Below is a speech delivered April 18 at the Catholic Charities Annual Tribute dinner by Xavier DeCaire, the longtime Catholic Charities board member who was presented with the Msgr. Thomas J. Reese Award.
Approximately 10 years ago, I was asked by my friend and fellow Rotarian, Rick Kologie, if I would be willing to get involved with Catholic Charities. I told him yes and was honored to be invited onto the board.
I honestly had no idea of the extent of programs and services that represented this organization. It truly took me about a year and a half to almost fully comprehend the enormous reach that Catholic Charities embraced, with a territory that extends for 175 miles. Each year, our services touch more than 80,000 people. I want to touch on some of our programs.
Picture yourself living alone, confined to a wheelchair during the coldest part of winter, and the oil for your heater has just run out and you don’t have the money to pay for more oil. Add to that, a tree branch just punched a hole in your roof, so that any residual heat is escaping. Because of our LIHEAP Energy Assistance Program, the oil tank was filled, and the roof repaired. Each year, we provide $15-$20 million dollars in federal funding to clients for payment of their energy bills, as an annual benefit, or in response to a crisis they are in. To assist us, we have approximately 200 vendors, who are not required but do participate in this program.
Our Basic Needs Services of Delaware is often an individual’s first interaction with services, and an essential part of supporting clients to overcome whatever hardship or barriers they may be experiencing. Housing instability, being at risk for homelessness, and hardships is often a result of a series of challenges rather than an isolated event. Experienced case managers not only provide short-term immediate relief, but also work to address the barriers or root cause of housing instability. Last year, 950 individuals were provided financial assistance to prevent eviction, utility disconnect, or risk of homelessness. Our case managers spent more than 2,000 hours assisting clients with various goals that may range from support in finding employment, financial counseling, food needs, legal services, housing support, behavioral health counseling, and referral to additional services. We have another federally funded food assistance program, called the Child & Adult Care Food Program, CACFP, that ensures that children in family childcare programs and daycare centers have well-balanced, nutritious meals to eat which will last them a lifetime of good nutrition habits. We serve more than 4,000 children yearly. Everyone benefits from this program – the children who are healthier, the providers who receive financial help to purchase healthier foods, and the parents who go to work knowing their children are eating good food.
Our Behavioral Health Program subsidizes just under $75,000 annually in services provided to the uninsured and underinsured populations across Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Additionally, we recently signed a 5-year contract with the state to provide specialty services for youth who have experienced early signs of psychosis. We are the only organization who can provide these much needed mental health services to troubled youth.
Senior Low-Income Housing is established at Marydale, a beautiful property in Newark with 108 independent living apartments. Our residents benefit from a variety of services in a deeply supportive environment that they consider home.
Catholic Charities maintains the only licensed residential maternity home in Delaware. The Bayard House, where the focus is on healthy baby, healthy mother and well-planned discharge in a warm, safe environment. Since inception, hundreds of babies have been presented to the world there. Imagine again, finding yourself living on the street and seeking help.
Casa San Francisco downstate, our homeless shelter in Milton, Delaware for adult men and women provides a warm, caring environment with assistance in helping to create a future. The guiding principle of Casa is to greet people we meet where they are – with respect, without judgment, and in some way to make it easier for them to take their next best steps out of homelessness, joblessness, and illness. To that end, Casa assesses, shelters, feeds, often clothes, and serves approximately 85 individuals experiencing homelessness every year with an annual budget of around $500,000, at a cost of approximately $5,880 per resident.
Founded 194 years ago, today Catholic Charities has a dedicated staff of over 75 full-time employees, is the organization dedicated to assisting our fellow human beings with dignity and compassion. As was beautifully described to me, it is the organization that provides a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance, and beyond. I am deeply honored to receive the Monsignor Reese award, but the true recognition belongs to the dedicated employees, staff, board of directors, and recently retired executive director who dedicate their lives to caring and assisting our fellow human beings.
Thank you.
