Quiet caregivers are “always there” for seniors
Darlene Oneal found her calling more than 25 years ago while caring for an elderly woman in her home. Labrenia Parker discovered her career while caring for her brother, who had been shot, and her grandmother as she aged. And Sharay Harper changed her line of work after watching the care her grandfather received before [...]
DACA decision means families stay whole, workers stay employed
The Supreme Court’s decision to prevent phase-out or shutdown of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, means families can stay together, recipients won’t lose their jobs, and industries won’t lose valuable employees. “Ultimately, it means far less threat of serious financial problems and heartache for families with individuals who have never committed [...]
Hotline leads to food delivery for COVID-tested neighbors
Dozens of individuals have been able to prevent potential spread of COVID-19 in the last week by staying home and receiving food delivery from the Esperanza Center in a new effort that was borne from its multilingual hotline. Across its more than 60 years serving Baltimore’s immigrant community, the Esperanza Center has provided education, health [...]
Social unrest: How do we respond?
by Ron Means, MD Chief Medical Officer Forensic Psychiatrist Catholic Charities Chief Medical Officer Ron Means, MD, recently offered to our colleagues the below reflection on social unrest and how it affects the way our clinical therapists and other staff care for patients and clients. This essay was originally published in an internal newsletter called [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Seniors are safer from COVID-19 thanks to financial services company grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shawna Prince sprince@cc-md.org 773-835-1873 (BALTIMORE/May 28, 2020) Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Catholic Charities has been working to educate and protect older Marylanders and those who care for them. Over 2,400 older adults across the state have been supported through Catholic Charities Senior Services partially due to a grant from Truist. [...]
Working online works for jobseekers, too
When jobseekers needed new approaches, the Work4Success program revamped to address their needs. Less than three months later, they encountered another challenge: COVID-19. The economy cratered, significantly changing the job landscape, and a statewide quarantine prevented organizers from recruiting participants in person, or inviting them to places like Our Daily Bread Employment Center or St. [...]
Stopping the summer slide from a distance
Since Catholic Charities began its Head Start and Early Head Start programs, parents have repeatedly stressed their need and appreciation for the programs. That’s why it was clear that the summer programs needed to happen, even at a distance. “The program encourages the kids to learn during the summer and keep them in a routine,” [...]
A boost for tech’s role in counseling
When COVID-19 forced Catholic Charities to end most of its in-person counseling services in mid-March, the team pivoted quickly and began reaching out from home, offering sessions to clients by phone or through video conferencing. But the change required a massive technological scramble. IT staff helped therapists who worked on desktop computers set them up [...]
With our breath, we add our voice
William J. McCarthy Jr. Executive Director It’s been five years since Freddie Gray’s death, and it might not have happened in Baltimore this week, but across the country, it’s still happening. It’s been 52 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, and across the country, it’s still happening. We are watching as black [...]
Small businesses, big hearts
Editor's note: We are very grateful for food donations. At the moment, we ask that new groups or individuals consider donations of in-kind goods beyond food. Each day, it takes countless donations to help Catholic Charities carry out its mission to improve the lives of Marylanders in need. Often, we might think of those donations [...]