As pandemic policies end, advocacy ramps up
As COVID-19 upended daily life, governments put in place a host of policies designed to support those whose physical and financial health were affected by the pandemic. In recent weeks, many of these policies – which included eviction moratoriums, expanded public benefits and enhanced unemployment insurance – expired. Catholic Charities is closely watching how the [...]
Back to school, at last
One of the things Agatha Callahan noticed on the first day of school was how tall some of the kids had grown. After all, those who had remained fully remote during the COVID-19 pandemic hadn't stepped foot in Villa Maria School for 18 months. VMS' rehabilitative facility dog, Carmen, greets a student on the [...]
“An interesting 16 months” – an update from Gallagher Services
Sixteen months after COVID-19 forced Gallagher Services to shutter its meaningful day programs and shift many of its traditional approaches, program leaders said they are continuing to find creative ways to reach participants, recruit vital staff and evaluate how best to safely re-open services. "It's been an interesting 16 months," said Administrator Kathy Clemente. "It's [...]
Not just showing up in the community – being a part of it
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Susie Diffenderfer was a very busy woman. She worked in a daycare, volunteered at Our Daily Bread Employment Center, worked out at The Y, took a music class, visited seniors at a local retirement community and nurtured a range of hobbies and interests, such as crocheting, cooking and writing poetry. That’s [...]
Stunning symbols of migration on a post-fire Esperanza Center mural
Nearly three years after a fire compromised the Fells Point-based Esperanza Center, there is beauty born from the damage. Thanks to the vision from Baltimore’s Art with a Heart, and the loving contributions from volunteers, community members, and staff, a huge wall of the renovated center will bear a stunning and stirring mural. “I thought [...]
Moving to mandate vaccination
William J. McCarthy Jr. Executive Director The rising trends for COVID-19 as the Delta variant continues its spread are disturbing. As I write this, there have been more than 700 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state in the last 24 hours, and the positivity rate is above 3.5 percent for the first time [...]
New best friends, addition, subtraction and compound words
Shiron Dorsey wasn’t sure she wanted to send her son to a formal preschool. She had home-schooled him through his toddler years, and he was thriving. At 4, Tahrie Peterson was already reading. But she knew it was time when he turned to her one day and said, "Mom, you’re my best friend. But I [...]
This year, summer school feels terrific
Every year, Catholic Charities Head Start programs extend the school year by offering summer sessions to 4- and 5-year-olds. This year was no different, although the experience may have felt brand new to the preschool participants, who had spent much of the school year learning through computer screens. The programs, which serve low-income families by [...]
Rebuilding after divorce
Going through a divorce can trigger financial, physical, and emotional traumas. Sometimes, it can also result in homelessness. Being without a home – even for a brief period – can be disheartening, especially when your family is in the process of breaking up. "I never thought I would be on the street," said Cindi Eveler, [...]
Making summertime memories
Every Monday in the summer, the kids at Sarah's House start the morning by tumbling into a van and driving across the Bay Bridge to a sprawling property on the Eastern Shore. They swim, rock climb, kayak, play basketball and other team sports before, almost inevitably, falling asleep on the van ride home. The weekly [...]