Gulf Pine Catholic

6 Gulf Pine Catholic • April 20, 2018 BY JENNIFER WILLIAMS Director of Catholic Social and Community Services Catholic Charities experienced an energizing start to 2018. The year began with the completion of our final project from the Pine Belt Tornado of 2017. We completed 22 projects, helping those clients either return home or repair damage that made their homes unsafe. In total, $123,605.70 in assistance was provided thanks to the generosity of donors and a grant from CCUSA. Though we do not have the funding to take on more projects, we still remain active with the commu- nity’s recovery through participation in the Pine Belt Unmet Needs Committee. As one project is completed, we start new ones! During this first quarter, Catholic Charities had several new beginnings. During the 2018 Diocesan Youth Conference, Catholic Charities presented the first Ann Rivera Faith Through Service Award. Ann Rivera gave 18 years to Morning Star Pregnancy Care Center helping young and old, men and women ensuring that everyone that entered her office felt valued, important, and loved. Ann was a passionate crusader for the unborn and the women that carried them. She believed that the best way to end abortion is to make men and women feel like they have value and are capable of making positive choices in their actions. Many of our clients called her “Mama Ann” because she would listen to them without criticism but with an understanding heart. She also offered heavy doses of tough love. Ann worked tire- lessly, asking nothing in return and not looking for acknowledgement. She simply wanted to be able to reach those that were in need and to make sure that every person that she ministered to knew that they were important as one of God’s children. Ann never preached the Gospel with words but with the actions of her min- istry. This was more than just a job for her: it was truly her vocation. Ann saved countless lives, born and unborn, simply by loving them as Christ loves us. She was a true example of living our Faith through Service until the Lord called Ann home in 2014. To honor her memory and her ministry, Catholic Charities established the Ann Rivera Faith Through Service Award. It seeks to recognize someone who is a quiet servant of Christ, who shares their faith through kindness and service to others, and who believes that service to others is our Christian responsibility. This award includes a scholarship and is sponsored by the staff of Catholic Charities. The 2018 recipient is Alexis Brewer of Immaculate Conception Parish in Laurel. Contributions to the Ann Rivera Faith Through Service award may be sent to Catholic Charities, 1450 North Street, Gulfport, MS 39507. During this first quarter of 2018, Catholic Charities began a new partnership with Cribs for Kids , an orga- nization dedicated to promoting and providing safe sleeping spaces for infants in order to decrease or pre- vent SIDS. Cribs for Kids has generously supplied Catholic Social and Community Services Update Morning Star with cribs to distribute to our expectant and new mother clients who do not have a safe space for their child to sleep.Catholic Charities is proud to announce that it will be opening a community outreach office in Hattiesburg during the second quarter of 2018. We are in the process of training staff and getting the office ready. We would like to thank Fr. Ken Ramon- Landry and the parishioners of Holy Rosary Parish for their support in this effort. The anticipated date of opening will be May of 2018. As always, we appreciate the support and prayers of the parishioners of the Diocese of Biloxi. Twelve Baskets Food Bank -- Twelve Baskets distributes food and other goods to local food pantries and soup kitchens within its eight county service area. Government commodities and donations from Feeding America via Feeding the Gulf Coast have been down this year so Twelve Baskets relied heavily on the store pickup donations and private donations to keep food on our shelves. Migration and Refugee Center -- MRC provides adult education in the areas of GED, Citizenship, and English as a Second Language. Immigration casework, refugee resettlement, translations, job placement, and acculturation workshops are available to help those entering our community become a part of our commu- nity. This office also provides services to those affected by human trafficking. All of our staff members are accredited through the Bureau of Immigration Appeals, which allows them to provide immigration consulta- tions similar to those of immigration attorneys. We also have excellent partnerships with immigration attorneys in the area who help clients at no charge. The staff stays current on all policies and laws and works closely with local judges, law enforcement, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide current informa- tion and advocate for clients. Social Service Coordination for Seniors -- Trained social service coordinators are available at the eight Catholic Charities Housing properties throughout the Diocese. These properties provide subsidized housing for seniors and are located in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Petal, Biloxi, and Ocean Springs. Social service coordi- nators provide a wide array of services such as technol- ogy instruction, financial literacy, Medicare and social security issues, and end of life issues. Community Outreach/Pregnancy Care Offices -- Catholic Charities has three Community Outreach offices that provide a wide array of services including case management, financial assistance, budgeting edu- cation, goal setting, community referrals, food, preg- nancy testing, life affirming information for women, and infant care items. Offices are located in Waveland, Pascagoula, and Gulfport. Case management and financial assistance are available to the northern counties of our Diocese and the Meridian area via phone interview. Our case man- agement process is designed to help determine the root cause of the client’s current situation, to help set goals for changing the situation and future progress, and to offer assistance to help them toward that goal. We do not simply pay bills and we do not provide emergency assistance. If a client seeks help in the future, we review their progress toward goals made at the previous appointment. Regardless of whether or not we can pro- vide assistance with the requested need, we treat each individual with respect and kindness, providing encour- agement and support for all. Infant and maternity care services help fulfill the commitment we make when we tell women that they can give their baby life and we will help. While we can- not provide all that a baby will need, we do provide enough to give a baby a healthy, safe start to life. All of our case managers are certified in car seat installation and ensure that parents know the proper installation of car seats. Diapers, clothing and bath supplies help pro- vide a clean start for babies. Cribs allow parents to provide a safe sleep space for their children preventing accidental smothering from co-sleeping. Information on parenting and community programs provided to help them on their journey as parents. Ann Rivera Faith Through Service Award recipient Alexis Brewer is pictured with Bishop Kihneman, Elyse Bernos (Ann Rivera’s daughter), and Jennifer Williams, Director of CSCS. Photo by Julianna Skelton Pictured are two expectant mothers who received a Cribs for Kids portable crib. Photos by Rachel Alston SEE ANNUAL REPORT, PAGE 12