect with others

Social connections with friends or family can help you feel supported, valued and connected. If you feel like you need more social connections in your life, consider enrolling in a class or joining a hobby group that interests you.

2. Stay positive

Practicing positivity doesn’t mean ignoring the uglier sides of life. It just means focusing on the positive as much as possible. Consider keeping a gratitude journal to help you focus on the little things each day that make you smile or feel good.

3. Get physically active

Exercise benefits your body and your brain! While it can be hard to stick to an exercise regime, there are plenty of benefits from exercising in 10-minute spurts too! Try to set aside 10 minutes each day to be active – whether it’s playing with your kids, walking around the block or dancing like nobody is watching!

4. Help others

Doing good can make you feel good! Luckily for us, every day we come to work at Catholic Charites we are helping others. We can keep those good feelings flowing by helping others in small ways like checking in on a friend or holding the door for the person behind you.

5. Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is vital to your well-being. Some tips for helping you sleep better are to set a regular bedtime and avoiding caffeine starting 6 hours before bedtime.

6. Create joy and satisfaction

Everybody deserves some joy in their lives! It’s important to make time for you to do things that bring you joy. So go out and laugh with your friends or hike a trail or learn to knit!

7. Eat well

Eating well can help you be more productive! That doesn’t mean you have to give up all your favorite treats though. It’s all about balance. Some ways you can improve your eating habits are swapping out sugary treats for healthy snacks during the day or eating smaller portions. Remember, try eating to be fit – not to fit into a certain pair of jeans. Avoid skipping meals or extreme diets.

8. Take care of your spirit

You can think of spirituality as connecting to whatever you consider meaningful and holy. You can find it in God, in yourself, in other people, in nature, art, or kindness. Whatever you focus on, spirituality can offer a sense of meaning and purpose and a greater connection with others or the world around us.

9. Deal better with hard times

Coping skills can help you during tough times. Some techniques include keeping a journal and asking someone you trust for emotional support.

10. Get professional help if you need it

If the problems in your life are stopping you from feeling good, professional help can make a big difference. You are not alone: 1 in 4 adults in the United States have a mental health problem in any given year. Some people worry that getting help is a sign of weakness. If you do, consider that it can be a sign of great strength to take steps toward getting your life back on track.

Resources:

https://mhanational.org/ten-tools

AAPI Heritage Month

Mon, 08 May 2023 13:57:39 GMT

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

Origins of AAPI Heritage Month

In 1977, New York representative Frank Horton introduced a resolution which proposed proclaiming the first 10 days of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye introduced a similar joint resolution the same year. When the resolutions did not pass, representative Horton introduced another joint resolution the following year, which requested the president to proclaim a week during the first 10 days of May starting in 1979, including May 7 and 10, as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.

After the House and the Senate passed the Resolution, President Jimmy Carter signed it into public law on October 5, 1978. From 1980 to 1990, each president passed annual proclamations for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. In 1990, Congress expanded the observance from a week to a month. May was annually designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in 1992 under the George H. W. Bush administration. Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month was renamed as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in 2009.

The month of May was chosen for AAPI Heritage Month because it commemorates the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States on May 7, 1843. May is also a significant month because it recognizes Golden Spike Day, May 10, 1869, which marks the completion of the transcontinental railroad that was built with significant contributions from Chinese workers.

Why do we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month?

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have contributed significantly to many facets of American culture and society, including science and medicine, literature and art, sports and recreation, government and politics, and activism and law. In 2021, Kamala Harris became the first Asian American Vice President of the United States.

AAPI people have a long history in the United States, despite the stereotype that they are “perpetual foreigners,” the idea that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are inherently foreign, other and not truly American.

In the 16th century, Filipinos who were escaping forced labor and enslavement during the Spanish galleon trade immigrated to North America, eventually establishing a settlement in St. Malo, Louisiana in 1763. During the California Gold Rush of the 1850s, a wave of Asian immigrants came to the West Coast and provided labor for gold mines, factories and the transcontinental railroad. In 1882, Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese immigration for 20 years.

Japanese and Koreans began immigrating to the United States by 1885 to replace Chinese labor in railroad construction, farming and fishing. However, in 1907, Japanese immigration was restricted by a “Gentlemen’s Agreement” between the United States and Japan. The civil rights movement assisted the liberalization of immigration laws. The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act changed restrictive national origin quotas and allowed for the large numbers of Asians and Pacific Islanders to come to the United States with their families. In the mid-1970s, refugees from Southeast Asia like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos came to the United States to flee war, violence, and hardship.

Today, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the United States. AAPI Heritage Month celebrates the unique journey of all AAPI immigrants and citizens in the United States and their unique life experiences, traditions and cultures.

Anti-Asian Racism

Since their immigration to the United States, Asians have been met with xenophobia, racism, bias and violence. Chinese workers were abused, robbed and murdered in San Francisco in the 1850s. In 1854, the California Supreme Court ruled in People v. Hall that people of Asian descent could not testify against a white person in court, meaning that white people could avoid punishment for anti-Asian crimes. During World War II, from 1942-1945, people of Japanese descent were incarcerated in internment camps across the nation.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, racist and xenophobic rhetoric about the origins of the virus led to a spike in anti-Asian racism and violence, with AAPI people of all ages and cultures being verbally and physically harassed and murdered in cities across the United States. As a response to the rise in anti-Asian violence, the AAPI Equity Alliance, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate coalition on March 19, 2020. The coalition tracks and responds to violence, hate, harassment, discrimination, shunning and bullying of AAPI people.

In January 2021, the White House released a “Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States,” acknowledging their role in furthering xenophobic sentiments and proposing ways to prevent discrimination, harassment, bullying, and hate crimes against AAPI individuals.

Additional Sources:

https://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/

https://smithsonianapa.org/about/

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is May 13!

Fri, 05 May 2023 21:20:05 GMT

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is Saturday, May 13!

For the 31st year, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) is excited to hold the traditional Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 13.

Here in St. Cloud, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive supports both Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf and Salvation Army Food Shelf. Bernick’s, Custom Catering by Short Stop and Kwik Trip are the business sponsors for the area food drive.

For more than a decade, this nationwide drive has annually collected more than 70 million pounds of food. Over the course of its history, the food drive has collected 1.4 billion pounds of food to help feed our neighbors.

Hunger exists in every community in our country. Today, 1 in 5 families in the United States experience food insecurity and rely on food donations. Here in our state, a record-breaking 5.5 million visits were made to Minnesota food shelves in 2022.

No one can grow, maintain good health or reach their full potential if they are hungry. A surprising number of our neighbors are doing something they never imagined: visiting a food shelf for the first time in their lives. This includes working families, children, seniors and post-secondary students.

Please join NALC on the second Saturday in May for the 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the largest one-day food drive in the United States.

Participating is easy. Simply leave a bag of nonperishable food next to your mailbox on May 13, and your letter carrier will handle the rest. All donated food in the St. Cloud area stays within our community and helps Catholic Charities and Salvation Army food shelves.

Together, we can Stamp Out Hunger in America. Together with Catholic Charities, we can make a different tomorrow for Central Minnesotans experiencing food insecurity. Learn more at nalc.org/food-drive .

Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:42:00 GMT

Join us in remembering the people and communities who suffered intolerance, harassment, and violence at the hands of the Nazi German regime in what is remembered as The Holocaust.

The Holocaust (1933–1945) is known for the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and genocide by the Nazi regime of more than six million European Jews (nearly 2 out of every 3).

What is less well known is that the Nazi devotion to racial purity led to the targeting of not only Jewish people but Roma, Sinti (known as Gypsies), Russian, Polish, Black and people with Asiatic features as well.

In addition, the Nazi regime also persecuted other populations that they deemed to be inferior such as people with physical or mental disabilities, LGBTQ+ populations, the poor or homeless, those with addictions and sex workers.

Included in the mass genocide were groups that held beliefs not aligning with Nazi philosophy such as political opponents, trade unionists and social democrats and those considered to be “ideologically dangerous” such as intellectuals, pacifists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Catholic Priests.

Sadly, the violence and persecution that the communities faced, did not end in 1945 with the end of The Holocaust; violent antisemitism and hatred continue to this day in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, and are on the rise.

We will observe a day of remembrance around the world during a period of time called Yom HaShoah on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Yom HaShoah translates as “Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.” Recognizing the atrocities of our past on this important day is one way we can begin to counter current and prevent future persecution.

Ways you can remember the victims and communities during Yom HaShoah:

Visit one of the 58 Holocaust Museums in the USA – either in person or virtually. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/u-s-holocaust-museums-memorials
Read a personal story from the museum websites or the links below and share this information with someone you know.
Observe a minute of silence and remembrance for those who were persecuted.
Light a candle in remembrance.

Sources and additional links for more information:

The United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum https://perspectives.ushmm.org/ or the homepage at: https://www.ushmm.org/

The National Archives https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/holocaust-remembrance-day

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust https://www.hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/nazi-persecution/

Agriculture Day 2023

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:00:09 GMT

Agriculture Day (Ag Day) is a day to recognize, promote and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. This year Ag Day celebrates 50 years of recognizing and honoring the importance of American agriculture.

The agriculture sector in the United States employs 22 million people and there are about 2 million farms across the United States. One U.S. farm feeds 166 people annually. The average time a farmer operator spends on the farm in a lifetime is 58.3 years. 11% of the farmers in the U.S. previously served in the military and women make up 36% of the total number of U.S. farm operators.

More than half of America’s farmers intentionally provide habitat for wildlife. Deer, moose, birds and other species have shown significant population increases for decades thanks to the careful stewardship of the land.

Check out these ideas for celebrating Ag Day and thanking America’s farmers and ag families for feeding, clothing, and sheltering us.

Plant a garden – you can even plant a larger garden and donate your surplus food to a local food shelf.
Consider yourself a master gardener? Teach a child (or a friend!) about gardening.
Share a favorite recipe that uses locally grown food.
Educate yourself and others about the intricacies of farming and agriculture. You can start by researching agricultural issues that affect our community.
Contact your legislator and remind them of the importance of supporting farm initiatives. (Note: this is the year that the legislature revisits the Farm Bill, which focuses on US and global food aid, farm and ag requirements and subsidies, and food assistance programs for those dealing from hunger; if the current proposed Farm Bill does not pass, a number of programs would lose funding, and others would revert back to outdated law from the 1949 Farm Bill, so this is an important year to share your support for nutrition, sustainability and equity in our food systems!).
Use social media for good! Share what agriculture means to you – whether it’s a recipe, a story or just a photo of your favorite farmer’s market!
Visit farmer’s markets. Buy local produce. Take it a step further and try making a ‘farm to table’ meal, consisting of only items grown from local farms.
Consider buying a local CSA share for the upcoming season (Community Supported Agriculture).
Join a local Coop grocery store in your area to support local farmers.
Try out some new recipes with locally grown fruits and veggies this summer.
Support the Rural Life Fund of Catholic Charities, to help offer one-time emergency assistance to rural families facing an unexpected financial hardship.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, August 20th to plan to attend the annual Rural Life Celebration put on by Catholic Charities and the Diocese of St. Cloud (more details to come!)
Visit a local farm that offers tours or activities. You could try Fairhaven Farms in Fairhaven, Country Blossom Farm in Alexandria, Coffman Apple Orchard in Wheaton, Green Island Farm in Wadena, Oliver Kelley Farm near Elk River, The Redhead Creamery near Brooten or Lida Farm in Pelican Rapids.

Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:30:00 GMT

March is Women’s History Month, a dedicated month to reflect on the contributions of women to United States history, including many who are often overlooked. President Jimmy Carter first issued a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week in 1980. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the month of March.

March 8 ^th is International Women’s Day, a day to honor the contributions and achievements of women around the world. International Women’s Day has occurred for well over a century, with the first International Women’s Day gathering taking place in 1911, drawing more than 1 million people to rallies worldwide. While this day is about recognizing and serving women to help encourage and promote social, economic, cultural, and political equity for all, it is also about women who serve.

Women have always been at the forefront of ‘people-facing’ services. From social services to healing, caretaking to teaching, women have selflessly put their communities and families first. Here at Catholic Charities, we see this in our staff which is 70% women. This International Women’s Day, we recognize and thank all the women who work to make a different tomorrow at Catholic Charities and all women whose collective voice has the power to change the world.

In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, below are some ways for you to celebrate and uplift the experiences of women:

Watch - a documentary about women’s rights!
He Named Me Malala
I Am Greta
She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry
Read – books about gender equality!
“We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History” by Kate Schatz
“The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World” by Melinda Gates
Thank – the women in your life or community who have a positive impact!
Women who work as health care professionals
Your coworkers
Your family members and friends
Shop – from women-owned, local businesses!
Christine’s Cheesecakes/ Christine's Sweet Confections
Ellora’s Beauty Supply
No Limit Painting
And many, many more!
Learn – about women-led Minnesota stories!
https://www.tpt.org/post/minnesota-women/

Sources:

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-64723201

https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day

Kindergartners Donate 100 Things to Catholic Charities Food Shelf

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 15:37:48 GMT

This week, kindergartners from St. Cloud Christian School visited Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf after completing their 100 Items of Food Challenge, benefiting our food shelf and the people we serve.

On the 100th day of school, they brought 135 food items as a donation to our food shelf, learned more about our program and toured our facility—they even had a chance to go inside our new walk-in freezer!

Having started their 100 Things project around the Thanksgiving holiday in November, Marissa Peel, St. Cloud Christian School kindergarten teacher, said, “The children learned how some families don’t have as many blessings as we do, and we should be thankful for all that we have.”

“These students learned several important lessons with their 100 Things project,” said Eric Vollen, Emergency Services Program Manager. “They learned to count past 100 in both English and Spanish, and as a SuperShelf-certified food shelf, how we work to provide a welcoming and respectful environment with access to healthy food.”

We are thankful for the 112 pounds of food donated by these young learners. Learn more about Catholic Charities Food Shelf here .

Black History Month - Minnesota History

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Trailblazing Black Minnesotans

Dr. Josie Johnson

Dr. Josie Johnson is a Black educator and civil rights activist who was instrumental in the success of a fair housing bill in Minnesota in 1962. She is often referred to as Minnesota’s First Lady of Civil Rights. Dr. Johnson received a BA in sociology from Fisk University and an MA in education from the University of Massachusetts. In 1956, she became a lobbyist and a key player in passing anti-discrimination laws in Minnesota. Throughout the 1960s, she fought tirelessly for equity in housing, voting rights and education. Dr. Johnson became one of the founding faculty members of the Department of Afro-American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota. In 1971, Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson asked her to serve on the University’s Board of Regents, making her the first Black Regent on that Board. Read more about Dr. Josie Johnson here .

Dred and Harriet Scott

The first significant point of entry for African Americans to Minnesota was in bondage to officers stationed at Fort Snelling. Although slavery was never legal in Minnesota, Army officers were allowed to bring their slaves into the territory. Once here, some slaves sought freedom. The most famous case of this is that of Dred and Harriet Scott. After their owner’s death in 1846, the couple, then living in St. Louis, sued for their freedom on the grounds that they had once lived on free soil, including Minnesota. Their case resulted in the infamous 1857 Dred Scott Decision, which held that no black person had ever been, nor could be, a citizen of the United States. This decision propelled the country toward Civil War and launched an influx of African Americans into Minnesota. To learn more Dred Scott and Harriet Scott’s fight for freedom, you can listen to this MPR story.

Mary and John Butler

Butler Park in St. Cloud was dedicated on May 6 ^th , 2017 to honor the first African American residents of St. Cloud. The park lies where slaveholders arrived with their slaves by steamboat on the Mississippi River. Mary Butler and her son traveled to St. Cloud as slaves of Rev. Thomas Calhoun of Lebanon, Tennessee in 1857. Her son died before the boat reached St. Cloud. She gave birth to another son, John, in August 1857 and he was the first African American born in St. Cloud.

While Minnesota territory was technically north of the famous Mason-Dixon Line, slavery was still legal until the territory became a state in 1858. This was due to the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision, a ruling that stated a slave who lived in a free state or territory was not entitled to freedom. To learn more about Mary and John Butler and the park dedicated to them, visit sctimes.com .

Black History Month

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 21:15:00 GMT

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian (often referred to the father of black history), Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

Black history is American history. "There is no American history without African American history," said Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. The Black experience, she said, is embedded in "everything we think of as 'American history.' "

But American history remains a segregated space. The paradox of Black History Month today, is that we still need it, even if it is not enough.

Acknowledging that America is a multicultural society and that the accomplishments and contributions of people who are not White are real, substantial, and important is proof that the American ideals so many of us profess to value are real.

https://www.rd.com/article/why-black-history-month-shouldnt-be-a-single-month/

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/26/1082532955/why-does-black-history-month-matter

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month

Foster Grandparent Program Looking for Volunteers

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 17:00:00 GMT

January is National Mentoring Month and mentoring can have its surprises!

Little did Grandma Gerry know that when she became a Foster Grandparent and began volunteering at Kid Zone at the YMCA, she would get a marriage proposal. A 5-year-old attendee of Kid Zone told Gerry, “Grandma, we’re getting married.” Gerry laughs as she shares, “He just told me we were getting married; he did not ask. Then he said he was too young to get married, so we would have to wait.”

Gerry was not immediately sold on the idea of becoming a mentor, recalling, “When someone first encouraged me to become a Foster Grandparent, I fought it.” Now she looks forward to going to Kid Zone and volunteers five days per week.

Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program offers seniors, ages 55 and over, the opportunity to work with students in local schools, or other non-profit agencies with children who need extra assistance. Typically school “Grandmas” and “Grandpas” work one-on-one with kids who need some extra support and love.

We invite you to participate in this life changing program. Your involvement will positively benefit the lives of countless children, but will undoubtedly improve the quality of your life as well, through the documented health benefits and assurance that your contributions to the community are immense. To learn more about volunteering with the Foster Grandparent Program, please contact Sue Feliciano, Area Supervisor, at (320) 229-4589 or sue.feliciano@ccstcloud.org .

Thank You for Helping Us Share the Spirit!

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 18:00:00 GMT

This year's Share the Spirit program was a tremendous success, and we're grateful to our community for helping families in need this holiday season.

Whether it was helping a family through the application process, sponsoring a family in need of gifts, volunteering during the gift drop-off and pick-up days, shopping for gifts and more—thank you!

This year, 287 families – that’s 1,291 family members – were sponsored and 236 sponsors helped make sure they had a wonderful holiday experience. Share the Spirit also raised an additional $12,580 to provide memorable holidays for our friends and neighbors in Central Minnesota. Pictured are sponsors, staff and volunteers from the Share the Spirit gift drop-off day at the St. Cloud Armory, all working together to make the holidays a little brighter this year. Thank you again to everyone who helped us share the spirit this holiday season!

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud is a nonprofit organization that works to build communities, promote family life, and enhance human dignity by providing quality services to meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and families of all faiths and beliefs.

Catholic Charities Welcomes New Bishop to Central Minnesota

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Catholic Charities warmly welcomes Father Patrick Neary to Central Minnesota. Pope Francis named Father Neary, C.S.C., a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud on Dec.15. Bishop-elect Neary was in St. Cloud for the announcement, and he visited some of the diocese’s offices and met with staff.

“I identify very much with the mission statement [of the Diocese of Saint Cloud],” said Father Neary. “Our mission is to be His heart of mercy, voice of hope, hands of justice.”

On Dec. 16, Steve Pareja, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Saint Cloud, gave Bishop-elect Neary a tour of Catholic Charities. Father Neary also met with some of the leadership staff of Catholic Charities during the tour.

“Bishop-elect Neary was excited to hear about all of our programs and was thrilled to hear how many employees and volunteers work to serve our communities,” said Pareja. “After his ordination as Bishop, he is anxious to learn more about Catholic Charities and the great work we do.”

Catholic Charities is a nonprofit organization supported by generous individuals, foundations, businesses, and faith communities. At the heart of Catholic Charities is people. People seeking help, people offering help and people who believe that we are all a community of neighbors, here in central Minnesota. The most important people to us are our clients: those whom we humbly serve.

The Diocese of St. Cloud includes 131 parishes spread across 16 counties in Central Minnesota and includes a Catholic population of around 125,000 people.

Jolly Trolley Food Drive has Best Year Ever!

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 15:30:00 GMT

The Metro Bus Jolly Trolley set new highs for donations of food and cash this year!

Due to the generosity of the people who donated at the three Jolly Trolley stops and large donations from several partners, the Jolly Trolley was a smashing success in 2022!

9,820 pounds of food and $4,164.80 was collected and distributed to Catholic Charities Emergency Services , Promise Neighborhood of Central MN and St. Cloud Area Salvation Army !

These amounts are the most the Jolly Trolley has ever collected in a single year! Over the last 12 years, the Jolly Trolley Food Drive has distributed a total of 55,040 pounds of food and $29,458.12.

Thank you to Metro Bus for supporting Catholic Charities and thank you to all those whose contributions helped those most in need in our community, especially the volunteers who helped staff the Jolly Trolley locations each night, load the buses with food, and deliver the donations that helped stock the shelves just in time for the holidays.

Catholic Charities Emergency Services, a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, works to provide food, basic everyday essentials, and financial assistance to those in need in our community. The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer. Learn more at ccstcloud.org .

Foster Grandparent Program Looking for Volunteers

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 18:15:00 GMT

The Foster Grandparent Program is looking for more volunteers!

The Senior volunteers of the Catholic Charities Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program provide meaningful, supportive relationships for children with special needs that enrich the lives of all involved.

Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program offers seniors, ages 55 and over, the opportunity to work with students in local schools, or other non-profit agencies with children who need extra assistance. Typically, school “Grandmas” and “Grandpas” work one-on-one with kids who need some extra support and love.

The Foster Grandparent Program is looking for more volunteers age 55+ to make a difference in the lives of children. We invite you to participate in this life changing program. Your involvement will positively benefit the lives of countless children and will undoubtedly improve the quality of your life as well, through the documented health benefits and assurance that your contributions to the community are immense. To learn more, please contact Sue Feliciano, Area Supervisor, at (320) 229-4589 or sue.feliciano@ccstcloud.org .

For Grandma Judy, getting involved in the Foster Grandparent Program was an easy decision. She believes, “Children are our future; we need to support them and their education.” Judy serves at Kimball Elementary and is simply awed by how the students’ faces light up when she comes into the classroom. She hopes others join the program to experience the joy of these smiling faces; “You will get back as much as you give.”

“Grandma, you should quit your job and read to children!” This is what Grandma Luan heard from her granddaughter as she was getting ready to retire. So, when she saw an ad in the local paper about the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program, she felt she had to learn more. “I love working with children and wanted to dedicate my time to making a difference in their lives.” Grandma Luan volunteers at Paynesville Elementary and is making a huge difference by helping students follow directions, learn to count, and of course, read!

Consider joining the Foster Grandparents Program today and visit ccstcloud.org to learn more!

Celebrating Holidays in December

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:32:39 GMT

Dear Friends:

Each year during December, Christians around the world reflect on the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, during the celebration of Christmas. Christmas and Easter are the two foundational holidays where Christians celebrate the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus for our Salvation. But as an organization, Catholic Charities also recognizes and honors other religious and cultural celebrations that occur this time of year.

As you know, Catholic Charities is an organization founded in the Catholic faith, especially the Catholic social teachings and faith principles of service and justice. It is these same principles that guide our agency to reach out to all, regardless of their faith tradition or spiritual identity, today.

This time of year is filled with various religious holidays and cultural observances. These include but are not limited to the following:

Hanukkah: the eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, is often called the Festival of Lights and is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah and traditional foods, games and gifts each night for eight days, honoring the miracle of the oil that kept the Maccabees lights lit centuries ago. This year Hanukkah is celebrated December 18th-26th.

Christmas: celebrated on December 25th, Christmas is a sacred religious holiday for Christians. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with various cultural and religious traditions. Christmas Day celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians believe to be the Son of God, and whose life and teachings form the basis of the Christian religion. Popular Christmas customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church services, and sharing meals or traditional treats with family and friends.

Kwanzaa: Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African Americans together as a community. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. Kwanzaa takes place each year December 26th - January 1st, and each night includes a discussion of one of the Seven Principles, or African cultural values, called the "Nguzo Saba" in Swahili.

As you can see, this time of year holds an abundance of religious and cultural differences. And at Catholic Charities, we believe that religious differences should be celebrated, not separated.

So regardless of which holidays you may or may not be celebrating in the coming weeks, and what festivities you and your loved ones may be enjoying, I want to wish you a fun, safe, peace and joy-filled remainder of your December and start of your new year.

Blessings,

Steve
______

Stephen Pareja | Executive Director
D 320.650.1530 F 320.650.1509

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud
911 18th Street North, St. Cloud, MN 56303
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Mardi Gras Tickets Available

Jenna.Pettit@ccstcloud.org (Jenna Pettit) — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:44:45 GMT

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR CATHOLIC CHARITIES ANNUAL CELEBRATION WITH A CAUSE

Tickets are now on sale for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud’s annual Mardi Gras fundraiser, the celebration that benefits persons in need of food, shelter and clothing in the St. Cloud area.

The event supports Catholic Charities Emergency Services, with programs that include a food shelf, clothing program, and financial assistance program; and Catholic Charities Domus Transitional Housing, a facility for single women and their children. The event will be held on Saturday, January 28, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud.

This year’s Mardi Gras celebration includes a gourmet dinner catered by Custom Catering by Short Stop, a silent auction, music by the Vista Jazz Band and the Fabulous Armadillos, and more. It’s one of St. Cloud’s most entertaining evenings of the year, when the Central Minnesota community gathers to support Catholic Charities while enjoying great food, friends and entertainment. Presenting sponsors are Rice Companies, Clifton Larson Allen, and Associated Wholesale Grocers along with many other businesses, organizations and individuals across Central Minnesota.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at ccstcloud.org or by calling 320-650-1643. The event has sold out in recent years, and tickets are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Jolly Trolley Food Drive Returns December 13-15

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 21:00:00 GMT

The Jolly Trolley Food Drive is back on the road for 2022!

Metro Bus, along with its partners, encourage members of the community to donate cash and/or nonperishable food items December 13-15. The Jolly Trolley will be at Coborn’s in Sauk Rapids, Lunds & Byerlys, and Coborn’s on Cooper in St. Cloud, respectively, from 3-6pm each afternoon.

Jolly Trolley donations will go to area food shelves including Catholic Charities Emergency Services , Promise Neighborhood of Central MN and the St. Cloud Salvation Army. Cash donations are encouraged since food shelves can purchase up to five times as much food with each dollar as retail customers.

“The Jolly Trolley is a way for Metro Bus, as well as our partners, to give back to the community that has supported us for decades,” said Ryan Daniel, CEO of Metro Bus. “We care about our community and those who use our services. The food drive is a great way to support our neighbors who are in need.”

The Jolly Trolley first rolled out in 2011 and has collected over 45,000 pounds of food and $25,000 dollars over the past 12 years.

Contributions should be sent directly to any of the eligible food shelves listed above to the attention of the “Stearns Bank Community Challenge.”

Grandma Ione

Keri.Bosl@ccstcloud.org (Keri Bösl) — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 16:28:48 GMT

Grandma Ione is a Foster Grandparent at Dei Spring Academy in Cold Spring. Her favorite part of being a Foster Grandparent, “The babies . . . holding them, feeding them.” It really is all about the babies!! Kari Goldschmidt, Director of Dei Spring Academy shares, “Having the extra set of hands, arms, and hugs is invaluable to helping the room run smoothly, especially over the lunch and napping times.”

Grandma Ione hopes others become a part of the Foster Grandparent Program because “it’s a really positive experience and very flexible.” Kari would love more Foster Grandparents at Dei Spring as she sees it as “a great opportunity to interact with children and be a part of their growth and learning.”

If you are 55+ and would love to impact the growth and learning of children at Dei Spring, then contact Sue Feliciano at (320) 229-4589 or sue.feliciano@ccstcloud.org .

Catholic Charities, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sponsors St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:43:56 GMT

The 2022 holiday season marks the 75th anniversary of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

Catholic Charities Emergency Services, in conjunction with the Valhalla Detachment of the Department of Minnesota Marine Corps League, annually sponsors the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program for children in the St. Cloud area who would not receive a gift without this program.

Deliver new, unwrapped toys to any of the Toys for Tots Marine drop boxes located throughout the community as early as possible, as client distribution begins December 13. Emergency Services prefers to have toys placed in these drop boxes.

Emergency Services is accepting toy donations on Mondays from 10 am to 3 pm, Wednesdays from 10 am to 6 pm and Fridays from 10 am to 3 pm at the loading area of 157 Roosevelt Road, Suite 100, St. Cloud, Door D (back of building). Please do not leave donations outside our doors, as they must be collected by Catholic Charities staff.

The 2022 holiday season marks the 75th anniversary of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

Online registration for the St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots program continues through Friday, December 2. For more information about registering, drop-off locations and donating to St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots, visit ccstcloud.org/toysfortots .

About the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program

Toys for Tots, a 75-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness and hope to less fortunate children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books and other gifts collected and distributed by Marines and volunteers offer these children recognition, confidence and a positive memory for a lifetime. We believe it is such experiences that help disadvantaged children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community. For more information, visit toysfortots.org .

About Catholic Charities Emergency Services

Catholic Charities Emergency Services, a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, works to provide food, basic everyday essentials and financial assistance to those in need in our community.

About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud

The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer. Learn more at ccstcloud.org .

90 Sponsors Needed for Catholic Charities Share the Spirit

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:36:01 GMT

Share the Spirit needs 90 sponsors to help support families in need this holiday season.

Share the Spirit, a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, helps provide a wonderful holiday experience for households in need by matching individuals and families referred to Catholic Charities by area social workers, medical providers and education professionals with individuals, groups and organizations that wish to provide gifts for a memorable holiday season.

Share the Spirit has 290 families who have applied for the 2022 program, an increase from 284 families in 2021.

“By partnering with local professionals, we’re able to identify and lift up local families in need during the holiday season,” said Melissa Blair, Share the Spirit program coordinator.

“When you sponsor a family, you receive a list of the family’s wants and needs for each household member. Families of all sizes are available for Share the Spirit sponsorship, and we ask that donors spend about $70 per family member on gifts,” says Blair.

“We also accept monetary donations to the program. When you donate online at ccstcloud.org/donate and designate your gift to Share the Spirit, we’ll do the shopping for you,” says Blair.

Items that have been gift-wrapped are delivered to the Minnesota National Guard Armory in St. Cloud on Thursday, December 15. Sponsored families or their area social workers pick up gifts the following day on Friday, December 16.

To sponsor a Share the Spirit family, visit ccstcloud.org/sharethespirit and complete and submit the Sponsor a Family online donor form. Or call Melissa Blair, Share the Spirit program coordinator, at 320-229-4580.

Spin Art Spectacular for Foster Grandparent

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 22:40:17 GMT

AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program

Half of the fun of doing spin art is getting your hands full of paint! Grandma Judy jumped right into the fun. If you would like to have fun with youth in schools or other non-profit organizations as an AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent, contact Pat Braun at 612-390-0617 or pat.braun@ccstcloud.org .

Foster Grandparent Staff Adopt Drains

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 21:06:31 GMT

On Thursday, September 8th, the Foster Grandparent Program staff adopted two drains along Roosevelt Road.

Adopt-A-Drain is a program that mobiles people to keep storm drains free of debris to prevent localized flooding and reduce runoff pollution. Featured are some before and after pictures as well as the 29 lbs of debris that was cleared from the tops of the two storm drains. Let the clean water flow!

Share the Spirit Holiday Program

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 21:01:26 GMT

Help by sponsoring a family this holiday season. For many households across central Minnesota, the holidays can be an incredibly challenging time of year.

The goal of Catholic Charities Share the Spirit program is to provide a wonderful holiday experience for households in need. We do so by matching individuals and families who are referred to us by area social workers, medical providers and education professionals with individuals, groups and organizations that wish to provide gifts for a memorable holiday experience.

“By partnering with local professionals, we’re able to identify and lift up local families in need during the holiday season,” said Melissa Blair, Share the Spirit program manager. “When you sponsor a family, you receive a list of three wants and three needs for each household member. Families of all sizes are available for Share the Spirit sponsorship. We ask that donors spend a minimum of $70 per family member."

To sponsor a family, visit Share the Spirit or click Sponsor a Family below, and complete and submit the online sponsor form. Gift-wrapped items are to be delivered to the Minnesota National Guard Armory at 1710 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud, on Thursday, December 15, between the hours of 7:30 am and 4 pm. You will receive information about your family via email once you've been matched.

Thank you for helping Share the Spirit this holiday season! Sponsor a family.

We also accept financial donations for those who are not able to sponsor a household. Donate to Share the Spirit, and we’ll do the shopping for you!

Foster Grandparent Double-Duty

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 20:58:59 GMT

Grandma Kathy has been doing double duty as a Foster Grandparent; she divides her time volunteering between Talahi Community School and Promise Neighborhood.

Her reason behind becoming a volunteer with the Foster Grandparent Program nearly 3 years ago, “I like kids and I like reading. It is important for every child to learn to read.” Her favorite aspect of the program, she shares with a smile, “Working with the kids.”

Grandma Kathy has found another added benefit of volunteering; “It gets everyone out of the house and in the community!”

If getting out in the community and spending time reading with kids is your passion, then the Foster Grandparent Program has opportunities for you. For more information contact Sue Feliciano, Area Supervisor, at (320) 229-4589 or sue.feliciano@ccstcloud.org .

Outstanding Senior Citizens: Uhlenkamps Reflect on Years of Area Volunteer Work

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:57:37 GMT

Photo by Ben Sonnek: Marilyn and Lyle Uhlenkamp stop by the Stearns County Fairgrounds Aug. 5 in Sauk Centre. The Uhlenkamps were given the 2022 Stearns County Outstanding Senior Citizens award July 28 during Sauk Centre’s Stearns County Fair.

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer with Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program nominated as 2022 Stearns County Outstanding Senior Citizen

A couple of days before the Stearns County Fair, Lyle and Marilyn Uhlenkamp got a phone call from Marianne Walker, the 2021 Minnesota Outstanding Senior Citizen, letting them know they had been nominated as the 2022 Stearns County Outstanding Senior Citizens. On July 28, the Uhlenkamps took to the Heritage Stage at the Stearns County Fair in Sauk Centre to receive their plaques and well-earned applause.

Because the Outstanding Senior Citizen awards are no longer being held at the state level, the Uhlenkamps will not be advancing in competition. However, they are happy with the recognition they have received, even though they do not consider their work to have been anything extraordinary.

“We just figure it’s normal,” Marilyn said. “We haven’t done anything so outstanding; we just figure that’s what you do if you belong to a community like ours.”

One of six children, Marilyn grew up in and graduated from Sauk Centre; after a year of working in the Sauk Centre High School office, she moved down to the Twin Cities.

Lyle was raised in Westport on a dairy farm as one of 10 children, later working in the Twin Cities before getting drafted in 1961, returning to the cities a couple of years later to drive truck.

“I got out (of the military) on the day Kennedy was assassinated,” Lyle said. “It was a little scary; everybody that got out that day thought, ‘We’re going to get called back,’ but that didn’t happen.”

Lyle and Marilyn met in the Sauk Centre Coliseum; they married in 1966 and, with the help of Marilyn’s family, they began dairy farming near Sauk Centre in 1972. Their three children attended Holy Family School in Sauk Centre and eventually got involved as third-generation 4-H members; Marilyn’s father had been part of 4-H before her, and Lyle had also been involved as a child.

The Uhlenkamp children’s 4-H involvement led to Marilyn starting as a project judge in the 1990s, and with Lyle’s assistance, she was soon judging at the county and the state level. They did not really think of their work as volunteer service.

“It’s just something you did as a family,” Marilyn said. “With 4-H, everybody in the family is involved. There’s no time for boredom when you’re in 4-H.”

Marilyn continues judging 4-H projects today; she mainly judges Stearns County but has helped in other counties as well. She mainly judges food, clothing, creative arts and Cloverbuds projects, staying out of areas like robotics and photography as they are not within her area of expertise. Marilyn remembers that, when she started judging, there were more children whose submissions involved gardening, clothing and model rocketry.

Around the same time, Lyle was serving on the Ashley Township Board. He held the position for a few years before his resignation.

“(The township meeting) was always on Tuesday, so you couldn’t cut hay on Monday because you had to go to that meeting,” Lyle said. “It puts you back to only Wednesday. When my son was home, it worked, but when he left for college, I just couldn’t do it.”

In 4-H, Marilyn also served on the advisory committee and was the club leader for several years; she and Lyle also helped make the food stand in the 4-H building at the Stearns County Fairgrounds. Outside of 4-H, Marilyn was a member of the Stearns County Extension Homemakers and was their president for a year, and she was also a township election judge. After their children had moved out, she worked at the then-new Alexandria Target for nine years, and in Sauk Centre, she taught religion at Holy Family School and worked on a number of parish committees.

Marilyn has been a member of the Foster Grandparent program for 17 years. Additionally, Lyle donates his time at his daughter’s daycare, where the children often call him Grandpa Lyle.

“I’m grandpa to I don’t know how many,” Lyle said. “In fact, I was grandpa to a kid who is now our lawyer.”

The Uhlenkamps maintain a close relationship with Holy Family School; not only did their three children go to school there, but so did three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren will be there in the fall. Lyle has made wooden items for the HFS Springfest sale, and the school will call on Lyle if they have woodworking projects such as bookshelves, chests of drawers or benches.

“They pay for the material, and I just donate my time,” Lyle said.

Lyle and Marilyn have also been involved with Sauk Centre Area Historical Society for many years, Lyle serving as treasurer for six years. Closer to their front door, the Uhlenkamps sometimes drive their neighbors for doctor’s appointments and other needs, and they help maintain the flowers around Lynx National Golf Course.

Additionally, the Uhlenkamps are part of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, helping with their booth at the Stearns County Fair and their annual rummage sale. Finally, they are both lifelong members of the Minnesota Adult Volunteer Association.

While they are honored to be recognized for all they have done and continue to do, the Uhlenkamps do not consider their efforts to be anything special.

“There are a lot of people in our community who probably do more than we do,” Marilyn said. “A lot of people are behind the scenes; you don’t know that they’re doing it. We don’t feel we’ve done anything that outstanding.”

This article was previously published in the August 11, 2022, issue of the Star Post, and is published here with permission of Star Publications.

Foster Grandparent is Volunteer of the Month

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 20:54:25 GMT

Foster Grandparent Marlys Bolin was the Elk River August 2022 Volunteer of the Month.

Nominated by Twin Lakes Elementary principal Dan Collins. Marlys has been a volunteer with the Central MN Foster Grandparent Program for 3 years. Grandma Marlys is an outstanding volunteer who makes every child that she serves with feel special and important.

Grandma Marlys has been serving her time in Jill Jopp’s second grade classroom. With the help of her grandson and teacher Jill Jopp, Marlys was connected virtually to the classroom allowing her to continue to volunteer through the ebbs and flows of the Covid-19 pandemic.

When Grandma Marlys recently became a widow, she decided she did not want any time off as she needed “her” kids. They have helped her feel needed and they made homemade cards for her and promised to be her sunshine when she needed it.

For more information about how you can help a child to succeed, contact Pat Braun, Area Supervisor at 612-390-0617 or pat.braun@ccstcloud.org.

Parish Ministry Social Gathering

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:53:12 GMT

Join us for the Parish Social Ministry Gathering

Saturday, September 24
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Join us for a day of information, prayer and service, including Mass with Bishop Kettler, keynote Bernie Evans, additional speakers, fellowship and activities. Participants are from across the diocese. All presentations are available through interpretation in English and Spanish. Lunch will be provided, and childcare is available upon request.

Location St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 1036 County Road 4, St Cloud, MN 56303

FREE Thanks to the generosity of Together As One Area Catholic Community and the Knights of Columbus, the event is free!

Rural Life Celebration Event a Huge Success

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 20:50:55 GMT

More than 750 enjoyed the 2022 Rural Life Celebration on the Trunk Family Farm near Princeton, MN on August 14. Here are the event highlights captured on youtube.

The Diocesan Rural Life Celebration is a free community event each year. The event celebrates and honors God’s creation and the beauty of rural central Minnesota. The celebration consisted of an outdoor Mass with Bishop Donald J. Kettler, the presentation of the Catholic Century Farm Awards and Catholic Rural Business Award, a meal, music and entertainment.

The Rural Life Celebration is sponsored by Catholic Charities, the Diocese of St. Cloud and the Catholic Foundation. The hosting parish is St. Louis Bertrand in Foreston, along with the Four Pillars in Faith Area Catholic Community of Milaca, Mora and Ogilvie.

Young Giving

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 20:49:34 GMT

The Food Shelf had a delightful visit from 6-1/2-year-old Erin today. Erin decided to have a Lemonade Stand. The money she earned was earmarked for the Food Shelf. Erin came in today with her earnings and shared that she wanted to help others who are hungry.

Erin comes by this thought of helping others naturally as her Grandma and Grandpa (Mary Ann and Henry Padgett) donate many hours each year to Emergency Services. They step up and help in so many ways...from sorting food to setting up the food shelf for distribution to assisting with Toys for Tots and much more.

Catholic Charities is blessed and thankful to have their help, and to see it being passed on to younger generations!

Catholic Charities Receives United Way Health Initiative Grant

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 20:44:25 GMT

Funding will be used to support the mental and physical health education of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who serve as Foster Grandparents

Catholic Charities Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program, sponsored by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, has received funding from United Way of Central Minnesota through its Health Initiative. Funding will be used to support the mental and physical health education of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who serve as Foster Grandparents.

Research has shown that volunteerism improves the well-being of volunteers, giving them a renewed sense of purpose. An article published by the Mayo Clinic Health System in 2021 even discussed the benefits of volunteerism that were being seen in research on the field. The benefits were most strongly seen in senior populations and included improved mental and physical health, as well as growth in new and existing relationships.

It is projected that in the 2022-2023 academic year, over 80 Foster Grandparents will serve at one of central Minnesota’s 41 volunteer stations that include both public and private K-12 schools, Head Start programs, after-school programs and nonprofit childcare centers.

About AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency invests more than $800 million in grants for local nonprofit, community, tribal, and state organizations; places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov .

About Catholic Charities Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program

Foster Grandparents are AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers aged 55 and older who build a consistent, caring, intergenerational relationship with youth by nurturing a safe and inclusive environment. This promotes and enhances the development of youth by building competency and confidence through encouragement. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers mentor and tutor students in the classroom setting, participate in learning games, and role-model appropriate behavior and social skills while making learning fun. Learn more at here .

About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud

The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer. Learn more at ccstcloud.org.

Rural Life Celebration Returns August 14 in Princeton, MN

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 20:41:07 GMT

The free community event celebrates and honors God's creation and the beauty of central Minnesota.

The 2022 Diocesan Rural Life Celebration is a free community event that celebrates and honors God’s creation and the beauty of rural central Minnesota. The event is Sunday, August 14, from 10 am to 3 pm, at the David Trunk Farm, 4383 120th Ave, Princeton, MN 55371.

The Diocesan Rural Life Celebration consists of an outdoor Mass with Bishop Donald J. Kettler, Diocese of St. Cloud, beginning at 10 am, with a presentation of the Catholic Century Farm Awards and Catholic Rural Business Award.

A meal with music and family-friendly entertainment follows the Mass. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chair and to take note of Hwy. 23 closure between Foley and Milaca. Road signs will direct visitors to the Trunk Farm and nearby parking.

“This celebration is one way of honoring our rural tradition in the Diocese of St. Cloud,” said Kateri Mancini, Director, Catholic Charities Social Concerns. “The contributions of farmers, agriculture workers, faith communities and individuals from our rural communities is immeasurably important to life in central Minnesota.”

Fr. Derek Wiechmann, pastor of the hosting faith communities, says he is excited to be a part of hosting this annual get-together. “Fewer and fewer people are connected to farms and know where their food comes from,” he said. “It’s important for us to bridge that gap. Otherwise, there can be many misconceptions that arise about where food comes from and how it gets from farm to table.”

Catholic Century Farm Awards and Rural Business Award

Six Catholic farm families who have cared for God’s creation in the Diocese of St. Cloud for one hundred years or more will be honored with the Catholic Century Farm Award. The award recognizes each family farm’s outstanding legacy in faith-based family farming within the diocese.

This year’s Catholic Century Farm Award recipients are:

Bauer Family Farm, Benton County, established 1915
Czech Family Farm, Morrison County, established 1899
Ebnet Family Farm, Stearns County, established 1906
Kern Farm, Wadena County, established 1914
Michael Farm, Isanti County, established 1910
Rausch Family Farm, Stearns County, established 1872*

* Indicates a sesquicentennial farm.

About Catholic Charities Social Concerns

Catholic Charities Social Concerns collaborates with the Diocese of St. Cloud, interfaith communities and advocacy groups to educate and promote action on behalf of Catholic Social Teaching. Learn more at ccstcloud.org/social-concerns.

About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud

The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Learn more at ccstcloud.org. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer.

2022 Catholic Century Farm Awards

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 21:25:55 GMT

Award honors Catholic families in the diocese who have been farming the same land for at least a hundred years.

Since 2018, Catholic Charities along with Bishop Kettler of the Diocese of St. Cloud, has honored Catholic families in the diocese who have been farming the same land for at least a hundred years, with the Catholic Century Farm Awards. On August 14th, 2022 Catholic Charities and Bishop Kettler will once again present these awards at the Diocesan Rural Life Celebration.

This year we will be recognizing six farm families who have cared for God’s creation in our Diocese. Honorees will be receiving a Catholic Century Farm Award certificate signed by Bishop Donald Kettler and Director of Social Concerns, Kateri Mancini, along with a special gift for their home in recognition of their outstanding legacy in faith-based family farming within our diocese.

The Catholic Century Farm Awards are a way that Catholic Charities and the Bishop of St. Cloud honors those Catholic families who have farmed and nurtured the same land for 100 years or more. Different from the state or county-based century farm registries, the Catholic Century Farm Awards are an opportunity for our whole diocese to recognize the deep connection between our faith and farming traditions, and reflect on our many neighbors who are living out the Catholic social teaching of care for creation through their vocation of farming and stewardship of the earth. It allows us to share our gratitude for the nourishment they provide to our communities in more ways than one through their faith in God and the work of their hands.

The six families we will be honoring this year come from multiple regions of our diocese. All six honorees come from different parish communities across five different counties. Our longest standing farm is celebrating 150 years this summer! The “youngest” farm honoree is celebrating 107 years farming in our Diocese. All our recipients have a strong focus on the importance of family and the legacies created through farming.

This year’s Catholic Century Farm Award recipients include:

Bauer Family Farm, established 1915
Czech Family Farm, established 1899
Ebnet Family Farm, established 1906
Kern Farm, established 1914
Michael Farm, established 1910
Rausch Family Farm, established 1872*

* Indicates a sesquicentennial farm.

What 2021 Catholic Century Farm Award Recipients Said About Their Farms

When farm families apply for the Catholic Century Farm Awards, they are asked to tell us a little bit about why the farm and farming is important to them. Here are some of this year’s recipients’ comments:

Bauer Family Farm. The farm is a great place to raise a family. Everyone helps with all of the work to be done.

Czech Family Farm. Being born and raised on a family farm has given me such incredible roots. Raising my family on this farm has been incredible. We love the whole part of it, the animals, crops, garden, yard, outside is where we’ll be! We are so proud to be here, caring and loving this farm.

Ebnet Family Farm. Our family takes great pride in our farm, and we consider this farm our home. Since this farm had the first contour strips in Stearns County, we take great care in maintaining it. Our three children grew up helping with every aspect of the farm and all have a fantastic work ethic because of it. We are lucky to have raised them here.

Kern Farm. This farm is where our family has worked, played, hunted, and celebrated many events over the years. Not having this land would leave a void in our lives.

Michael Farm. This farm is our home. It is where we raised six children and milked cows before later switching to beef cattle. We couldn’t do the work without our children.

Rausch Family Farm. We take pride in the hard work that so many generations have put into the farm. We love that we can count on family and extended family to continue to come back and support the Rausch Family Farm. Working together and supporting each other keeps us close.

If you or someone you know has a Catholic Century Farm, or will be celebrating your family farm’s 100th year in 2023, visit the social concerns website to learn more and apply for this special honor. Applications submitted between now and June of 2023 will be honored at a special Mass with Bishop in August of 2023.

Love Is in the Air, a Summer "Women of Rock" Concert Featuring Janelle Kendall's Perfect Storm

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 21:22:22 GMT

Join us at the Pioneer Place on Fifth on Thursday, July 28th at 7 pm. Tickets are available here !

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud presents Love Is in the Air, a concert featuring Janelle Kendall’s Perfect Storm.

Janelle Kendall’s Perfect Storm includes local musicians Mark Hasbrouck, Dan Witte, Mark Levandowski, Matt Moline, Alex Kendall, Pat Curto and Carolyn Yaggie-Heinen. Together, they deliver a tsunami of female rock anthems from Aretha Franklin, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Heart and more.

Janelle Kendall’s Perfect Storm captures the spirit of confident women rockers in a concert you won’t want to miss!

The concert benefits programs and services of Catholic Charities. Tickets are $25, general admission and can be purchased online at ccstcloud.org.

Quote from Janelle Kendall, Stearns County Attorney:

“In my day job, I see the positive effect that Catholic Charities has on our community. From the food shelf to safe housing to supporting those who oftentimes cannot support themselves—Catholic Charities provides a safety net and a positive environment for everyone. Knowing support from Catholic Charities is available matters to many people who may also interact with the court system, mental health services, and other community services.

“As a musician, I saw my concert as something I could offer beyond mere cash to help. I’m also adopted through Catholic Charities [Winona], so ensuring the vitality and engagement of all Catholic Charities does for our central Minnesota community matters a lot to me!”

Quote from Steve Pareja, Catholic Charities Executive Director:

“Catholic Charities is excited that Janelle Kendall’s Perfect Storm and Pioneer Place on Fifth have offered their time, talent and resources to support our mission of serving and enhancing human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs in central Minnesota.

“Because of their generosity, 100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales and donations will go to support Catholic Charities. We’re looking forward to celebrating an evening of great music at a fantastic venue with our friends and supporters while raising necessary funds to serve those in need.”

Quote from Ray Herrington, Owner, Pioneer Place on Fifth

“Pioneer Place on Fifth is the soul of the entertainment scene in downtown St. Cloud and I’m happy to support Catholic Charities’ Love Is in the Air concert. We’re fortunate to have Janelle Kendall participate in helping raise money and awareness for what Catholic Charities does to support our community.”

Challenge Yourself to Help End Food Insecurity in the St. Cloud Area

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 20:06:10 GMT

You can make a difference for families experiencing food insecurity in our community

Minnesota summers were made for trips to the cabin, boat rides on the lake, and farmers market outings, not food shelf visits. Children are home from school and the family budget is tight. Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf helps provide nutritious fruits and vegetables to these families and needs your help this summer.

"In a normal summer, we see an increase in child visits during the summer," said Sue Hanks, Catholic Charities Emergency Services program manager. "When school is out for summer vacation, many children miss out on free school meals and their families turn to us for support. This summer, between the kids being home from school and more families experiencing economic hardship due to inflation, soaring food and gas prices, and the impacts of expiring Covid-19 pandemic relief programs, we are seeing a greater level of need."

Make a bigger impact on food insecurity in our community this July

Every day, Minnesotans make over 10,000 visits to food shelves statewide – that is more than seven visits to a food shelf every minute if food shelves were open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 2021, Minnesotans made 3,632,243 visits to their food shelves statewide. Children represented 34.8% of food shelf visits in Minnesota with a total of 1,265,599 visits. Even before COVID-19, there was a record level of need across the state.Last July, Catholic Charities Food Shelf distributed over 110,000 pounds of food to people experiencing food insecurity in the St. Cloud area.

You can make a difference this year by donating throughout the month of July. The more you donate, the larger our food shelf’s grant from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will be. The challenge funds will proportionally match your donation. Your financial donation will go further due to our buying power. We can purchase food from our food bank for pennies on the pound.

Since 1986, Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has targeted millions of dollars to strategically fight hunger in Minnesota. Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless funds the purchase and transfer of more than one million pounds of fresh produce, meat, and dairy products to food shelves every year. Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless also provides grants for food shelves and food banks to get the equipment they need—like freezers, shelving and trucks—to be able to serve the growing number of Minnesotans who can’t afford enough food for their families.

Hunger Solutions Minnesota is the statewide organization that coordinates this challenge grant opportunity. Hunger Solutions works to end hunger via the Minnesota Food HelpLine and by advancing fair public nutrition policies on behalf of hungry Minnesotans. Hunger Solutions also connects Minnesota’s food shelves with funding and technical assistance to support the 10,000+ daily food shelf visits statewide.

Give to Catholic Charities Food Shelf

Good Samaritan Awards Honor Catholic Charities' Partners and Friends

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 19:39:17 GMT

2022 recipients are Chuck and Pat Ernst and PAM’s Auto

Good Samaritan Awards recipients; from left, Chuck and Pat Ernst, Pat and Tamara Huesers, Mike and Jeny Meyer.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud recently presented its annual Good Samaritan Awards to Chuck and Pat Ernst, St. Cloud, and PAM’s Auto, St. Cloud, at the Good Samaritan Awards Dinner and Reception, the first awards presentation since 2019 due to the coronavirus.

Award recipients are recognized for following the example of the biblical Good Samaritan by helping those who are less fortunate without the expectation of anything in return, and for their support of Catholic Charities’ mission of serving and enhancing human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs.

They demonstrate community leadership while dedicating their time, talent and treasure, and by making a difference in the Central Minnesota community.

“It is wonderful that we were able to gather and recognize these generous volunteers together and in person for all their support of Catholic Charities over the years,” said Steve Pareja, Catholic Charities Executive Director.

Chuck and Pat Ernst

Chuck and Pat Ernst are active supporters of Catholic Charities and in the community. Both retired math professors from St. Cloud State University, Chuck has been a dedicated volunteer for Catholic Charities Emergency Services since 1996, and has a passion for working with clients and helping people in their time of need. For many years, Pat volunteered at Whitney Senior Center for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, and was instrumental in starting the program. As members of Christ Church Newman Center, St. Cloud, they are involved with the Community Meal, which helps feed members of our community in need of food and fellowship.

“Through their time, talent, treasure and advocacy, Chuck and Pat Ernst are exemplary supporters of Catholic Charities and our many community neighbors in need,” said Kateri Mancini, Director of Catholic Charities Social Concerns. “They are faithful contributors to the mission of Catholic Charities, and their collective compassion triggers meaningful action. Chuck and Pat are well-deserving of the Good Samaritan Award.”

Watch the Ernst nomination video here .

PAM's Auto

PAM’s Auto business owners Pat and Tamara Huesers and Mike and Jeny Meyer also support Catholic Charities and the greater community. PAM’s Auto has been a sponsor of Mardi Gras, Catholic Charities annual gala and fundraiser, since 2009, and the event’s Mardi Gras Technology sponsor since 2012. Pat and Tamara, and Mike and Jeny, have been active volunteers at Mardi Gras leading up to and during the event. Tamara and Jeny have been table hosts at Catholic Charities’ annual Benefit Breakfast and Luncheon. Over the years, the Huesers and Meyers have encouraged their children to host a food drive that supports Catholic Charities Food Shelf, established a vegetable garden for residents at Catholic Charities Youth House, and helped raise funds, products and awareness for youth experiencing homelessness in the area. Tamara served on Catholic Charities Board of Directors from 2016 through 2021.

“PAM’s Auto—Pat and Tamara, and Mike and Jeny—are very supportive in the community,” said Wendy Haus, Catholic Charities Development Officer. “Not only do they support Catholic Charities, but they also support other organizations. They want to help people, and they are always willing to step up and help Catholic Charities when we are in need. They are truly deserving of this award.”

Watch the PAM’s Auto nomination video here .

Catholic Charities Announces Two New Director-Level Positions

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Tue, 24 May 2022 18:46:35 GMT

Michelle Arnold was promoted to the new Director of Human Resources and Chad Bösl is the new Director of Behavioral Health Services

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud is announcing two new directors for the organization’s leadership team: Michelle Arnold was promoted to the new Director of Human Resources and Chad Bösl is the new Director of Behavioral Health Services.

Michelle Arnold’s hometown is St. Cloud, MN. She now resides in Sauk Rapids with her husband, Jim, who manages the Sauk Rapids Sherwin Williams store. Michelle and Jim have two daughters who attend Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

Michelle has worked for Catholic Charities since 2004. She started as the Human Resources Coordinator for Catholic Charities and then was promoted to Recruiter and Volunteer Coordinator, Human Resources Supervisor and now to the Director of Human Resources.

Michelle has a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in Human Resources from St. Cloud State University.

When asked why she works at Catholic Charities, she replied, “I believe in the mission and work of this organization. Knowing that I can come to work each day to support the employees of Catholic Charities who are working within our community and assisting those in need provides purpose in my work.”

Chad Bösl oversees the HOPE Community Support Program, Catholic Charities Behavior Health Clinic and the Day Treatment Programs in both St. Cloud and Elk River. Chad has a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University in Eagan, MN.

In addition, Chad is a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

Chad said, “I have worked in mental health for 14 years and I’m excited to join Catholic Charities because of the reach and positive impact this organization has on our community.”

“Both of these directors bring talent, expertise and energy to the table. We are fortunate to have them by our side as we continue our mission of serving and enhancing human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs across our Central Minnesota communities,” said Stephen R. Pareja, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

ABOUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. CLOUD

The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Learn more at ccstcloud.org. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer.

Foster Grandparent Rosemary Younk Serves Students in Many New Ways

Mon, 16 May 2022 20:05:13 GMT

Are you interested in mentoring and tutoring children? Serve as an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in our Foster Grandparent program.

Grandma Rosemary Younk, a Foster Grandparent volunteer at Westwood Elementary School for the past 6 years, has found a way to continue her love of helping others. Circumstances this past year did not allow Grandma Rosemary to serve inside the first-grade classroom. Refusing to be defeated by barriers and working with the teacher, Grandma Rosemary continues to make an impact on the students. Pictured above you see her working on 30 Sight Word Readers for the class! While she looks forward to her return to the classroom, she is proud of the ways she continues to enhance the learning of the students.

The Foster Grandparent Program is looking for more adults 55+ to make an impact on children in the community. To learn more, please contact Sue Feliciano, Area Supervisor, at (320) 229-4589 or sue.feliciano@ccstcloud.org .

Braham is Location for New Senior Dining Site

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Wed, 04 May 2022 20:37:40 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

BRAHAM IS LOCATION FOR NEW SENIOR DINING SITE

St. Cloud, MN (May 4, 2022) — Catholic Charities is happy to announce the opening of a new congregate dining site. Diners are welcome to the Braham Event Center every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:45 for senior congregate dining. Reservations are requested. Diners need to pre-register for each congregate meal at least one day in advance by calling North Branch at 651.674.1956 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

An annual registration form is required for a new diner. This form must be completed before dining. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to complete the form. Suggested contribution information will be available. No eligible person is denied a meal based on their ability to pay.

ABOUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES SENIOR DINING
Catholic Charities Senior Dining, a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, has been providing low-cost meal options for seniors 60 and older in Central Minnesota for more than 55 years. The program’s nine-county region includes Aitkin, Benton, Cass, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Wadena, and Wright counties.

For information or to register for Meals on Wheels, contact Senior Dining in North Branch at 651.674.1956.

VOLUNTEER WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES SENIOR DINING
Catholic Charities Senior Dining needs volunteers at congregate dining rooms and delivering Meals on Wheels. Chloe Rowland, Volunteer Coordinator, at 320-229-4590 or volunteer@ccstcloud.org. Learn more about Catholic Charities Volunteer program at ccstcloud.org/volunteer.

ABOUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. CLOUD
The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer. Learn more at ccstcloud.org.

Foster Grandparent Carol Is a Role Model to First Graders at St. Cloud's All Saints Academy

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 14:43:56 GMT

Are you interested in mentoring and tutoring children? Serve as an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in our Foster Grandparent program.

Thank you to Cindy Bautch, who teachers first grade at All Saints Academy, St. Cloud, for sharing this story about Foster Grandparent Carol.

I have been fortunate enough to work with Grandma Carol for the past nine years. In that time she and I have grown very close. I see her not as just a Foster Grandparent volunteer, but a true friend and role model. Grandma Carol is always a professional and comes to school with a positive energy and genuine interest to help all the kiddos in my class succeed to the best of their abilities.

Grandma Carol gives countless extra hours of her time and energy to help make my job so much easier. I could not do all the activities that I plan in a day or week without the help of someone like Grandma Carol. When she is here, she pays full attention to each and every child who comes to sit next to her and work. She asks questions about what’s going on in their life, develops a great rapport, and lets those children know that she is 100 percent there to listen and help them be successful in school.

A perfect example of the report she builds with students is the current relationship she has with Jonathan. Jonathan is making the gains he has because he knows Grandma Carol is there to help him through thick and thin. She keeps him focused, she keeps him on task, she helps him finish work. . . .

I am so thankful that Grandma Carol is in my life and in the lives of all the students that she comes in contact with. She is a true blessing!

Grandma Carol shared that she and Jonathan were working together when Jonathan whispered to her a request: “Can we have a meeting?” Carol replied, “Absolutely. About what?” Jonathan responded, “What did you do this weekend?” Now Jonathan and Carol have weekly meetings to catch up.

The Foster Grandparent Program is always seeking volunteers 55+. If you or someone you know is looking to make a difference in the lives of children, please contact Sara Heurung, Program Director, at 320-229-4587 or sara.heurung@ccstcloud.org .

Foster Grandma Odie Is a Blessing to the Students She Serves

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 16:34:30 GMT

Are you interested in mentoring and tutoring children? Serve as an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in our Foster Grandparent program.

Grandma Odie is a Foster Grandparent volunteer who had to make a decision about service in the past year. It’s not unusual for Foster Grandparents to move to be closer to family. It’s also not unusual for the Foster Grandparent to make sure that there is a place for them to continue to serve and make a difference.

One of the latest to do this is Odie Wegscheid, who was serving at Perham Elementary before her move to Elk River, and she wanted to make sure that she could still serve. Grandma Odie is now serving at Lincoln Elementary, which is part of the Elk River School District. This is the first time that Lincoln Elementary has had a Foster Grandparent and Grandma Odie’s teacher, Mrs. Thiry, has commented that Grandma is a blessing in the kindergarten classroom.

Grandma Odie helps students with vocabulary, reading and is helping the students meet grade level. It did not take long for students to recognize who Grandma Odie is as she travels down the hallway to frequent calls of “Hi, Grandma Odie!”

The Foster Grandparent Program is seeking volunteers 55+. If you or someone you know is looking to make a difference in the lives of children, please contact Pat Braun, Area Supervisor, at 612-390-0617 or pat.braun@ccstcloud.org .

Foster Grandparent Helen Served Staples-Motley Students for 25 Years

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 14:09:58 GMT

Are you interested in mentoring and tutoring children? Serve as an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in our Foster Grandparent program.

The senior volunteers of the Central MN Foster Grandparent Program, sponsored by Catholic Charities, provide meaningful, supportive relationships for children with special needs that enrich the lives of all involved.

Pat Scherf, Foster Grandparent Program Area Supervisor, cares for her mother and recently had a conversation with her nurse, Azalea, and learned she was from the Brainerd lakes area; specifically, Staples-Motley.

Pat told Azalea she works for the Foster Grandparent Program and is often in that area, and asked if she's ever had a grandma in her classroom. With a big smile, Azalea said, "Yes! Grandma Helen! We loved her!

Azalea added, "I don't remember everything she did for us, but we were always so excited to see her. She helped us with our crafts, and I think she gave us treats! We read together all the time…"

Grandma Helen from Staples-Motley Elementary School is remembered more than two decades later, and Pat shared with Azalea that Grandma Helen was still volunteering. Azalea responded with a huge smile and expressed how happy she was that Grandma Helen had been volunteering in her school all these years, and the amount of children’s lives she’s been able to positively impact.

Grandma Helen recently retired. She served students for 25 years! Thank you, Helen!

The Foster Grandparent Program is always seeking volunteers 55+. If you or someone you know is looking to make a difference in the lives of children, please contact Pat Scherf, Area Supervisor, at 320-293-0682 or pat.scherf@ccstcloud.org .

Foster Grandparent Cheri Rises to the Challenge

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 21:58:50 GMT

Are you interested in mentoring and tutoring children? Serve as an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in our Foster Grandparent program.

The past two years with Covid have provided many challenges for Foster Grandparents regarding their service, but for some it has provided opportunity.

Grandma Cheri was concerned about the safety of physically being at school, but she still wanted to help students in Swanville. Rising to the challenge, Grandma Cheri and her classroom teacher, Jolaineah Waltman, worked out a plan and Grandma Cheri began serving virtually, meeting with students over Skype. While Cheri is not physically in the classroom, her presence is still felt and benefitted by all.

The Foster Grandparent Program is always seeking volunteers 55+. If you, or someone you know is looking to make a difference in the lives of children, please contact Sean Notch, Area Supervisor, at 320-229-4597 or sean.notch@ccstcloud.org .

Foster Grandparents Serve Students During National Mentor Month

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 17:58:09 GMT

Four Catholic Charities "Grandma's" have served area schools not just during National Mentor Month, but for decades.

January was National Mentor Month, within Catholic Charities, we have many great volunteers who are mentors. The Foster Grandparent Program currently has 176 volunteers mentoring children throughout the 16 counties in the St. Cloud Diocese. In the Albany Area School District, you can find four amazing mentors who are known as “Grandma,” who volunteer at the school through the Foster Grandparent Program.

Grandma Rosie Maile (Avon Elementary) has been a volunteer with the program for 12 years. She served at Avon Elementary for the past four years working with Ms. Meyer and the Kindergarten classrooms. She works with students on academic skills and help improve their reading by listening to them read. Ms. Meyer would describe Rosie as “Compassionate, joyous, giving, and gracious.” The students view her in a different light and use words such as nice, pretty, silly, cool, and kind .

Grandma Jewell Glady (Albany Elementary) has been volunteering with Ms. Navratil’s class for nearly four years. Jewell works with students in whole and in small groups with math, reading, and science. Ms. Navratil would describe Jewell as dedicated, giving, and compassionate. The students describe Jewell as nice, kind, and giving. They especially like it when she gives them Lifesavers after working hard.

Grandma Maren Chrismen (Avon Elementary) has been a volunteer with Ms. Conrad’s fourth grade classroom for two years. Ms. Conrad appreciates that Maren, “Makes each child in the class feel smart and special. She works with them on what they are passionate about. They thrive off her positive support and attention.” The students describe Maren as helpful, kind, and fun.

Grandma Audrey Dingmann (Avon Elementary) joined the Foster Grandparent Program in the fall of 2021. She is working with four pre-school classrooms, spending one day a week in each. The teachers appreciate having her in their classrooms. Ms. Trehey described Audrey as warm, adaptable, and kind, with Ms. Kost stating, “It’s been a joy to have her in my classroom.”

Our volunteers serve differently throughout our program, but they share one common role: mentors. We are grateful for all our volunteers.

For more information on the Foster Grandparent Program contact Sara Heurung at (320)229-4589 or Sara.Heurung@ccstcloud.org .

Thrivent Sponsors Domus Diaper Drive Benefiting Catholic Charities Program

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 20:51:40 GMT

Donate diaper packages and wipes through February 18!

Thrivent financial advisors in the St. Cloud area are sponsoring a two-week diaper drive benefiting mothers and children of Catholic Charities Domus Transitional Housing, a residential program in St. Cloud for women-led families.

The Domus Diaper Drive starts Monday, February 7, and continues through Friday, February 18. Donations of new diaper packages and wipes can be delivered to the Thrivent office at 2700 1st St N, Suite 204, Saint Cloud, during normal business hours. The office is in the 2700 Building, located behind Firestone Complete Auto Care. The goal is to collect 5,000 diapers for Domus mothers and the greatest need is for diaper sizes 2 to 5.

Domus Transitional Housing is designed for mothers age 18 and older with children from newborn to age 12. Domus serves women committed to positive change for themselves and their children by helping to seek and maintain employment, education, sobriety, permanent housing, financial stability and more.

For questions about the Domus Diaper Drive, contact Annie Henriksen, Catholic Charities Development Officer, at annie.henriksen@ccstcloud.org or 320-650-1645.

Foster Grandparent Helps Students Remotely

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 20:00:51 GMT

Foster Grandparent volunteer Rosanne Finneman has enjoyed helping students and teachers with schoolwork and prep work from her home.

Grandma Rosanne Finneman has not let the challenges due to the pandemic stop her from volunteering with Mora Elementary. She has been able to volunteer remotely due to some program rule changes.

She has assisted with prep work that teachers have delivered to her home by the box load. Grandma Rose has enjoyed every minute of being able to assist and to keep herself busy. She is now calling herself and expert with the stapler and making bundles of projects. According to her teacher, Roxy Anderson, “Grandma Rose has been an amazing help for our 4th-grade classrooms. She helps prepare many materials from her home. These items include flashcards, math games, writing books, and fun project kits. This assistance alleviates stress and allows for teachers to use their prep time for planning lessons, looking at data, or loading assignments to Google Classroom for students that are absent for extended periods of time. “

Mrs. Anderson has helped Grandma Rose get set up with Google Meet. Grandma Rose was so excited to be able to “see” her students and interact with them via the internet. Mrs. Anderson also shared that Grandma Rose is helping students with math facts, fixing mistakes, and listening to students read aloud. She is a great asset to Mora Public Schools as she makes students feel successful and cared for.

Grandma Rose shared that she is thankful for being able to work with the 4th grade students from home. “I am able to see the students. It is great. I don’t get the hugs and I really miss them. I miss all my teachers, the other Foster Grandparents and school staff.” She is glad that she can still volunteer and cannot wait to get back into the classroom in person, but for now this is the next great thing that she can be doing to help.

January Is National Mentoring Month

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:32:37 GMT

Mentoring Amplifies and Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program

This January marks the twentieth annual National Mentoring Month, and mentoring programs across the nation are celebrating the difference and real-life benefits of mentoring to the lives of young individuals with the message, Mentoring Amplifies.

Mentoring Amplifies:

Possibilities for students through one-on-one tutoring.
Exploration through sharing stories and life experiences.
Community by building relationships across generations and cultures.

In Central MN, nearly 200 Foster Grandparent volunteers are a part of this effort, serving in schools, Head Starts, and other local non-profits. The volunteers of the Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program provide meaningful, supportive relationships for children with special needs that enrich the lives of all involved.

About Catholic Charities Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program

Foster Grandparents spend time 8 to 40 hours per week helping children in schools, early education programs, residential facilities, and other nonprofit agencies. Through their service, the Foster Grandparent create relationships with and become role models for children who need such constructive relationships the most.

AmeriCorps Seniors, which is under the direction of AmeriCorps, consists of Foster Grandparent Program, the Senior Companion Program, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. The Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program is sponsored by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

For more information on the Foster Grandparent Program contact Sara Heurung at (320)229-4589 or Sara.Heurung@ccstcloud.org .

Mardi Gras Changed to All-Virtual Event

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:23:22 GMT

The January 22 live-stream is free and open to the public.

After careful consideration, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud announces today that its 40th anniversary Mardi Gras gala and fundraiser will be a virtual event on Saturday, January 22, 2022.

Catholic Charities continues to monitor the Covid-19 situation at the local, state and national levels. With the fast-spreading omicron variant and the impact the virus is having on our community members and employees, Mardi Gras 2022 will be an all-virtual event. The safety of our guests, staff, volunteers, entertainers and vendors is paramount.

The annual “Celebration with a Cause” benefits Catholic Charities Emergency Services, which includes Catholic Charities Food Shelf, and Domus Transitional Housing, a program for women-led families.

The Mardi Gras 2022 virtual celebration will be live-streamed and will feature music by the Vista Jazz Club and this year’s headliner band, the Fabulous Armadillos. Guests will hear inspiring and heartwarming client stories, can bid on silent auction items online, and can support the two benefiting programs during the online Fund-a-Need special pledge appeal.

The silent auction opens Wednesday, January 19, at 12 p.m., and closes Saturday, January 22, at 9 p.m. The January 22 virtual event begins at 7 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Tickets are available with pre-registration at ccstcloud.org.

Mardi Gras is presented by Felling Trailers and SpartanNash, and Catholic Charities is grateful to all sponsors of this year’s event.

Share the Love This Holiday Season!

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 19:28:07 GMT

The 2021 Subaru Share the Love Event is underway! Catholic Charities Senior Dining is proud to participate in this event in order to raise critical funds needed to support the vulnerable seniors in our community. Over the last 13 years, Subaru of America and its participating retailers have donated more than $200 million to its charity partners. This year’s Subaru Share the Love Event is on track to bring that total to over $225 million, proving there’s no limit to the amount of love we can all share.

“Meals on Wheels America is proud to partner with Subaru of America for the 14th consecutive year to enable more seniors to live with independence and dignity,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO, Meals on Wheels America. “Since 2008, the Subaru Share the Love Event has helped deliver more than 2.5 million meals and friendly visits to vulnerable seniors nationwide. We’re enormously grateful to Subaru and its retailers for their long-standing commitment to Meals on Wheels and the millions of seniors who depend on it for nourishment and companionship.”

How it works: Now through January 3, 2022, for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased, Subaru will donate $250 to the customer’s choice of participating charities.* Meals on Wheels is one of four national participating charities and has been since the inception of the event. Through this event, as a member of Meals on Wheels America, Catholic Charities Senior Dining will receive a share of the donation from Subaru vehicles sold at participating Subaru retailers.

Not in the market to purchase a new car? You can still help. Share this information with friends and family or share Catholic Charities' posts promoting the 2021 Share the Love Event on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram .

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*Disclaimer: Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased from November 18, 2021, through January 3, 2022, to four national charities designated by the purchaser or lessee. Pre-approved Hometown Charities may be selected for donation depending on retailer participation. For every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased during the campaign period, participating retailers will donate a minimum of $50 in total to their registered Hometown Charities. Purchasers/lessees must make their charity designations by January 14, 2022. The four national charities will receive a guaranteed minimum donation of $250,000 each. See your local Subaru retailer for details or visit subaru.com/share. All donations made by Subaru of America, Inc.

We Are a Meets Standards® Organization!

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 17:13:00 GMT

We're thrilled to announce that Catholic Charities is now a Charities Review Council Meets Standards® Organization!

Nonprofit organizations, such as Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, earn the Meets Standards® seal by voluntarily participating in Charities Review Council’s Accountability Wizard® review process. The only web-based product of its kind, the Accountability Wizard® is a time-tested tool, elevated by nationally recognized capacity building practitioners and philanthropic thought leaders. The Accountability Wizard® is based on Charities Review Council’s 25 Accountability Standards®, a balance of nonprofit sector promising practices, public expectations and legal requirements, representing the shared expectations between donors and nonprofits.

The review process examined four key areas: Public Disclosure, Governance, Financial Activity and Fundraising. As a result, Catholic Charities has aligned its practices, policies and procedures to widely accepted standards of accountability, leading us to greater strength, efficacy and to the achievement of the Meets Standards® seal. By participating in the Accountability Wizard® review process, Catholic Charities demonstrates responsibility, integrity and transparency to donors as well as the general public.

To view our online report, go to smartgivers.org/organizations. You’ll also find us in Charities Review Council’s bi-annual Smart Giver Newsletter.

If you’d like to sign up to receive this free publication, go to smartgivers.org/donors/smart-givers-newsletter.

Thank you for supporting us as we continue to work toward achieving our mission while maintaining greater accountability and ethical practices.

Learn more about Charities Review Council’s online review process and the Accountability Standards® at smartgivers.org.

The Annual Charity Challenge Is Back!

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 22:36:38 GMT

Help Catholic Charities Fight Food Insecurity in the St. Cloud Area

Catholic Charities is grateful to the Norman C. Skalicky Foundation and the Central Minnesota Community Foundation for again partnering with the 21st annual Charity Challenge.

When you donate to Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf between now and December 31, the Skalicky Foundation will match up to $100,000! Last year, the foundation raised over $625,000 that supported three local food shelves, including Catholic Charities Food Shelf.

Give online at ccstcloud.org/donate and designate your gift to “Food Shelf Charity Challenge.” Help us fight food insecurity in the St. Cloud area.

Catholic Charities Foster Grandparent has been fostering intergenerational relationships for five years

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:14:36 GMT

Foster Grandparent, Kevin McCarthy, has been working with Pine Meadow Primary School for five years working with children on reading, math, and intergenerational relationships.

Kevin McCarthy has been a Foster Grandpa with Catholic Charities Foster Grandparent Program for 5 years. He commits his time to the students and teachers at Pine Meadow Primary School in Sartell. Kevin works regularly with 11 classrooms.

Kevin is set up in the halls throughout PME, students will work with him 1:1 or together in a group. Kevin primarily works with students on math and reading. Mr. Percuoco shared, “Kevin is always willing to do whatever is asked of him when it comes to helping our first graders to be successful. Whether it is playing a math game with a group of students or listening to the same practice sheet over and over again, Grandpa Kevin always welcomes it with a smile (even if we can’t see it under the mask).”

Volunteers with the Foster Grandparent Program get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the children they work with. Offering them a reliable, caring, and encouraging adult to help them with their studies. Ms. Kelley stated: “Grandpa Kevin has formed strong positive relationships with my first graders. He has been encouraging with student who are struggling readers. They are willing to take a risk and work through challenges with him by their side. His kind heart and warm presence has been such a blessing to all of the first graders and staff at PMPS.”

The Foster Grandparent Program focus’ on intergenerational relationships, having volunteers share their life experiences through tutoring and mentoring. On Veterans Day 2021, Grandpa Kevin spoke to the children about his time in the Navy. He was able to share what it was like “back then”.

The staff at PMPS have nothing but good things to say about Kevin, when I asked them for feed back the common statements were how caring Grandpa Kevin is, and how much each of the teachers appreciate his time and dedication to the students in their classrooms.

About Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program

Adults age 55 and over receive an hourly tax-free stipend ($3/hour) for volunteering to help children with activities, reinforce learning, assist with art projects, and more, for as little as 5 hours a week. This is a great opportunity if you love to be with children, could use some extra non-taxable income and would like some hugs.

For more information, call Sara Heurung at 320-229-4589 or toll-free at 1-866-895-7992. You can also email for more information: SHeurung@ccstcloud.org .

Catholic Charities Foster Grandparent Program is a success!

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 19:18:16 GMT

Students at Riverview Intermediate School are grateful for their Foster Grandparent's Myrna and Penny

I recently made a trip out to Riverview Intermediate School in Sartell to capture a photo of the new designated parking sign for our Foster Grandparents. Social Worker, Connie Connor said, “My Grandma’s deserve it.”

Myrna and Penny are volunteers with Catholic Charities Foster Grandparent Program. They both average about 20 hours of service each week.

They work 1 on 1 with students on math and reading. They work with many students from multiple classrooms around the building. Connie stated that in addition to tutoring they provide, "Extra attention to students that could use an extra adult in their lives."

On my recent visit, Grandma Penny was listening to children read to her, helping them with difficult words, and reminding them to pause at punctuations, or slow down when they were excited about what they were reading. She greeted each child with a masked smile and a sincere greeting, and sent them back to the classroom with praise at a job well done.

I headed down the hall to find Grandma Myrna. I spotted her in an empty classroom working with a student on multiplication flashcards. The student struggled with some of the larger numbers, but Myrna talked him right through the difficulties by simplifying the problem and encouraging him of his knowledge.

Connie mentioned how invested both Penny and Myrna are in the students they work with. Myrna comes up with creative ways to work on math, and brings in her own flashcards and books to work with the students. A few years back, Grandma Penny had a replica of her cane made for a young student who used a wheelchair, because every time he passed her, he stopped her to admire her cane. Connie stated, “Penny and Myrna bring so much joy to the students at RIS and the students bring joy to them! This has been one of the best programs for kids in the years that I have been a school social worker.”

About Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program

Adults aged 55 and over receive an hourly tax-free stipend ($3/hour) for volunteering to help children with activities, reinforce learning, assist with art projects, and more, for as little as 5 hours a week. This is a great opportunity if you love to be with children, could use some extra non-taxable income and would like some hugs.

For more information, call Sara Heurung at 320-229-4589 or toll-free at 1-866-895-7992. You can also email for more information: SHeurung@ccstcloud.org .

RSVP, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions Joined Together to Show Appreciation to First Responders in Central Minnesota

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 21:07:08 GMT

9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a day to honor those impacted by the September 11 attacks.

Our combined AmeriCorps Seniors Day of Service was a great success. Volunteers from RSVP, Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program and the AmeriCorps Senior Companion program were able to show appreciation to a wide group of Central Minnesota first responders.

The AmeriCorps seniors worked together to assemble care baskets that were distributed to first responders throughout Central Minnesota. Click here to see images from the event and view the Day of Service in action!

Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program offers seniors, ages 55 and over, the opportunity to work with students in local schools, or other nonprofit agencies, with children who need extra assistance. Typically school “Grandmas” and “Grandpas” work one-on-one with kids who need some extra support and love. To learn more visit the Foster Grandparent webpage to learn more.

Farming for a Century: The Catholic Century Farm Awards

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 18:48:48 GMT

Catholic Century Farm award recipients were honored at the third annual Catholic Century Farm on August 1

In 2018, Catholic Charities made the exciting announcement that they, along with Bishop Kettler of the Diocese of St. Cloud, would be honoring Catholic families in the diocese who had been farming the same land for at least a hundred years, with the Catholic Century Farm Awards.

Continuing this exciting acknowledgment, Catholic Charities and Bishop Kettler once again presented these awards at a special liturgy on August 1. The Catholic Century Farm Award Mass and celebration took place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in New Munich, MN. There, twenty farm families received a certificate as a Catholic Century Farm Award family, signed by Bishop Donald Kettler and Kateri Mancini, director of Social Concerns, along with a special gift in recognition of their outstanding legacy in faith-based family farming within our diocese.

The Catholic Century Farm Awards are a way that Catholic Charities and the Bishop of St. Cloud honors those Catholic families who have farmed and nurtured the same land for 100 years or more. Different from the state or county-based century farm registries, the Catholic Century Farm Awards are an opportunity for our whole diocese to recognize the deep connection between our faith and farming traditions, and reflect on our many neighbors who are living out the Catholic social teaching of care for creation through their vocation of farming and stewardship of the earth. It allows us to share our gratitude for the nourishment they provide to our communities in more ways than one through their faith in God and the work of their hands.

This year, twenty farm families, from sixteen different parish communities across five counties, received the award. The longest standing farm recognized this year has been farming for five generations, spanning across 165 years (farm established in 1856). The “youngest” farm honoree is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year .

This year's Catholic Century Farm Award recipients are:

Bergquist Family Farm, established 1871*
Borgerding Family Farm, established 1870*
Boser Dairy Farm, established 1919
Bruemmer Family Farm, established 1863*
Donnay Family Farm, established 1921
Douglas and Jane Popp Family Farm, established 1882
Eltgroth Family Farm, established 1919
Faber Family Farm, established 1866*
Felling Century Farm, established 1856**
Herman John Meier Farm, established 1858*
Kroska Family Farm, established 1914
Loesch Vossen Century Farm , established 1887
Meyer Family Farm, established 1909
Nathe Family Farm, established 1868*
Primus Family Farm, established 1893
Ritter Dairy, established 1879
Schwintek Family Farm, established 1920
Sobania Family Farm, established 1911
Waldorf Family Farm, established 1884
Zabinski Family Farm, established 1881

When farm families apply for the Catholic Century Farm Awards, they are asked to tell us about why the farm and farming is important to them. Here are some of this year’s recipients’ comments:

Berquist Family Farm - "I have lived on this farm all of my life. My grandfather Ernest built a new dairy barn in 1922-it is well kept and preserved."

Borgerding Family Farm - "Maintaining the farm and caring for the land gives me great satisfaction. I am so proud to have the younger generation of Borgerdings visit the farm that their German Catholic ancestors settled more than 150 years ago."

Boser Dairy Farm -"I watched my dad Rod, farm with my grandpa Joe as I was growing up and witnessed the success they had together in operating our family farm. I had the good fortune to farm with my dad for over 40 years also raising my 4 children on the farm. The farm has always been the center for our relatives as well."

Bruemmer Family Farm - "Farming is a heritage, family, and future. It’s wonderful place to raise a family, teach work ethics and be proud of your accomplishments."

Donnay Family Farm - "The farm has been a source of pride, hope, joy and family time working and laughing together."

Eltgroth Family Farm - "We love seeing how God brings forth new life every Spring from the plants and animals!"

Faber Family Farm - "Everyone says that I have such a nice looking place! We really love the basics of farming and raising the animals."

Felling Century Farm - "John came to America with a farming background. He lived and farmed here his entire life. It was and is the focal point of all his descendants."

Kroska Family Farm - "Our farm is where we take care of the land that God has given us. We love to see the earth worked, the crops grow, and the animals well taken care of."

Herman John Meier Farm - "Many, many people do not have roots. This farm has produced many families over the generations. We are happy to invite descendants of the founder, Herman John Meier to visit."

Meyer Family Farm - "There is pride in working the land that my ancestors have farmed. Raising my family here on the farm just like they did."

Nathe Family Farm - "Our farm has enabled multiple generations to work side by side to support our family and community."

D ouglas and Jane Popp Family Farm - "We are milking 40 Holstein cows with baby calves, bred heifers, steer horses, goats, sheep, and chickens-a little bit of everything. Farming is a way of life and it’s a great place to see your kids grow up, with the work ethic and God’s blessings. You have to trust in God for everything, from too much rain to no rain. From too cold to too hot and everything in between. The birds don’t know where their next meal is coming from! Trust!!

Primus Family Farm - "It is an honor to keep handing the family farm down from one generation to the next generation and keeping it in the family. The land means so much to us as we try to care for it and take care of it the best as we can. It is amazing to say that we can make a living off the farm that we can have my parents, children, and grandchildren all on the farm at the same time. My parents are now in their 90’s and still come out to the farm around twice a week."

Ritter Dairy - "Being able to care for animals and the land is a privilege and we are blessed to have been able to make a living and pass the farm along to the next generations over the years. Being outside and working with God’s creations is our favorite part of our job."

Schwientek Family Farm - "We have owned our farm since 1955. We are still on the farm and do crop farming and raising beef with the help of our 5 children."

Sobania Family Farm - "We love caring for the land and our animals and watching the crops grow throughout the season.

Loesch-Vossen Century Farm - "We are proud that the farm remains in the family. Caring for the land, seeing the beauty in nature. Working together to achieve goals and faith in God are values that have been passed down through the generations."

Waldorf Family Farm - "Our family was established in 1884 by my great-grandfather, John Waldorf. It has been an honor to be raised on the same farm as my grandfather and my dad. Four generations of Waldorf men have all planted and harvested their crops on the same farm land for over a 137 years. The original farm house still stands today. I admire the hard work and dedication that has been giving by my family over the years that have helped make the farm I own today, what it is. I have great pride in being able to carry on the family farm."

Zabinski Family Farm - "I am honored to have maintained a farm that has been in our family for so long. I share this lifetime accomplishment with my wife and 6 children."

If you or someone you know has a Catholic Century Farm, or will be celebrating your family farm’s 100th year in 2022, visit the Social Concerns website to learn more and apply for this special honor. Applications submitted between now and June 2022 will be honored at a special Mass with Bishop in August 2022.

Catholic Charities Senior Dining is Reopening Eight Congregate Dining Rooms in August

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 19:33:36 GMT

Dining Rooms Will Re-Opening August 2

Catholic Charities Senior Dining congregate dining rooms will reopen Monday, August 2, across Central Minnesota for adults age 60 and over in Albany, Elk River, Maple Lake, Mora, North Branch, Paynesville, Princeton and St. Cloud. Additional sites will be reopening beginning in September.

Albany: Monday–Friday, 11:15 am to 12 pm — Pond View Estates, 334 Golfview Dr., Albany, MN 55051. Call 320-845-4070 for a reservation.
Elk River: Monday–Friday, 11:30 am–12:30 — Guardian Oaks Apartments, 350 Evans Ave. NW, Elk River, MN 55330.
Maple Lake: Monday–Friday, 11:30 am to 12:15 pm — Manor West Apartments, 555 W 2nd St., Maple Lake, MN 55358
Mora: Monday–Friday, 11 am to 12 pm — Dala House, 470 Bean Ave., Mora, MN 55051. Call 320-679-4029 for a reservation.
North Branch: Monday–Friday, 11:45 am–12:30 pm — Chisago County Senior Center, 38790 6th Ave., North Branch, MN 55056.
Paynesville: Monday–Friday, 11:30 am to 12:15 pm — Paynesville Area Center, 1105 W Main St., Paynesville, MN 56362
Princeton: Monday–Friday, 11:30 am to 12 pm — Crystal Court Apartments, 604 S 3rd St., Princeton, MN 55371
St. Cloud: Monday–Friday, 11 am to 12:30 pm — Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Dr., St. Cloud, MN 56303

Diners are invited back with a warm welcome to enjoy a balanced, ready-to-eat meal, knowing safety is a top priority. New diners are also welcomed to dine and will be asked to complete an annual registration form upon arrival. No eligible person is denied a meal based on their ability to pay.

“Our Senior Dining staff and volunteers are excited to reopen the congregate dining rooms again to enhance social connections for diners while promoting their safety, health and well-being. Please join us—we have a place waiting for you at the table,” said Ruth Hunstiger, director of Catholic Charities Community Services.

For more information about Community Services, which includes Emergency Services, Senior Dining and the Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program, visit ccstcloud.org/community.

Established safety protocols for each dining room will be strictly adhered to. Diners who have not been vaccinated will be asked to wear a mask when in the building, except while eating. Social distancing among diners will be required and seating will be limited at the dining tables.

Although congregate dining locations have been closed since March 13, 2020, diners were able to continue receiving meals, utilizing curbside pickup, Meals on Wheels or monthly frozen meal distribution options.

Senior Dining will continue to provide the following options for diners in addition to congregate dining:

Meals on Wheels for homebound individuals: Monday and Wednesday
Takeout/curbside pickup: 11 am–12 pm
Monthly frozen meal distributions; visit ccstcloud.org/events for locations

Contact the Senior Dining location nearest you for more information—the program looks forward to seeing diners again soon. For more information about Catholic Charities Senior Dining, visit ccstcloud.org/senior-dining or call 320-229-4584.

Volunteer with Catholic Charities Senior Dining

Catholic Charities Senior Dining is in need of volunteers at congregate dining rooms, frozen meal distribution pop-up sites and delivering Meals on Wheels. Contact Annie Henriksen, volunteer coordinator, at 320-229-4590 or volunteer@ccstcloud.org. Learn more about Catholic Charities Volunteer program at ccstcloud.org/volunteer.

About Catholic Charities Senior Dining

Catholic Charities Senior Dining, a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, has been providing low-cost meal options for seniors 60 and older in Central Minnesota for more than 55 years. The program’s nine-county region includes Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright counties, and the program has expanded to five additional counties, including Aitkin, Cass, Morrison, Todd and Wadena.

About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud

The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Learn more at ccstcloud.org. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer.

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The Foster Grandparent Program is currently looking for volunteers.

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 18:09:12 GMT

This past spring, many schools notified the program that they are looking for more volunteers for the 2021-2022 school year.

The Foster Grandparent Program offers seniors, ages 55 and over, the opportunity to work with students in local schools, or other non-profit agencies with children who need extra assistance. Typically school “Grandmas” and “Grandpas” work one-on-one with kids who need some extra support and love.

To join the Foster Grandparent Program volunteers need to pass a background check and be willing to serve 260 hours a year (averages to 8 hours a week during the school year). Volunteers receive mileage reimbursement and those who are income eligible receive a tax free stipend. No education experience needed to be a Foster Grandparent, we are looking for individuals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of children.

For information contact Sara Heurung at: (320) 229-4589 or via email: Sara.Heurung@ccstcloud.org .

Challenge Yourself to End Hunger

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 20:09:05 GMT

Accept the 2021 Food Shelf Challenge from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless and Catholic Charities Food Shelf This July

You Can Make a Difference for Hungry Families in Our Community

In a normal summer, we see an increase in child visits during the summer. When school is out for summer vacation, many children miss out on free school meals and their families turn to us for support. This summer, between the kids being home from school and more families out of work or experiencing economic hardship due to the pandemic, we’re seeing a greater level of need.

Make a Bigger Impact on Hunger in Our Community This July

Every day, Minnesotans make over 10,000 visits to food shelves statewide – that is more than seven visits to a food shelf every minute if food shelves were open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 2020, Minnesota food shelf visits were up 7% from the year before, setting a new record high of over 3.8 million visits. Children represented 35.7% of food shelf visits in Minnesota with a total of 1,368,251 visits. Even before COVID-19, there was a record level of need across the state. Catholic Charities Food Shelf has seen an increase with the number of Mobile Food Shelf visits and with the new Hunger Doesn't Wait food delivery program. The food shelf is also seeing new registrants, which means more people are accessing Catholic Charities Food Shelf for the first time.

Are You Looking for a Career Where You Can Serve Others?

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 19:10:51 GMT

Last year, Catholic Charities served 44,251 people in 16 counties across Central Minnesota

Every day, Catholic Charities employees strive to make a different tomorrow for our Central Minnesota neighbors by combining both our knowledge, hands and hearts.

Currently, we are hiring individuals who share our core values of compassion, hope, accountability, respect, dignity and service, and those who are passionate about working to enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, click here to view our current job opportunities!

EOE/AA/Minority/Women/Vet/Disability

Foster Grandparent Program looks for more volunteers as restrictions lift across Minnesota

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:04:16 GMT

As restrictions lift, more programs are opening their doors for volunteers to return to service.

The Wadena-Deer Creek School District opened it's doors to volunteers for their summer school program. Grandma Leona Porter has been a volunteer with the school district for 13 years! She was excited to get back to service, and students were just as excited to see her.

Two volunteers also returned to the Lindgren Child Care Center last week. It has been a long 15 months for Grandma Jeannine and Grandma Sarah, two Foster Grandparent volunteers who serve year round, each serving 10+ hours each week.

The Foster Grandparent Program is looking for more volunteers to join our program. We have many area schools that are requesting more volunteers for the 2021-2022 school year.

Volunteers must be 55+. No formal experience is necessary. The only requirements are that you enjoy working with and mentoring students and you must pass a background study.

For more information call Sara Heurung at (320) 229-4589 or email her at: Sara.Heurung@ccstcloud.org.

Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf Receives $2,000 Donation from the Minnesota Grocers Association

erin@daytamarketing.com (erin@daytamarketing.com ) — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 15:29:39 GMT

Donation is on behalf of Coborn’s, Sauk Rapids and Post Consumer Brands, Lakeville for winning the MGA’s 2020 Bag Hunger Campaign Silver Plate Award

Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf recently received a $2,000 donation through the Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA) Bag Hunger Campaign. The campaign was coordinated by the MGA and included over 300 MGA retail members, 10 vendor partners, and community food banks and food shelves across Minnesota.

Coborn’s, Sauk Rapids and Post Consumer Brands, Lakeville are two of 16 companies statewide that were recognized for their exceptional efforts to end hunger in their communities through the campaign, with stores and vendors encouraging consumers to contribute by donating grocery items in-store or by rounding up the total of their purchases.

“We are again excited to be able to support our local partner, Catholic Charities, in fighting food insecurity in our community with this donation, thanks to the Bag Hunger Campaign and our customers,” said Dennis Host, Vice President/Marketing, for Coborn’s, Inc. “We know that this donation will be put to good work to support the families in our community who will benefit. Thank you to our customers for their generosity in supporting this very worthy cause.”

“Post Consumer Brands considers hunger relief, and serving those in need, to be part of our mission and we are thrilled to support the Minnesota Grocers Association’s Bag Hunger Campaign,” said Greg Hasper, Vice President Sales – Wholesale Team of Post Consumer Brands. “We have amazing partnership with our customers, and together we strengthen our communities.”

For their joined effort in promoting the Bag Hunger Campaign and as winners, each company received $1,000 to donate to a food charity of their choice, and a virtual donation of $2,000 was made to Catholic Charities Food Shelf. Customarily, the contribution is made during an in-person presentation, and this change in format was used to respect the industry best practices due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We thank these two companies for working with the MGA and giving this generous donation to help fight hunger in our community,” said Sue Hanks, Program Manager, Catholic Charities Emergency Services. “In partnering with local businesses, groups, organizations and individuals TOGETHER we can make a difference and strengthen our community. Minnesota’s grocers, vendors and their customers have proven that together, we can succeed in the fight to end hunger.”

In this year alone, the organized efforts of the campaign and its participating companies collectively raised over 1.7 million meals. Since 2008, participants in the MGA’s hunger campaign programs have provided nearly 41 million meals to hungry families in Minnesota.

“It was exciting to see these partnerships develop over the years. It’s an inspiration how everyone’s hard work on the Bag Hunger Campaign makes a positive difference for Minnesota families in need,” said Jamie Pfuhl, President of the MGA. “I applaud Coborn’s, Sauk Rapids and Post Consumer Brands, Lakeville on their successes and innovative partnership in this campaign. All of our participants did a great job raising awareness on a community level and rallying consumers behind this important cause.”

The MGA is the only state trade association that represents the food industry of Minnesota from farm to fork, and is the oldest trade association in the state, celebration over 120 years of advancing industry.

The mission of Catholic Charities Emergency Services is to uphold individuals experiencing emergency situations by providing food, clothing and financial assistance in a compassionate, respectful and dignified manner. Catholic Charities Food Shelf is here to provide nutritious food, essential personal care necessities and to instill hope to our neighbors in need.

Catholic Charities News

Pack the Porches 2026

Catholic Charities is thrilled to announce the success of our 16th Annual Pack the Porches Food and Fund Drive, held on March 27th, 2026.

Meet Nicole from Emergency Services

Mary’s Journey to Financial Stability

Where Are They Now: Nick’s Journey from Survivor to Leader

More than Just a Meal

Catholic Charities Barnes & Noble Bookfair – December 12, 2025

A Family's Fight to Stay Home

Rally for Good: A Call to Action for Central Minnesota

THE NEED IS URGENT.

Make God's Love Visible: Raphael's Story

Raphael's Story: Senior Dining

Help Keep Central MN Warm this Winter!

A New Opportunity for Tyrone

Raphael’s Story at the Whitney Center

Introducing Porch

Gordon's Story

Grow & Give

How Senior Dining Supports Health, Independence, and Community

Rebecca and Daniel's Story

Catholic Charities receives grant from Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and Stearns Bank

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud receives $10,000 grant from Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and Stearns Bank through the Member Impact Fund

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Summer Challenge

The Kickball Miracle

A Lesson in Trust, Patience, and Unexpected Joy

How Catholic Charities Helped Kenneth

Alexander & Sherise

A Journey of Hope and Resilience

Bryce's Pumpkins

Pack the Porches 2025!

PACK THE PORCHES FOOD AND FUND DRIVE RECEIVED OVER

6,000 POUNDS OF FOOD AND MORE THAN $21,000

A Day of Joy and Connection at Pond View Estates

Volunteering at Lincoln Elementary

Daniel’s Journey of Hope at Granite City Counseling

A Beacon of Kindness and Learning in Central Minnesota

How the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School Culinary Program is Using Bread to Fight Food Insecurity

Jolly Trolley Returns!

Jolly Trolley Food Drive Returns for 14th Year!

Make God's Love Visible: Gary's Story

From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Gary’s Financial Counseling Journey

Donating Safely: Avoiding Charity Scams

Program Highlight: Domus Transitional Housing

Domus Changes the Lives of a Mother and Child

What to do if you've been scammed

You were scammed. What can you do now? Learn what steps you can take to minimize the damage and avoid being scammed again.

Common Scams

Romance. Grandparents. Sweepstakes. Gift Cards. What do all these things have in common? They are frequently used to scam people out of their hard-earned money.

Spotting and Avoiding Scams

Trust is the number one reason why people fall for scams. Fear is the number one strategy used by scammers.

Program Highlight: Hunger Doesn't Wait

We Are There: Catholic Charities Joins National Campaign

WE ARE THERE: CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. CLOUD JOINS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE THE LIFE-GIVING WORK OF THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES NETWORK

Summer Food Shelf Challenge

CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE HUNGRY AND HOMELESS ANNOUNCE FOOD SHELF CHALLENGE GRANT THROUGHOUT JULY

Older Americans Month: May 2024

History of Older Americans Month

7 things to know about Minnesota's older adults

Speaking of amazing older Minnesotans who volunteer… check out this great video from the St. Cloud area school district about volunteerism featuring Grandma Bonnie, one of our own Foster Grandparent volunteers!

Program Highlight: Emergency Services

Dignity in Bloom - Helen's Story

Together we can plant enough love to create a garden of belonging in our community.

Employee Spotlight: Paul

Employee Spotlight: Paul Sad

Pack the Porches 2024

PACK THE PORCHES FOOD AND FUND DRIVE RECEIVED OVER

4,000 POUNDS OF FOOD AND MORE THAN $21,900!

Women's History Month

Women's History Month: Activists

Financial & Housing Counseling: Lisa's Story

Financial & Housing Counseling Help Lisa Pay Off Debt

Jolly Trolley Food Drive Returns December 12-14

The Jolly Trolley Food Drive is back on the road for 2023!

Barnes and Noble Bookfair!

Catholic Charities will be having a Bookfair at Barnes & Nobles on December 3, 2023!

Get some holiday shopping done and support a great cause at the same time!

Give to the Max 2023!

Catholic Charities to participate in 15 th Annual Give to the Max Day on November 16!

Program Highlight: Youth House

Catholic Charities to participate in 15 ^th Annual Give to the Max Day on November 16!

Extreme weather and natural disasters can occur with little warning. Are you ready to leave your home at a moment’s notice?