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Catholic Charities celebrates 10 years
Ten years ago, the Diocese of Shreveport formed Catholic Charities of Shreveport (re-named Catholic Charities of North Louisiana in 2014). This human service agency was the brainchild of Bishop Michael Duca with the help and guidance from Sister Patricia Cairns, CSJ, and modeled similarly to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans—both affiliates of Catholic Charities USA.
A board of directors was formed, bylaws were written, and Catholic Charities obtained a non-profit IRS 501(c)3 status under the umbrella of the Diocese of Shreveport. The mission statement reads:
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Founding Members from the entire 16 civil parish diocese, comprised of 57 families/churches, invested seed money as a base for operations. Their names are on a plaque hung in the foyer of the Catholic Center on Fairfield Avenue where the first office was located. The first year more than 100 people were assisted with household bills in the amount of $4,789, and that number has dramatically increased to last fiscal year’s figures of serving 4,315 individuals and helping with $90,183 in bill payments throughout the diocese.
A second part-time office opened during fiscal year 2011-12 in Lake Providence which has the highest poverty rate in the state—even the nation! Last year more than 213 individuals were positively impacted by CCNLA and $10,329 worth of bills were paid. In 2016, the office in Monroe opened to serve clients three days a week until FY 2019-20 when the office on Concordia Street now officially conducts business Monday-Friday. Last year, 442 individuals were positively impacted and $16,160 went toward bill payments for those families. Ultimately, the goal is to serve clients in all civil parishes of the diocese including the southern deanery. In the meantime, CCNLA staff conducts periodic outreach in the more rural areas.
Catholic Charities of North Louisiana has made great progress these past 10 years. Family Strengthening is the focus of the social services offered through emergency assistance, financial education, state benefits assistance, parenting education, immigration legal services and disaster management. Catholic Charities has garnered a reputation for” doing things right” among other non-profits in north Louisiana. In 2016, the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana developed a timeless vision: “Together we invest in people to alleviate poverty, distress, and injustice.” Executive Director Meg Goorley states, “I’ve been in nonprofit leadership for nearly 30 years, and by far Catholic Charities of North Louisiana has the greatest staff and most active board than any of them. We spend our donors’ funds very responsibly. We are truly impacting the community. I have never been more fulfilled.”
Meg Goorley, Exective Director, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana
Welcome to our newest employee! Jean Woods has joined the Catholic Charities of North Louisiana Shreveport as Case Manager.
Jean Woods has been in social work since she started at St. Vincent de Paul Disaster Services. She worked as a case manager and then was promoted to Office Manager assisting people throughout Shreveport, Bossier, Natchitoches, and Monroe. Their mission assisted with damages to homes due to the flood of 2016, food, clothing, utilities, and helping others achieve their GED, as well as home visits for the elderly and physically challenged. In 2019, when the program closed, she participated in several volunteer projects.
“When I met Jean a couple of years ago I knew she would be perfect for Catholic Charities!” stated Meg Goorley, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana. “She’s a wealth of information and she just “gets it.” Jean is compassionate, smart, and dedicated to helping others.”
As a case manager, Jean teaches Money $chool and assists clients in achieving financial stability. Her mother instilled in her to “Be happy, make a difference, and always remember to help someone along the way.”
