A family legacy hits home on a new employee’s first day of work
The evening before Tara Runge started her new job at Catholic Charities, she walked her dog through her neighborhood and – as she often does – talked quietly to her parents, who have both passed away. She was confident about her decision, but asked them to watch over her. The next morning, during her virtual [...]
WWII veteran receives military medals after 75 years
The surprise and honor of a lifetime. That's how Melvin Jonczak Sr. describes the moment his family presented him with military medals he earned 75 years ago, while serving in the United States Army during World War II. It all began as a casual conversation between Jonczak Sr. and Catherine Kundratic, property manager for Catholic [...]
Anxiety, grief and thoughts of what’s next – supporting COVID-19 contact tracers
When COVID-19 contact tracers in Baltimore City start their jobs, Aimee Hoffman is one of the first people they see. The Catholic Charities therapist is part of their orientation to the demanding work, offering advice about stress, anxiety, bereavement and coping through a challenging time, while reminding them that she can help. As the city [...]
Working for justice, even when it hurts
William J. McCarthy Executive Director As I was getting ready to watch the inauguration, I was having a difficult time. This has been an incredibly draining three weeks. In fact, it has been an exhausting 10 months. I wanted to witness the orderly transfer of power with the swearing-in of our nation’s 46th president, and [...]
A legislative session where nothing looks the same – except our mission
As the Maryland General Assembly opens the 2021 legislative session, nothing looks the same. Hallways that usually teem with advocates, interns and the public are eerily silent. In-person rallies are cancelled. Plexiglass or empty seats separate legislators when they are present, and most committee meetings and floor sessions have moved online. "The setting might look [...]
The importance of stories: how one client’s life can affect another’s
When "Letitia" agreed to publicly share her struggle to get a driver's license in 2012, she may not have realized how her story would sow seeds for the future – or how close to home those seeds would sprout. That year, Catholic Charities was part of a push to ease the first-time license requirements for [...]
Still feeling the joy
With 2021 underway, it might seem like the time for looking back is over. But Catholic Charities is still a little stuck in December's Comfort & Joy. The month-long virtual experience presented by McCormick & Company garnered almost 28,000 visits to comfortandjoy2020.org. Among more than a dozen uniquely produced videos, nearly 2,000 viewers watched the [...]
Keeping comfort and joy all year
As 2021 begins and already seems difficult, we are still faced with challenges and overwhelming stress in our world. To carry Catholic Charities' Comfort & Joy through 2021, Villa Maria Community Resources Behavioral Health Clinic Director Suzanne Templeton, LCSW, shared some things you can do to keep connected to the people you love, and to [...]
What we have seen
William J. McCarthy Jr. Executive Director We are challenged in our lives to be witnesses to history. For many of us, those moments sear themselves into our minds and spirits. This is one of them. What happened in Washington was an act that most of us never imagined was possible. In the beating heart of [...]
Giving families a head start on the holidays
When the pandemic disrupted annual holiday traditions all over the world and here in the Baltimore area, a group of young professionals devoted to caring for the community didn't miss a beat. Bikes were among wish list items for the Catholic Charities Head Start SuperStores The Alliance for Catholic Charities—which has about 30 [...]