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Dear Friends in Christ, In his most recent encyclical The publication of the annual report of the activities of Catholic Charities provides an occasion to thank God for all that has been done in a responsible way to aid those with special material and social needs in our diocese. The programs of Catholic Charities are fully accredited and are staffed by competent professionals. All who turn to them for assistance are met with the charity of Christ himself. I invite you to join me in ongoing support for the work of Catholic Charities. Sincerely in Christ, Most Reverend George J. Lucas
Dear Friends of Catholic Charities: I am proud and pleased to present to you the 2007 Annual Report for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. This past year we at Catholic Charities continued our mission of providing help and hope to thousands of individuals and families in our diocese. It remains an honor for me to witness the “heart of Christ” manifested in the caring and compassionate staff, board members and volunteers who give selflessly of their time, talent and treasure in the service of others. Their continuous acts of love and kindness are not only merciful, but truly inspirational. Where else can you see people who are hungry being fed; people who are sick receiving quality health care and medicine; families who are breaking apart receiving counseling and hope to stay together; abused children receiving a loving place to call home; people who are about to be evicted or have their electricity turned off getting emergency relief; troubled children succeeding for the first time in school; and seniors citizens who are alone getting help, friendship and a place to live out their days in dignity? And this is all in a day’s work at Catholic Charities! There is another group of people who are responsible for all of these things, and they are our donors. Donations to Catholic Charities are vital in our daily fight to help those in need. We recognize that there are many choices and worthy causes a person has when deciding on which charity they will support. However, all too often, there are reports in the media about charitable organizations that mismanage funds, deceive the public or allocate only a very small portion of their funds to actually helping people. In addition there are many “fly-by-night” charitable organizations that are “here today and gone tomorrow,” taking the donations of well-intentioned people with them. This gives all us a bad name and erodes the public’s trust. Catholic Charities respects the compassion and sacrifice of our donors and works very hard to maintain the integrity of our mission and to maximize the generosity of our supporters. In this spirit, I propose the following “Donor’s Bill of Rights” that outlines assurances and expectations I believe all donors are entitled to when supporting any charitable cause. I. You have the right to know that your charitable contribution is going to a sustainable and reputable not for profit organization. Catholic Charities is a registered 501 © (3) corporation in good standing that has been in existence for over 80 years. Its programs are nationally accredited through the Council on Accreditation of New York and it is a member of Catholic Charities USA – the nation’s largest independent network of social service providers. Catholic Charities is a licensed child welfare agency in the State of Illinois and a certified United Way agency. II. You have a right to expect your charity’s mission is rooted in a strong foundation of morals and values. The mission of Catholic Charities is rooted in the 2000-year-old traditions of the Roman Catholic Church and Catholic Social Teaching that emphasizes the obligation everyone has to care for all of God’s children without prejudice. III. You have a right to restrict how your donation is used by the organization. Catholic Charities respects the wishes of its benefactors and allows for donations to be directed towards the programs of the donor’s choosing. Catholic Charities has many programs and services to choose from -- serving people of all ages. IV. You have a right to expect your charity of choice is operated in a fiscally responsible manner. Catholic Charities conducts an annual independent audit of its financial operations that is filed with the state of Illinois and available to anyone upon request. Catholic Charities complies with all IRS regulations governing not for profit organizations and files annual cost reports to the federal government, the state of Illinois, the United Way and various granting organizations. Catholic Charities maintains a philosophy of transparency when it comes to its fiscal stewardship and delivers services to thousands with minimal administrative costs. V. You have a right to expect your charity treats its clients with dignity and respect. Catholic Charities has a written and extensive Code of Ethics that outlines expectations for all personnel and volunteers on how clients must be treated when seeking services through our various programs and services. This code of ethics is founded in Christian love and compassion. VI. You have a right to expect that your charity does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or individual circumstance. Catholic Charities provides services to all people in need, the majority of which are non-Catholic. We also maintain our status as an equal opportunity employer. VII. You have a right to expect your charity to be highly engaged in the community and responsive to community needs. Catholic Charities has recruited over 150 individuals throughout the diocese to serve on eight community advisory boards. These board members serve as liaisons to their local communities helping Catholic Charities identify changing needs as well improving the visibility and support for Catholic Charities programs. In addition, Catholic Charities has entered into dozens of “partnership agreements” with other social service agencies pledging cooperation and collaboration in providing services in our local communities. VIII. You have a right to expect that your charity is managed by competent leadership. Catholic Charities is governed, under the presidency of Bishop George Lucas, by a Corporate Board of Directors made up of individuals from across the diocese with expertise in the fields of business, law, politics, accounting, architecture, medicine, social services, theology and finance. The three-person executive staff has over 60 years of experience in social services programming and management and the administration functions of the agency receive the highest possible ratings during the accreditation process. IX. You have a right to expect that your charity’s programs have a real and measurable impact on peoples lives. Catholic Charities has a comprehensive quality improvement process that provides for the ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of its programs and administration. An annual report on performance is published and available for viewing upon request. Catholic Charities child welfare programs routinely rank as one of the top outcome performers in the state and the effectiveness and impact of our community services programs earn us approximately $1 million of support annually from the local United Ways across our diocese. I hope this information is helpful in determining which charities you will support in the future. Of course, we at Catholic Charities will continue to work hard to prove our worthiness and convince you to make us your charity of choice. Sincerely, Steven E. Roach, M.S.
In life, we have joy as well as sorrow.
Joy comes from many sources such as being a responsible person, a caring
spouse, a loving parent, a respectful child. Sorrow comes from snags
in these relationships.
Professional Counseling Solutions: Our therapeutic programs offer professional, compassionate counseling services to individuals, couples and families striving for emotional wellness. In addition to addressing such problems as depression, anxiety, difficult life transitions, and co-dependency, counseling focuses on providing individuals with the coping skills they need to be happy, productive members of their families and communities. Even though it offers a sliding fee scale, additional donations enable the agency to offer these counseling services in a safe, caring environment. Supportive Pregnancy Services: Catholic Charities provides Pregnancy and Parent Support Services, offering a wide range of pregnancy counseling, as well as educational, medical and infant placement services to help individuals and families of those involved in an unplanned pregnancy. Faith in Action: More than 12 million Americans have a serious, long-term health need that prevents them from carrying out many daily activities for themselves. In addition, a growing number of people are faced with the challenge of helping a loved one, neighbor or friend with cancer, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS or other conditions. The nationally-renowned Faith in Action program was created to meet those needs. Catholic Charities of Decatur oversees the non-denominational Faith in Action of Macon County, where volunteers make a difference by providing simple assistance, such as grocery shopping, light housekeeping, transportation and companionship. Our program fills gaps in services among people who may not qualify for other programs. Presently, a network of volunteers provides non-medical assistance to nearly 300 care receivers throughout the year. Faith in Action empowers frail, homebound seniors, age 55 and older, to maintain their independence and dignity. Elderly Guardianship and Eldercare Options: People have special needs, especially as they grow older. When someone can no longer manage his or her personal affairs, finances or healthcare, Catholic Charities’ Eldercare Options can assess, counsel and determine the need for guardianship for disabled and aged adults. We offer alternative services to guardianship, such as referrals to other agencies, and information and education about guardianship to families. Whenever necessary, we assume guardianship and make decisions regarding the health, welfare and safety of a senior in our Elderly Guardianship program. Through input from the individual and assistance from professionals, we coordinate living arrangements, job training, entitlement and benefits, property and civil rights, religious rights, medical care and burial. Meals on Wheels For many homebound seniors, the prospect of preparing a meal for themselves can become overwhelming. Shopping is challenging and preparing a meal can be cumbersome. Without family or support systems, malnutrition is a potential problem. In Macon County,
there’s such a support system in place in Meals on Wheels, operated
by Catholic Charities of Decatur since it assumed oversight of the program
in 2002. On weekdays, nutritional lunches are planned by registered
dieticians at Decatur Memorial Hospital and prepared in the facility’s
kitchen. The hot meals are then delivered to homebound seniors in Decatur
and several smaller communities in Macon County by an array of cheerful,
caring volunteers, currently numbering close to 300. Annually, we facilitate
the preparation and delivery of over 88,200 meals. Catholic charity in America began by serving
families in need. Today, children and their families remain the focus
of the mission of Catholic Charities.
Foster Care: Adoption: Catholic Charities is committed to providing permanent homes for children. The agency seeks adoptive homes for children who, for one reason or another, cannot remain in or return to the home of their birthparents. Our caring, professional staff prepare families to adopt and supervise the placement of children until the legal adoption is finalized. Catholic Children's Home: Catholic Charities provides management of the Catholic Children's Home (CCH) in Alton. The home offers emergency shelter care, residential and independent living programs for children who are wards of the state and victims of abuse and neglect. In addition, CCH operates a Special Education School for almost 120 special needs children in the Metro East St. Louis area. Intact Family Services: To aid troubled families and children who are at risk of abuse and neglect, Catholic Charities offers an Intact Family Services program to help families learn the skills needed for future success while the family stays together. Usually, the children have been abused or neglected by parents who are having difficult problems. Without home-based services, the children may be placed in foster care. Participants do not pay fees for this service and receive some cash assistance for specific needs.
Providing Relief Every Day: Basic Needs The majority of Catholic Charities’ relief services are not disaster related, but rather performed on a daily basis. Catholic Charities’ dedicated staff and volunteers provided hope and healing to more than 437,500 people last year through goods and services provided every day to anyone who had a need. The generosity of thousands of area Catholics and non-Catholics alike also help make it possible for these basic needs to be filled. For example, the food pantries located in Alton, Carlinville, Decatur, Effingham. Mattoon, Quincy and Springfield serve more than 55,500 clients a year in need of food, household supplies and personal toiletry items. During holidays, many pantries also supply food baskets to area families. St. John’s Breadline in Springfield provides two free meals a day, served 365 days a year to anyone who is hungry. For those in need of health care, Catholic Charities offers many services on a low-income, sliding-scale fee basis. The St. Francis Community Clinic in Beardstown provides quality health care to more than1,500 patients per year. The St. Clare Health Clinic in Springfield serves nearly 2,700 children and almost 1,500 adults a year by providing medical, dental and vision care. Under the MedAssist program, which is offered throughout the Diocese, more than 1,600 eligible patients last year were able to obtain more than $4.2 million of prescription medicines from pharmaceutical companies for a small fee. Last year, Catholic Charities’ Professional Counseling Services provided counseling to 954 clients facing personal or family conflicts and problems. School counseling, foster child counseling and supportive pregnancy counseling is also offered by Catholic Charities’ professional therapists. Those in the Springfield diocese facing domestic crisis situations can turn to Catholic Charities for assistance in finding shelter, food, clothing and transportation. About 24,000 people a year are aided through crisis assistance centers located throughout the area. Catholic Charities staff members also serve as client advocates for those who need services from other organizations. Help and Hope For the Future Thanks to the generosity
of thousands of people throughout the Springfield Diocese, Catholic
Charities is able to continue its mission to provide help and hope.
Whether by natural disasters or daily need, those who are in crisis
can reach out for the helping hand that Catholic Charities offers through
its many programs and services.
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