It has been a busy year for diocesan Catholic Charities with
the addition of several new programs. Catholic Charities shared their updates
at a quarterly Parish Liaison Network meeting at St. John Neumann Church in
Reston March 14.
Sally O’Dwyer, director of volunteers for Catholic
Charities, emphasized the important work of liaisons. “We want you to take this
information back to your community to identify the needs and at the same time
support Catholic Charities,” she said. “When we come together as a group we can
do so much more.”
The liaisons learned about new programs, including the
Mother of Mercy Free Clinic in Manassas; the Retreat for People Facing Serious
Illness; the Welcome Home Re-Entry program; the Mobile Response Center; and an
employment fair partnership with Good Shepherd Church in Alexandria. Progress
reports were given on work with Catholic Relief Services, Stephen
Ministries at Sacred Heart Church in Manassas and St. John Neumann’s Care for
Our Common Home.
Susan Grunder, director of social ministry at Good Shepherd,
said the idea of the April 28 employment fair is to bring employees and
employers together for on-the-spot interviews at the church. There will be
community resources, Catholic Charities counseling and help with writing
resumes. “It’s more of a chance to help people looking for jobs and also those
who may not know about resources available within our community,” she said. “We
are hoping that once this model runs in our parish that other parishes will be
interested in doing the same.”
The network meeting, which drew 60 people, began with an
opening prayer by Art Bennett, president and CEO of Catholic Charities. The
network includes leaders from parishes throughout the diocese who work with
staff and agency volunteers. They serve as a link between the parish and
Catholic Charities.
Joe Pettit, a parishioner of Nativity Church in Burke,
learned about the Small Acts of Mercy weekend at Good Shepherd, where
parishioners get to know the different service opportunities available. “That
is the kind of thing that could be tried at Nativity,” he said. “I enjoy
learning about things I didn’t know were available.”
For Sally Diaz-Wells, social justice and outreach minister
at Our Lady, Queen of Peace Church in Arlington, the event brings focus. “It is
easy to get lost in all the papers and emails you get from one group or another
in the diocese,” she said. “This way, you get an opportunity to see everything
at one time, figure out what you’re interested in and things that would work
well with the groups at your parish.”