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Stories

Your gift this year is more important than ever! This season is a special one, when our children and clients need to feel connected to their community in spite of COVID-19. Please shop online and use contactless delivery options. We can suggest some!

Give the gift of healing
this Christmas
to a child or family
in need.

Read about all the different ways in which you can help. Scroll down for an overview.

Sponsor a child

Every year, people like you help make sure that the child welfare and mental health programs of Catholic Charities of Baltimore have resources to enhance our mission by providing:

  • Christmas and birthday presents for children at St. Vincent’s Villa.
  • therapy supplies that help a child further their healing from trauma.
  • gift cards to support families in need and activities for children that help sustain their treatment.
  • and more!
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Sponsor most needed items for children and families

Our list of most needed items – the toys, games, art supplies and activity sets you see on our wish lists – are items that are in high demand in our children’s programs. Those programs help provide structured recreational activities and therapeutic experiences to kids at St. Vincent’s Villa and Villa Maria School.

You have an amazing opportunity to help meet basic needs this season in two Baltimore City communities, Sandtown and Brooklyn, where our Safe Streets violence interrupters conduct hundreds of mediations that save lives every year. Your gifts of new winter clothing and baby supplies help the most vulnerable people in the neighborhoods.

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Sponsor a family

An important part of sustaining a child’s healing for the long term is involving their caregivers in the treatment process – parents, grandparents, foster parents, or other kin. To that end, we provide family therapy, advice, training, and support groups. However, many of our families struggle financially, and so your sponsorship can help them build a more stable home life and give them the extra resources needed to participate in treatment, getting them out of survival-only-mode. 

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VOLUNTEER

Help build resilience – Meet a need to stabilize a family

Read how your gift card donation can make a difference in the stories below.

Villa Maria of Towson

While the client was in the hospital, her husband took off from work to care for the children. He was fired (small company, no FMLA). Then the day the client was discharged, the family car was totaled while parked. The family has depleted their savings to purchase a car from charity.

A Walmart gift card will help alleviate some stress…. By helping the client to purchase seasonal clothing for her children, the family can focus financial resources on rent and utilities.

Villa Maria of Harford County

“Client lost his mother at a young age. His father works hard to raise the client and his sister on his own. However, Dad lost his job recently and is struggling to find employment, therefore, he is having difficulty managing finances for the family. Client has a history of anxiety and difficulty separating from his Dad. He is interested in starting a school sport.

A Visa gift card can help the client to enroll in a school sport in order to practice independence from Dad. Also, it will help to reduce his anxiety by increasing self-esteem and physical fitness.”

Villa Maria School

“Client has upcoming school concert, but does not have the necessary attire. We were able to acquire a dress for the student, but could not supply the shoes. Mom is unable to provide at this time, as they have had a few evictions over the past few years.

A Walmart gift card will boost the client’s confidence so she feels good about herself on an important day. Client’s confidence and esteem are severely impacted by the family’s financial situation.”

Kinship Navigators

“Client is a grandmother who is suddenly responsible for raising her daughter’s 8 month old twins. She has to wait for some documentation in order to get WIC, so she needs gift cards to help her with formula, food and other needs for the babies.

A Walmart gift card will help her get started as a Kinship Caregiver. Often in the beginning, before the financial assistance from DSS is secured, families need help, especially if the child/children are given to them without clothes, food, or supplies.”

Villa Maria of Fallstaff

“Client’s home was destroyed in a fire and his family has been displaced. They lost everything and lack even food, clothing, toiletries, etc.

Walmart gift cards will allow the family to purchase basic necessities for the client that will help restore a normal routine which serves as a major foundation in allowing this client to cope with his ADHD. In addition, because of the extent of this event, we will begin doing trauma work and are grateful for any aid to help stabilize their life and minimize trauma symptoms as much as possible.”

Villa Maria of Anne Arundel County

“Client and her mother are brought to family sessions for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy by the grandmother. Grandmother and mother are currently unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. Grandmother has some health issues and mother takes care of her young son during the day. They have a handful of sessions left before they successfully graduate from PCIT but need assistance to be able to make it to the final appointments.

This family has worked very hard in therapy and a gas card would provide reliable transportation for client and her mother to graduate from the program.”

St. Vincent's Villa

“Client’s family has been hit with unexpected expenses and is low on available funds. His parents are planning to shorten their home visits in order to address the grocery expenses.

A Giant gift card will allow the family to continue home visits which are paramount in preparing the client for discharge from the Residential Treatment Center.”

Villa Maria of Carroll County

“Client has been struggling with an ongoing conflict with his ex. Last month, he planned suicide, but thankfully, checked himself into the hospital was recently released. Ex has stolen all of his money. His job is at a distance from the clinic and other appointments, so he won’t have enough gas keep his appointments. He has been living out of his car for the past week.

A gas and Walmart gift card will allow the client to continue the treatment that he is receiving from Villa Maria, and to make it to his job.“

Read more stories here.