Annual Report 2008 - Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New ...
Annual Report 2008 - Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New ... Annual Report 2008 - Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New ...
A Report to the Community from the Executive DirectorMonsignor Kevin SullivanThis past year, Catholic Charitiesconfronted the onslaught ofeconomic and fiscal disasters: fearand foreclosures, evictions andhunger, swelling unemploymentand shrinking retirement funds.Through it all, Catholic Charitiesmaintained its commitment topoor and vulnerable New Yorkers.More people than ever askhow Catholic Charities helpsand why they should support us.Paradoxically, the answer to whatwe do also answers why we needand merit support.In this report, I highlight howCatholic Charities strengthensindividuals and families and resolvescrises. This is the answer to whyyour support is more vital than ever.Protecting and NurturingChildren and YouthPoverty, hunger, neglect and abusedarken the lives of far too manyNew York children. Over 875,000children in New York grow up infamilies with incomes below thepoverty level. The New York StateChild Abuse hotline received morethan 51,000 reports of abuse orneglect last year. One in threechildren grows up in a single parenthousehold and about the samenumber live as “latchkey” children.Catholic Charities responds tothese sometimes overwhelmingcircumstances. More than onethirdof New York City childrenin foster care live in safe homesunder the auspices of CatholicCharities agencies. More than3,000 families receive our supportso their children can remain athome with their parents. CatholicCharities’ safe day care and afterschoolprograms nurture childrenwhile parents struggle at work toprovide for their families. CatholicYouth Organization, CYO, engagesmore than 20,000 youth inathletic, educational and spiritualopportunities that foster healthygrowth. The skillful combinationof volunteers, private contributionsand public funding makes thisextensive range of services one ofthe most cost-effective in New York.Feeding the Hungry andSheltering the HomelessCatholic Charities stands in theforefront serving the swellingnumbers of the newly poor.Foreclosure and eviction noticesclimbed by twenty percent lastyear. The homeless searching forfood, shelter and work rose byanother twenty percent. Hungrypersons turning to food pantriessurged by thirty percent. Some whopreviously donated now ask for abag of food to tide them over.Catholic Charities responded.Our extensive community-basednetwork of fifty-three affiliatedprograms distributed more than5,300,000 meals last year. Drawingon donor dollars and partnershipswith other agencies, CatholicCharities prevented homelessnessfor 2,300 families before it occurredand worked tirelessly to ensurethose families stayed housed.Strengthening Familiesand Resolving CrisesCatholic Charities’ uniqueness is thatwe go far beyond merely giving food.4 Annual Report 2008
When an emergency strikes a family,we provide training, find jobs andhousing and much more. As I writethis, the number of unemployedjumped to nearly nine percent,triggering homelessness and familyinstability. Meanwhile, the stockmarket collapse left many, includingour own siblings, parents andgrandparents, with savings thatdwindled to almost half.To prevent emergencies frombecoming catastrophes, ourprofessionally trained FamilyAdvocates help assess thesesetbacks, develop a concrete planto deal with them and provide thesupport needed to resolve the crisis.They connect families to servicesthat Catholic Charities and ourpartners offer New Yorkers in need.Supporting the Physicallyand Emotionally ChallengedOur core belief values eachperson as made in God’s image—regardless of his or her challenges.The senior adjusting to recentblindness, the developmentallydisabled child and the emotionallychallenged adult need intensivehelp to live with dignity. In NewYork, more 600,000 suffer frommental illness and 125,000 havevarious developmental disabilities.Catholic Charities’ specializedservices offer early-interventionprograms that nurture children todevelop. We help the physically andemotionally disabled, sometimesfor a lifetime. We provide decenthousing and compassionate carewhen aging parents and caregiversno longer can provide for them.Pope Benedict XVI highlightedCatholic Charities with his movingvisit and blessing of disabledchildren and their caregivers lastspring at St. Joseph’s Seminaryin Yonkers.Welcoming and IntegratingImmigrants and RefugeesThousands of immigrants andrefugees continue to make NewYork their first port of call in theUnited States. Newcomers comewith their hopes and ethics ofhard work. They need the basicsto avoid exploitation and becomeintegrated into their new home:accurate information, Englishlanguage skills, housing and jobs.Catholic Charities responds withan unparalleled range of assistance.Last year, we answered 43,000calls for accurate information intwenty languages. We providedlegal services and other counselingthat enabled families to avoidexploitation, find legal work andlearn English and civics. CatholicCharities literally saved the livesof twenty individuals by blockingtheir deportation to face probabletorture and death in their owncountries.Stewarding the Missionof Providing Help andCreating HopeThose in need—especially the mostvulnerable—deserve the highestquality services. Catholic Charitieshas committed its resources toassist the boards of directors andexecutives of our network ofagencies to enhance governanceand accountability. In turn, privateand public funders recognizeCatholic Charities for deliveringservices with integrity and quality.The Philanthropic AdvisoryService of the Better BusinessBureau certifies Catholic Charities’adherence to its high standards.During this period of economicanxiety, Catholic Charities occupiesa singularly strategic position.We effectively bring togetherlocally based agencies andparishes in every community andneighborhood, skilled staff anddedicated volunteers and privateand public resources. Drawing onmore than a century of experience,Catholic Charities provides help,creates hope and evolves in newand challenging circumstances totouch almost every human needalways with compassion and dignity.Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan and Msgr. Kevin Sullivan pitch in with the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry atthe Highbridge Community Life Center located in one of the poorest Congressional districts in the United States.www.catholiccharitiesny.org 5
- Page 1 and 2: Annual Report 2008
- Page 5: A Message from the Chairman of the
- Page 9 and 10: Catholic Charities Big Sisters and
- Page 11 and 12: Cardinal Egan joined benefactors An
- Page 13 and 14: A former broadcast journalist, Elvi
- Page 15: Mr. and Mrs. James B. Lee, Jr.Lesli
- Page 19 and 20: The Cardinal’sCommitteefor Charit
- Page 21 and 22: Leslie, a single mother, had to giv
- Page 23 and 24: Catholic Big Sistersand Big Brother
- Page 25 and 26: Lavelle School for the Blind3830 Pa
- Page 27 and 28: Society of St. Vincent De Paul,Cent
- Page 29 and 30: At Catholic Charities Guild for the
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- Page 33 and 34: After escaping torture and death th
- Page 35 and 36: Board of Trustees and Senior Manage
A <strong>Report</strong> to <strong>the</strong> Community from <strong>the</strong> Executive DirectorMonsignor Kevin SullivanThis past year, <strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong>confronted <strong>the</strong> onslaught <strong>of</strong>economic and fiscal disasters: fearand foreclosures, evictions andhunger, swelling unemploymentand shrinking retirement funds.Through it all, <strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong>maintained its commitment topoor and vulnerable <strong>New</strong> Yorkers.More people than ever askhow <strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong> helpsand why <strong>the</strong>y should support us.Paradoxically, <strong>the</strong> answer to whatwe do also answers why we needand merit support.In this report, I highlight how<strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong> streng<strong>the</strong>nsindividuals and families and resolvescrises. This is <strong>the</strong> answer to whyyour support is more vital than ever.Protecting and NurturingChildren and YouthPoverty, hunger, neglect and abusedarken <strong>the</strong> lives <strong>of</strong> far too many<strong>New</strong> York children. Over 875,000children in <strong>New</strong> York grow up infamilies with incomes below <strong>the</strong>poverty level. The <strong>New</strong> York StateChild Abuse hotline received morethan 51,000 reports <strong>of</strong> abuse orneglect last year. One in threechildren grows up in a single parenthousehold and about <strong>the</strong> samenumber live as “latchkey” children.<strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong> responds to<strong>the</strong>se sometimes overwhelmingcircumstances. More than onethird<strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> York City childrenin foster care live in safe homesunder <strong>the</strong> auspices <strong>of</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong><strong>Charities</strong> agencies. More than3,000 families receive our supportso <strong>the</strong>ir children can remain athome with <strong>the</strong>ir parents. <strong>Catholic</strong><strong>Charities</strong>’ safe day care and afterschoolprograms nurture childrenwhile parents struggle at work toprovide for <strong>the</strong>ir families. <strong>Catholic</strong>Youth Organization, CYO, engagesmore than 20,000 youth inathletic, educational and spiritualopportunities that foster healthygrowth. The skillful combination<strong>of</strong> volunteers, private contributionsand public funding makes thisextensive range <strong>of</strong> services one <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> most cost-effective in <strong>New</strong> York.Feeding <strong>the</strong> Hungry andSheltering <strong>the</strong> Homeless<strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong> stands in <strong>the</strong>forefront serving <strong>the</strong> swellingnumbers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> newly poor.Foreclosure and eviction noticesclimbed by twenty percent lastyear. The homeless searching forfood, shelter and work rose byano<strong>the</strong>r twenty percent. Hungrypersons turning to food pantriessurged by thirty percent. Some whopreviously donated now ask for abag <strong>of</strong> food to tide <strong>the</strong>m over.<strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong> responded.Our extensive community-basednetwork <strong>of</strong> fifty-three affiliatedprograms distributed more than5,300,000 meals last year. Drawingon donor dollars and partnershipswith o<strong>the</strong>r agencies, <strong>Catholic</strong><strong>Charities</strong> prevented homelessnessfor 2,300 families before it occurredand worked tirelessly to ensurethose families stayed housed.Streng<strong>the</strong>ning Familiesand Resolving Crises<strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Charities</strong>’ uniqueness is thatwe go far beyond merely giving food.4 <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
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