Changing Lives July

JULY 2016

Catholic Charities

CHANGING LIVES TOGETHER AT LAST

CONTENTS Together at Last ..................................... 1 Sister Norma Honored ......................... 1 Happy Birthday NeighborNest ......... 2 A Lifetime of Service ........................... 2 70 Years of Camp . ............................... 2 Welcoming the Stranger .................... 3 Grants Corner ....................................... 3 You Shop. Amazon Gives ................... 3 #IAmCatholicCharities ......................4

Catholic Charities gave us hope to continue. In Catholic Charities, we have found peace. We have found support. We don’t feel alone. It is a blessing.

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Nelly, Catholic Charities client

At Catholic Charities Loaves & Fishes Awards Dinner & Gala, this past April, we shared the story of Nelly, a brave mother who risked everything to bring her children to safety. After her daughter’s life was threatened by gang members in Honduras, the most dangerous country in the world, Nelly made a heart-breaking decision to leave her two sons with her sister in Honduras and seek safety for her daughter in the United States.

“It was like a fracture in the family,” Nelly said. “As a mother, it’s something you can never get over.” Nelly came to Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigrant Services in San Mateo County where staff were able to help her apply for asylum. Catholic Charities successfully secured asylum for Nelly and her daughter and began the process of bringing her two sons, Jose and Luis, to safety. With the help of Catholic Charities, Nelly’s son Jose successfully received asylum in the United States. Sadly, it took much longer for Luis, and at Loaves & Fishes, we shared that Catholic Charities staff was diligently working to reunite him with his family after three years apart.

Today, we are blessed to report that through the work of Catholic Charities, Nelly’s family is finally reunited and safe at last. Luis is now at home with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area and the family (and Catholic Charities) is overjoyed! 

HONORING SISTER NORMA Nearly 300 people gathered on Saturday, April 16 at the St. Regis Hotel for Catholic Charities 19th Annual Loaves & Fishes Awards Dinner & Gala honoring Sister Norma Pimentel and benefiting Catholic Charities services to refugees and immigrants. Catholic Charities presented the 2016 Loaves & Fishes Award for Faith in Action to Sister Norma in recognition of her work with refugees and immigrants on the Sister Norma and Loaves & Fishes emcee Thuy Vu Texas and Mexico border. “Thousands of people have been inspired by Sister Norma’s compassion, courage and faith,” said Jeff Bialik, Executive Director of Catholic Charities. “The Loaves & Fishes Faith in Action Award recognizes exceptional leadership in charitable service and is a most fitting opportunity to honor a dear friend, Sister Norma Pimentel, and shine a light on Catholic Charities services to refugees and immigrants.”  1

A LIFETIME OF SERVICE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEIGHBORNEST! It’s been a year since Twitter launched NeighborNest, a community center which offers low-income adults and youth the opportunity to interact with Twitter and learn through technology.

Children and staff from Catholic Charities Maureen & Craig Sullivan Youth Services, located next to Twitter headquarters in San Francisco’s mid-Market neighborhood, were invited to a special birthday celebration on May 20 where students

met San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Twitter Chief Operating Officer Adam Bain.

Every week students from Maureen & Craig Sullivan Youth Services visit the Nest to learn about “STEAM” science, technology, engineering, digital arts, and math.

We are grateful to Twitter for our continued critical partnership providing opportunities for our next generation to learn and grow. 

Fifty years is a long time to do anything, let alone dedicate your life to serving the most vulnerable in your community. Yet that is exactly what Kent Eagleson has done. For the past 50 years, Kent has been an iconic example of what can be achieved through perseverance, commitment, and concern for the needs of others.

Kent began his career with Catholic Charities as a Program Counselor for San Francisco Boys’ and Girls’ Homes, providing an alternative to juvenile hall for young people convicted of crimes. From there he rose through the ranks of leadership and, since 2002, has been the Executive Director of Catholic Charities St. Vincent’s School for Boys in San Rafael.

Kent continues to be a force in service to the innocent victims of poverty, violence, abuse, and neglect. It is through Kent’s unwavering efforts that he and his staff have helped these children heal and grow into healthy productive citizens in our communities. Kent has truly set the bar and has a passion for the all-important work of Catholic Charities mission of strengthening families and reducing poverty, one person at a time. When asked what motivates him to continue to do the work, his modest response, “It’s the work I’m supposed to do.”

Please join us in congratulating Kent on 50 years of service to Catholic Charities! 

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Catholic Charities students sing Happy Birthday and blow out candles on a cake

Twitter staff and volunteers teaching a coding class for Catholic Charities students at the NeighborNest

CYO CAMP CELEBRATES 70 YEARS

SAVE THE DATE CYO CAMP ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND

For the past 70 years, thousands of young people have made their way to Occidental, CA for a week of unforgettable fun at Catholic Charities CYO Camp. Situated among 216 acres of coastal redwood trees, CYO Camp is an awe-inspiring place that enables campers to experience a positive, meaningful and challenging summer adventure.

September 16-18, 2016 If you would like to help with the reunion contact Caren Normandin carennorm@sbcglobal.net

If you have memories from your time at Catholic Charities CYO Camp, we want to hear them!

Send your camp memories to cfranz@CatholicCharitiesSF.org. 

WELCOMING THE STRANGER As a parent myself, I was heartbroken when I first heard about Nelly and her family who are featured on our front cover. Unfortunately, countless more mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers have been forced to make the same hard decision to separate due to violence and war. Thankfully, Nelly’s story had a happy ending because Catholic Charities was there when she needed us most.

Every day we see mothers like Nelly searching for a way to bring their children to safety. We also see young people, unaccompanied minors, who are left to navigate the confusing immigration legal system with no help, and often no hope. Only 32 percent of minors fleeing violence are represented by legal counsel in US immigration courts. Unrepresented children have a 15 percent success rate in immigration court whereas represented children have a 73 percent success rate.

This is truly unacceptable and as a nation of immigrants, we must do better.

Because of your support and generosity, Catholic Charities is representing refugee children and families seeking asylum and safety in the United States. We have a moral responsibility to welcome the stranger and ensure all children have the opportunity to live and grow in safety.

Together, we are providing dignity to the most vulnerable members of our human family.

Sincerely and with gratitude,

too, thousands of persons are led to travel “ Onnorththisincontinent, search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?

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Jeff Bialik Executive Director

Speaking to the United States Congress, September 2015

Pope Francis

GRANTS CORNER We are thrilled to receive incredible support from local organizations and foundations! Without the support of our community, we would be unable to continue our work strengthening families and reducing poverty in the community. Please help us recognize and thank the following organizations for their recent support of Catholic Charities.  • Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund

• Isabel Allende Foundation

• Walter and Elise Haas Fund

• Sequoia Healthcare District

• Leslie Anderson and Virginia May Anderson Fund

• WholeKids Foundation

• Joseph and Mercedes McMicking Foundation

• 4Imprint • Trust Funds Inc.

• Fleishhacker Foundation

• San Francisco Foundation

• Knights of Columbus

• American Contact Bridge League Charity Foundation

• Guardsmen • Metta Fund • W. Bradley Electric • Louise M. Davis Foundation • Social Ministries Committee of St. Ignatius Church

• Children of Shelters

YOU SHOP AMAZON GIVES Did you know that you can give back to Catholic Charities while doing your online shopping?

AmazonSmile is a philanthropic giving program that allows shoppers to give back to the charity of their choice without spending an extra dime!

The next time you visit Amazon, make sure to go to smile.amazon.com and choose Catholic Charities San Francisco and .5% of eligible purchases will be donated to support programs and services at Catholic Charities! 

• Atkinson Foundation • Wells Fargo Foundation

For a complete list of all Catholic Charities grant awards, visit CatholicCharitiesSF.org/grants 3

990 Eddy Street San Francisco, CA 94109

415 972 1200 CatholicCharitiesSF.org

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