Porto Charities donated a generous grant to the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools March 18.
At a luncheon with representatives from 19 Catholic schools, Porto Charities President and CEO Leo Alonso presented Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and diocesan Superintendent of Schools Joseph Vorbach with a check for $366,000. The total will be divided among 19 Catholic schools, the Catholic schools office, and SPRED, a religious education program for students with learning and developmental disabilities.
Porto Charities, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities, has given more than $1.7 million in grants to schools in the diocese, including salary support and professional development. This year’s donation exceeds the previous year’s by $116,000. A majority of the proceedings come from Porto Charities’ annual gala, which is held in the spring.
“I’m proud of our diocese for so many reasons,” Bishop Burbidge said. “But at the top of the list is what we do to serve all of our students and their families. And it’s only possible through a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, (and the) generosity of so many people and true collaboration.”
Looking around the room, he said, “I think the word that comes to mind is ‘partnership,’ and to see partners, colleagues working together to provide such beautiful service to our students and to our families, it’s just incredible.”
Alonso thanked Bishop Burbidge in his own address: “Bishop, this wouldn’t be possible without your support.” He addressed the room, “All of you out there — it wouldn’t be possible (without) what you do in the schools.”
The gathering formally launched Porto Charities’ newest initiative, the Center for Learning and Leadership. The center will provide educational resources for educators, with an emphasis on “growing the skills and filling the toolboxes of the general education teacher,” according to Maureen Ashby, the nonprofit’s secretary and education chair.
“Beyond school grants through development and training, the Porto Center for Learning and Leadership is designed to help the service leaders of our diocese faithfully meet the challenge of providing a Catholic education to children of all learning abilities,” she said. She also announced a new partnership with the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education has been reached. This will allow Porto Charities to underwrite the cost of teachers being both trained and certified in teaching methods for students with special needs.
Vorbach addressed the educators and thanked Porto Charities for helping the diocese provide more for students with disabilities.
“For me, personally, I am indebted to Porto Charities and friends of Porto Charities over the last decade or more who have brought me into a stronger and more complete understanding of what our needs are, and what we can do,” he said.
