2017 | Catholic Charities of Central Colorado

Choosing to leave an abusive relationship can be one of the toughest choices a person can make. It can be particularly scary and lonely when you are escaping to a community where you don’t know anyone. Mary came to Colorado determined to turn her life around and make a fresh start. She worked hard to get here, and in the process of seeking a better life, she found Catholic Charities.

Mary had researched the area and made arrangements to stay at a safe house. There, she met with a case manager to help her get on the path to stability. Her case manager directed her to Catholic Charities for bus passes, but she found so much more. She found Catholic Charities was not just a place to go for resources, but was a resource, full of opportunities she could access immediately to begin her new life.

After meeting with a Catholic Charities case manager, Mary was directed to the Life Skills and Career Development Center (LSCDC), where she met Sherry, a Life Skills Instructor. Mary says, “I felt that once I came [to Catholic Charities] and met Sherry, things were going to blossom for me,” and she was right. Throughout her hardships, Mary never gave up. As they worked through a plan which consisted of a number of goals to get Mary back on her feet, Sherry was most impressed that Mary was “always determined not to let her unfortunate circumstances stop her. She took ownership of her life and never let herself be the victim again.”

With Catholic Charities’ assistance, Mary was able to take a course called, All About Dignity, which taught her how to take care of people in their homes. Mary said, “I got way more out of the All About Dignity class than what [Catholic Charities] paid for it.” The skills she learned during her time with the LSCDC and from its resources “really empowered me to get up on my feet and gave me the confidence to go out and get employment.”

In April, shortly after the class ended, Mary began a part-time paid internship at a nearby senior day center, which she found through Employment First, an employment partner with LSCDC. She has been able to use her deep passion for caregiving and the skills learned through the All About Dignity class to help her clients. In late July, thanks to a couple from her church, she found an affordable apartment, which quickly became more of a home than just a place to live. Catholic Charities helped her get settled by providing a home starter kit that included a variety of household goods and food.

Finding a new home and internship is not where Mary’s story ends. In August, with financial help from Catholic Charities, she applied to a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program and was accepted! While still working at the internship, Mary completed the CNA course and graduated in September. Then in October, she passed her CNA board. During each step of this process, Mary would visit the LSCDC to seek advice. She found a new family at Catholic Charities – one that advises, supports, and cheers for her, and she has tapped into all of the available resources. She says, “This is the best thing that I’ve done since I’ve been here [in Colorado], to come to Catholic Charities because everything happened from here.”

As a certified CNA, Mary has agreed to work for six months with a partner of MGA Home Health but is already looking further into her future. She stopped in at the LSCDC job fair in October to connect with Discover Goodwill’s HR recruiter to make sure her application for two CNA-related positions had successfully been submitted. Not only has her self-esteem received a huge boost from her success and time with Catholic Charities, but she’s also very excited about the possibilities of the future. “Here I am today; I’m employed, I have an apartment, I have a church family, and I have a family here at Catholic Charities, which really helped me get to where I am right now.”

“Catholic Charities has been a rock for me because of the people who made me feel welcome,” Mary says. “I never felt defeated since I got here, because Sherry gave me the confidence to do what I needed to do. Once I knew that I had a place to come and people to communicate my goals to, I felt that I could go out there and conquer the world,” and she did.

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado was chosen as one of many companies in Colorado Springs for The Gazette’s Best Workplaces in 2017! In total, over 140 businesses were nominated, 104 completed the survey, and they chose 68 private, public, nonprofit, and government organizations in the Pikes Peak region to receive this honor. “Winners” were categorized into four categories: Extra Large, Large, Midsize, and Small companies. Catholic Charities was chosen as one of 17 businesses in the Midsize Companies category.

Read the Gazette Article Here

Most Programs Open for Service on December 4th

Coats for Kids Distribution to be Held December 2nd

English for the Workplace begins January 8th

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado announced today their Family Connections programs (Family Day Center, Family Mentor Alliance, Life Support Services) will be open for business in their new location – the Helen Hunt Campus – beginning Monday, December 4th. However, the Kidz Klozet, which provides clothing and accessories for children and limited maternity clothing, will not open until December 11th. The Helen Hunt Campus is located at 917 East Moreno Avenue in the Hillside neighborhood of Colorado Springs. These programs were previously located in the Catholic Charities’ Marian House complex.

Please note: Our first official event at the Helen Hunt Campus is a Coats for Kids distribution on Saturday, December 2nd, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. This is the 4th year for Catholic Charities and the Diocese of Colorado Springs Knights of Columbus to host this event. Hundreds of coats, sized infant to kids 14/16, will be distributed to children in need.

Additionally, on Monday and Wednesday mornings at the Helen Hunt Campus, a new English as a Second Language class (ESL) will be offered at the Helen Hunt Campus – English for the Workplace. This is a new location and offering from Catholic Charities robust ESL program and will begin on January 8, 2018. Registration is available on-site and will remain open until classes are filled. Call 719-866-6516 for ESL information.

“The opportunity to secure space in the new Helen Hunt Campus came just at the right time. With the expansion of family programs, as well as the rapid growth of the Life Skills & Career Development Center (LSCDC), the Marian House was becoming crowded,” said Andy Barton, CEO of Catholic Charities of Central Colorado. The move will allow Family Connections to grow in the new family-centered campus while making room for expansion of LSCDC – Catholic Charities’ jobs program.

A Neighborhood Open House is scheduled for January 27th, with a Community Open House planned for February 1st. More details on the two Open House events will be coming soon.

About Family Connections

Family Connections are: The Family Day Center (FDC), the only day center for families in the Colorado Springs community, originally opened as a pilot project in September 2015. The program was so successful, it became a regular program of Catholic Charites in 2016. The FDC serves as a portal for families in crisis to begin to move toward stability. The Family Mentor Alliance, based on the One Congregation, One Family model, which pairs qualified families experiencing homelessness with mentor teams from local congregations and community partners, became a program of Catholic Charities in July 2016. Families work to transition out of homelessness to stable housing. To date, over 90% of families in this program have maintained stable housing for at least one year. Life Support Services provides case management / family coaching and emergency support to families with young children through help with children’s and maternity clothing, baby food, formula, and diapers.

Families who seek services from Family Connections will also have access to other programs such as the Kidz Klozet – Safe & Secure Kidz, Early Literacy Project, Bright by Three, Kidz Korner, and ESL Childcare. Other programs, currently in development and scheduled to be available in early to mid-2018 are parenting focused programs such as a Nurturing Parenting Program, Mothers & Babies, and Parenting on the GO to name a few.

BY JAY VAN GELDER, YOUTH PASTOR AT HOPE REFORM CHURCH

I started going to the Marian House back in 1990 as a senior in High School. Every three years, there is a Youth Conference in Estes Park, Colorado, called, “Rocky Mountain High,” which my group and I always attend. The Youth Conference is a special place — this year 3,200 youth and sponsors gathered for a time of worship, fun, and digging deeper into their faith in Jesus Christ.

But, before we go to the conference, we have always stopped in Colorado Springs to serve in the community. We have found when students get to serve first, that they already experience what it means to be the “Hands and Feet of Jesus.”

It is very personal for me because I have watched the Marian House grow into a wonderful place that serves
many people over the years. I watched the construction of the new building and parking lot; both are such nice additions to the place. I can remember in 1996 when we trucked 500 hamburger patties from Corn Fed Iowa Beef to grill at the Marian House and serve people. I was on the grill, which was placed in the back of the old house. I remember also handing out pop to young kids, who responded, “I have never had my own pop before.” What a joy it was to bring a smile to that little kid’s face when he opened it up and tasted his first fizzy can of pop.

Today, the best part of serving at the Marian House is when I get to work in the dishwashing area. First, I just want to say, that it is a kind of intense place to serve, and at times dishes are flying, because of the speed at which people come through to eat. This spot is great for me because when done, you really felt like you just worked very hard. But the best part is when I get to say, “Have a great day,” or “You take care!” It is such a blessing to leave my comfort zone and serve with no strings attached like Jesus served while He was here on earth.

I am so happy to volunteer, organize our community service, and be a part of Marian House as it continues to be the “Hands and Feet of Jesus,” and to keep loving people like Jesus loved.

At a Press Conference today held at the 8th Street Walmart Supercenter Remodel unveiling in Colorado Springs, Catholic Charities was presented with a check for $75,000. The event coincided with Hunger Awareness Month.

Walmart Store Manager Martin Lujan and Walmart Regional Manager Jon Ball presented the oversized check to CEO Andy Barton and CDO Sarah Tremmel. Barton said, “This gift will make sure that no one goes hungry in our community.”

Catholic Charities plans to purchase a refrigerated truck to pick up food donations for the Marian House Soup Kitchen which served over 216,000 meals last year. “The Walmart Foundation’s generosity will ensure that we can continue to serve meals to those most in need in our community for years to come,” said Barton.

This is not the first time Walmart has supported the organization in a big way. In 2012, the Walmart Foundation provided funds to purchase a truck with allowed Catholic Charities to develop new partnerships throughout the 10 counties it serves in Central Colorado, expanding to add 16 food pantries, 7 churches and 6 schools to its rural food deliveries.

That is what Shirley King has done. After a brief bout of homelessness, Shirley was working to get her life back. She was employed at Wal-Mart and living in a motel, just barely making it. Then she met Kathy Bullen, a case manager at Catholic Charities in Castle Rock (CC). Kathy coached her toward self-sufficiency, helped with food, gas, and other necessities, and soon Shirley was saving portions of her paycheck for the deposit on an apartment. When she was ready to move, her car broke down: it was not repairable. She thought she had to choose between getting a car to keep her job or getting an apartment. Luckily for her, a car had been donated to CC, and because of her hard work, Shirley was chosen to receive that car. As a result, she moved into the apartment and was able to get back on her feet. The donation of the car changed Shirley’s life.

As Shirley continued to progress, she saved enough money for a new car. In appreciation for what CC had done for her, rather than trade-in or sell the car, she chose to donate it to CC, giving someone else a chance to get back on their feet. Just as that donated car came at the right time for Shirley to make a difference in her life, a car is exactly what Mike needed to continue his path to stability.

Mike is on a fixed income. His troubles began when he was forced to move from his apartment complex, which changed ownership and underwent a renovation, then significantly raised his rent. He found ranch work that included housing, but shortly after moving, his disabled, teenage granddaughter, struggling at home and at school, came to live with him. As she settled in and her grades improved, Mike felt that things were returning to normal.

Then Mike unexpectedly lost his ranch job along with their housing after a medical issue. He found himself homeless, something unfamiliar to him, but he wasn’t going to give up hope with his granddaughter’s welfare in his hands. Through CC, Mike was provided with gas cards and emergency motel vouchers and was recommended for wrap-around community services. CC continues as Mike’s community facilitator, has found him an affordable apartment, and furnished it with basic necessities. Things were looking bright until his car became inoperable. That is when Shirley called about donating her car. She was thrilled to learn CC was working with someone who desperately needed a car. Just when Shirley needed a car to continue her progress toward stability, a donor made one available. And when Mike needed a car, Shirley returned the favor.

BY ROCHELLE SCHLORTT

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado was extremely disappointed by the announcement from the White House this morning regarding the “orderly transition and wind-down of DACA (Deferred Action for Child Arrivals).” We believe that this transition represents a profound injustice to the young men and women who will be impacted, and we stand in solidarity with all DACA recipients, especially those in our local community who have become thriving members of our workforce and schools. This action undermines the common good and stands in profound conflict with our Christian faith and our nation’s history.

We remain hopeful that Congress will act to pass the Dreamer Act to provide a legal path for approximately 800,000 people currently in the DACA program who were brought to the United States as children. Locally, our Family Immigration Services Office has assisted about 300 young people to apply for and receive DACA and has renewed about 200 of these applications since 2012. We estimate about 17,000 young people will be impacted state-wide.

The “Dreamers” are a group of young people who were brought to the United States by their parents as children. They do not know any other country as their home. DACA has allowed them to receive a social security number, work legally, attend college, start businesses, purchase homes, apply for loans, and be complete and productive members of our communities.
To qualify for DACA, applicants had to be under 31 years of age when the policy went into effect in 2012 and lived in the United States continuously since June 15, 2007. They also had to have arrived in the county before turning 16. Anyone with a serious criminal conviction could not apply for DACA.

The Brooking Institute, a nonprofit public policy organization, found that two-thirds of the Dreamers had come to the U.S. at the age of 10 or younger, and 36 percent were under age six when they arrived. The study found 24 percent of DACA-eligible workers were attending college, a slightly larger share than the 20 percent of the general population in the same age group, and that 83 percent of the group was employed versus 79 percent of the general population.

Repealing DACA will not only be devastating for these young people, their families, and their businesses, it will be economically devastating for our communities. The CATO Institute estimates the cost of deporting DACA participants would be over $60 billion to the federal government, along with a $280 billion reduction in economic growth over the next decade (source: https:/ /www.cato.org/blog/economic-fiscal-impact-repealing-daca).

News of the repeal of DACA on top of the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the state of Texas is even more harmful since Texas has the second largest number of DACA registrants – 110,050 (source: US Citizenship and Immigration Services), and the state also stands to lose $6.1 billion in annual GDP. Colorado stands to lose $800 million in GDP, according to a CNBC report.
Important Information:

What to do if you currently have DACA status. If your current application expires before March 5th, 2018, retain the services of a reputable attorney or qualified organization, such as Catholic Charities, who can help process your renewal application before the deadline to obtain a 2-year extension.

What to do if you are eligible (fall into the correct age range and meet the other residency qualifications) but have not yet applied for DACA. Do not apply. You no longer qualify.

Here are the key points to know about the new changes to DACA:

If you have never applied for DACA before:

Do not apply. Your application will be rejected.

If you have DACA currently, and it expires on or before March 5, 2018:

You MUST file to renew your DACA, AND your application must be RECEIVED by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service by Thursday, October 5, 2017. It can then be renewed for another full two years.

If you have DACA currently, and it expires after March 5, 2018:

You are NOT eligible to renew your DACA, but it will remain valid for the full two-year period until it expires.

We urge everyone who is eligible to renew or has questions about DACA to contact our Office of Family Immigration Services immediately at 719-866-6515 or immigration@ccharitiescc.org to schedule an appointment. We are prioritizing these cases to help as many people as possible to renew DACA before the October 5, 2017, deadline.

Download Fact Sheet

Descargue hoja informativa sobre DACA

For up-to-date and accurate information, please visit: https://www.uscis.gov/daca2017

Rochelle Schlortt is the Chief Communications Officer with Catholic Charities of Central Colorado.

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado (CCCC) has achieved national accreditation through the New York-based Council on Accreditation (COA). CCCC provides over 75 programs and services for the working poor, families, individuals, unsupported teens, seniors on a limited income, veterans, people who are disabled, and people experiencing homelessness. Organizations pursue accreditation to demonstrate the implementation of best practice standards in the field of human services. COA evaluated all aspects of CCCC’s programs, services, management, and administration. CCCC has continued to receive accreditation since February 1997.

In addition to receiving accreditation for the more mature programs such as Life Connections Adoption and Pregnancy Counseling program, Family Immigration Services, Marian House programs, as well as the administration, marketing, and finance areas, accreditation was also received for CCCC’s newest, fastest growing programs including:

The Family Day Center, which helps families and children in crisis;
Family Mentor Alliance, in collaboration with local congregations, helps families transition out of homelessness;
The Life Skills and Career Development Center, which recently announced it had helped 200 people become employed, teaches people the skills needed to get and keep a job to become more stable, and;
The Castle Rock office of CCCC which opened in May 2013 and is helping more than 80 people each month with counseling, emergency services and English as a Second Language classes.

COA accreditation is an objective, independent, and reliable validation of an agency’s performance. The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administration, management, and service delivery functions against international standards of best practice. The standards driving accreditation ensure that services are well-coordinated, culturally competent, evidence-based, outcomes-oriented, and provided by a skilled and supported workforce. COA accreditation demonstrates accountability in the management of resources, sets standardized best practice thresholds for service and administration, and increases organizational capacity and accountability by creating a framework for ongoing quality improvement.

To achieve COA accreditation, CCCC first provided written evidence of compliance with the COA standards. Thereafter, a group of specially trained volunteer Peer Reviewers confirmed adherence to these standards during a series of on-site interviews with board of directors, staff, and clients. The entire process takes about 12 to 18 months and is repeated every four years. . “This accreditation, and the rigorous process that our staff and board went through to achieve it, is so valuable for our agency. It pushes us to the highest standard of care for those we serve as well as the highest level of stewardship for resources that our community entrusts to us.” said Andy Barton, President & CEO of Catholic Charities.

Based on their findings, COA’s volunteer-based Accreditation Commission voted that Catholic Charities of Central Colorado had successfully met the criteria for accreditation. Only 42 agencies in Colorado have received COA accreditation of which only four are in Colorado Springs: Catholic Charities, Falcon Trail Youth Center at the USAF Academy, Fort Carson Patriot School-Age Services and Mesa School Age Center on Fort Carson, and R.P. Lee Youth Center at Peterson AFB.

An endorsement of COA and the value of its accreditation process is reflected in it being named by the US State Department as the sole national independent accrediting body under the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption to accredit inter-country adoption service providers. In addition, COA is the only national accreditor designated by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop accreditation standards and processes for human service programs provided to military personnel and their families.

Founded in 1977, COA is an independent, not-for-profit accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and social service organizations in the United States and Canada. Over 2,000 organizations — voluntary, public, and proprietary; local and statewide; large and small — have either successfully achieved COA accreditation or are currently engaged in the process. Presently, COA has a total of 47 service standards that are applicable to over 125 different types of programs. To learn more about COA, please visit www.COAnet.org.

The Family Day Center, Family Mentor Alliance, and Life Support Services will combine family programming under a new department named – Family Connections – and move from the Marian House Complex to the new Helen Hunt Campus in the Hillside neighborhood in late October/early November. “The opportunity to secure space in the new Helen Hunt Campus came just at the right time. With the expansion of family programs, as well as the rapid growth of the Life Skills & Career Development Center, the Marian House was becoming crowded,” said Andy Barton, CEO of Catholic Charities (CC).

The move also brings a collaboration with the Community Partnership for Childhood Development (CPCD). As families seek services through Family Connections, CC will be able to place preschool children into the CPCD Head Start program at the Helen Hunt Campus. “This is just one more tool available to help families in crisis,” said Kathy Thayer, VP of Family Services at CC.

The new center will serve a spectrum of family needs, from those facing homelessness to those needing to strengthen their family’s resilience and stability to those who want to engage in ESL education. In addition to offering safety net services to address immediate needs for families in crisis, Family Connections will use a Healthy Engagement model where families participate in multiple programs over a longer period of time, earning points toward essential items (like car seats). This shift puts the families themselves in charge of achieving their own goals for their family. “Our programming is focused on a family strengthening perspective as families are their best decision makers,” said Thayer. “The objective is to help families in deeper, more meaningful ways and get them to engage in healthy behaviors such as playgroups, early literacy, and educational opportunities for the child, as well as for the parent.”

Staff who previously were called case managers or family advocates are now Family Life Coaches who work to bolster the sense of self and build self-regulation to improve outcomes for those engaged in traditional antipoverty programs. Coaching works to build skills and mindsets over a period of time through interactive relationships, coaching them to move forward and providing positive self-efficacy and motivation.

The Family Life Coaches will use a 2Gen approach, creating opportunities for and addressing the needs of both vulnerable children and their parents together. Parents regularly put their needs aside to address their child’s needs. Because low-income children tend to have more complicated needs, and low-wage work usually means little flexibility for parents, in many situations, parents are simply fired for not being at work while dealing with their child’s needs, setting back the entire family. This is why a 2Gen approach is needed.

The concept of Family Connections means it is possible for a family to enter into services to address an immediate housing or shelter need, but then continue to engage to build financial resiliency, parenting skills, and get their young children engaged in preschool and literacy programs. In total, fewer families may be served than the former Life Support Services program, but those who are in the program will have more long-term success in attaining and maintaining stability because of the new Healthy Engagement model.

The biggest challenge many of our families face is finding affordable housing. Family Connections, the community’s new coordinated entry process, and our family housing partners will continue to work to bridge the gaps in emergency shelter and affordable and attainable housing needs. But finding and developing more affordable family housing options will need to be resolved as our community continues to work toward family poverty solutions.

Simone’s childhood took place somewhere between living with her homeless mother and going in and out of foster care. Despite her unstable living conditions, she graduated from high school, got married, and had three children. However, her marriage became a domestic violence situation, and she felt trapped. In 2010, she found the courage to call the police and send her abuser to jail. As a single mother, she was unable to care for the children, so they went to live with her parent’s in-law in Arizona.

Simone says she remained in Colorado Springs because “it was the only place I knew how to survive being broke.” Although she had a string of food service jobs to support herself, it was not enough to keep her from being in and out of homelessness. At 28, she gave birth to a fourth child. By this time, she knew her life would not support her family, but she couldn’t seem to break the cycle of poverty.

Eventually, Simone began visiting Catholic Charities’ Family Day Center, where she and the baby found refuge during the day. “The services Catholic Charities offers basically saved me,” Simone insisted. While trained volunteers watch her child in the Child Watch room, Simone accesses the Life Skills and Career Development Center. Sherry Stulpin, Life Skills Instructor, helped Simone plot a plan that led to employment in a managerial position with one of Catholic Charities’ hiring partners. She also received help to find transitional housing.

Although Catholic Charities’ emergency services help Simone save money by providing diapers, formula, food, and clothing, she still struggles to make ends meet. On the weekends, she can’t afford childcare and must rely on the homeless father to care for their child. She hopes to save enough money to move to an apartment downtown so her child can stay indoors and she won’t have to spend four hours a day on the bus commuting to work.

Despite the stress of her daily life, Simone is already setting goals for the future. She secured a loan for college and is taking online classes toward a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Entrepreneurship. In the evenings, she uses her phone as a hotspot for her laptop to take classes. With eight years of experience in food service, she hopes to open her own restaurant someday.

For someone caught in the cycle of poverty, sometimes all it takes is a little personalized attention to begin taking the steps toward a better life. “I didn’t know how to be a functioning adult when I got out of foster care,” Simone admitted, “I’d grown up living like everybody else on the streets. Catholic Charities taught me how to be an adult.”

At the July 11 meeting, the Colorado Springs City Council put forth a Proclamation honoring Catholic Charities for our job placement accomplishment. Among other things, the proclamation said:

“…the City Council do hereby recognize the work of Catholic Charities of Central Colorado in Colorado Springs and urge the citizens and businesses of Colorado Springs to participate in expressing gratitude to the staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities of Central Colorado who provide personalized attention to those in need to help them to take steps toward a better life.”

BY BRANDI RANDLE

Terri knows a little about karma. After being an independent businessman, accused of theft, taking advantage of customers, and facing prosecution, he suffered two strokes due to stress which caused high blood pressure, leaving him, as he says, “at about a second-grade level of communication.” He lost everything. Now without his business, his income, savings, and to some extent, his family, he had to start over. Looking for a job presented some problems because of his notoriety, but eventually, he landed a day labor position, which led to handyman work at a local business.

Everyone deserves a second chance, and that is exactly what he got. He worked hard to do the best job he could, whether that was shoveling snow, painting, raking leaves, or picking up trash. His motto is “You make it a great day,” meaning that you are responsible for your actions, happiness, and attitude. Terri says, “I have a good attitude. I’ve turned it all around.”

Terri began coming to Marian House to eat several years ago to save money. He likes the food, especially the salads. He says his mom always said to eat well, and he tells his mom that the food at Marian House is better than a restaurant. He gets two different salads every day. He also likes to tease some of the other patrons by telling them that he’ll “buy them lunch.” He likes the atmosphere at Marian House: he also likes to see the occasional Nun there at the table, and he says the volunteers are “good people!”

Recently, Terri had a medical issue that caused him to miss work for a few weeks while he was hospitalized. It was fairly serious, and he came to the Marian House to get help from the SET Clinic with follow-up care, especially with changing the bandages. He says, “The doctors really care. I got to see the older doctor. He took the wound apart and inspected it, then put it back together. It wasn’t healing properly, so he told me to come back on Monday. My Medicaid is messed up, so even though the hospital gave me a prescription, I couldn’t get it filled because it was so expensive. The doctor at the clinic gave me a prescription to help with the infection and told me to take it every day. They took better care of me in the one day at the clinic than they did in the hospital, and I was there for ten days! I’m a diabetic, so I have to be careful.”

Terri continued to rave about the SET Clinic and the staff, “It’s obvious that the doctors want to be there. They want to help.”

“Sometimes I use the clothing closet at the Marian House for a shirt or a pair of pants or some hygiene items, but mainly I use the Marin House for food,” said Terri. He has a limited income, so he doesn’t use a lot of the services, but he does take advantage of those that help him remain self-sufficient. He says that he borrowed his parent’s motor home and sleeps there, so most of his needs are met.

Terri’s days are filled with work that he enjoys and people he likes to work with. He enjoys the people he meets at Marian House and the volunteers he encounters, and clearly, he is grateful to the medical staff at the SET Clinic for all the assistance he has received through his medical ordeal. Occasionally gets to see his children and grandchildren or visit his siblings and mother, who live in northern Colorado. For now, he has what he needs, and life is good.

Terri says he just wanted to stop by and tell someone at Catholic Charities “Thank-You” for the services he received at Marian House and from the SET Clinic. “You make it a good day!”

Brandi Randle was a marketing assistant with Catholic Charities.

BY ROCHELLE SCHLORTT

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado announced today their Life Skills & Career Development Center (LSCDC) has helped fill over 200 jobs in Colorado Springs, putting Marian House clients to work. Just two years ago, the Center was simply called the Computer Lab, but it gained its weightier name when Sherry Stulpin, Life Skills Instructor, and a group of volunteers began mentoring job seekers not only in computer skills but in the skills needed to thrive in a job and in life. The first job filled occurred in July 2015, and it took until September 2016 to reach 100, so the pace has picked up as more clients and employers have discovered the program, as the next 100 jobs were filled in just nine months.

Most of the people seeking employment with Marian House are considered “the unemployable” or, at the very least, the hardest segment of the population to employ due to high barriers such as homelessness, felonies, large gaps in employment history, or a history of job hopping/short-term employment, to name a few. This makes this milestone that much more remarkable. The Center is usually at capacity, helping eight or ten people each day. Main operating hours are 10:30 am – 1:00 pm for walk-ins, but the Center is open from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm for appointments. Thanks to the Downtown Rotary Club, plans are already in the works with Amnet and Firma IT to add seven more computers with software, bringing the total number of computer stations to twelve, which will help continue the accelerated pace of putting people to work.

Recently, Joel Fluegge joined the team as Marian House Community Services Manager, and together, he and Stulpin have successfully linked clients with local employers, usually having more job opportunities than trained clients to take available positions. Goodwill Industries conducts a hiring event at the Marian House every six weeks with pre-screened candidates and, to date, has employed more than 25 people. Last fall, the first annual Marian House Job Fair was held on-site, where eight employers offered interview opportunities to help facilitate job connections. Another Job Fair is planned for November, just before the holiday hiring season. Stulpin said, “For someone caught in the cycle of poverty, sometimes all it takes is a little personalized attention to begin taking the steps toward a better life.”

Once clients are ready to apply for jobs, most find work within three weeks, often using bus passes and wearing interview clothes provided by Catholic Charities. Those who need more time to hone their skills are placed in the Marian House Works program, where they are paired with volunteers for special attention or given volunteer work within Catholic Charities. Once they develop the necessary skills, the team works with them to obtain outside job placement.

What makes this program different from others is the personal follow-up that occurs within the first 30 – 45 days of employment with the employee as well as the employer. Stulpin said, “Sometimes the initial job pairing doesn’t work due to a mismatch of skills, transportation issues, or personality conflicts. When this happens, the client returns to Catholic Charities to work on these issues, and we look for positions that might be a better fit. Once that initial period is past, it is up to them to make it all work.”

Fluegge said, “We have clients who return regularly to let us know how successful they are in their job placement as well as those who have left their positions and want to try again. To date, we estimated that of the clients who have chosen to remain in our community, about two-thirds remain employed. Usually, if they’ve lost a job, they come back and ask for our help.”

Andy Barton, Catholic Charities of Central Colorado CEO, said, “The success of this program is emblematic of the work we are doing to help clients every day. Our Marian House Soup Kitchen is an important portal for transitioning families in crisis to link them to services that can help them build resiliency and, ultimately, stability. It’s a meal to a job.”

Rochelle Schlortt is the Chief Communications Officer with Catholic Charities of Central Colorado.

BY ROCHELLE SCHLORTT

Hunger Awareness Month is a time to get educated about hunger issues that affect the people we serve. As you might expect, there is a close relationship between hunger and poverty in America. In the most recent Feeding America statistics available ( 2015), it was reported that 43.1 million people were in poverty in America, and 42.2 million lived in food-insecure households, including 13.1 million children. Furthermore, food insecurity exists in every county in America, ranging from a low of 3% in Grant County, KS, to a high of 38% in Jefferson County, MS. Additionally, 59% of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the three major federal food assistance programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Kids Count in Colorado reports that more than 180,000 children – 14.8% – live in families with incomes below the poverty line, and 42.1% of children qualify for free and reduced lunch. So how does this stack up in Catholic Charities of Central Colorado’s 10-county service area? Four counties are basically at or above the national average for children qualifying for free and reduced lunch: Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lake, and Lincoln, while Teller, Park, and El Paso counties are not far behind. More alarming is the fact that 8 out of the ten counties we serve are at or above the national average for children in poverty. Only Douglas and Elbert counties are below the national average. We also have food deserts right here in El Paso County.

According to Walk Score, only 6% of the Colorado Springs population live within a 5-minute walk to a grocery store. Now that is not completely shocking since we live in a very mobile society, but if you live in the downtown area, the southeast area, or a low-income area of town with limited mass transportation and no personal vehicle, then getting to a grocery store can be problematic. Even if you live near restaurants, fast food establishments, or convenience stores, you might be in a food desert where affordable, quality, fresh food is not readily available.

At Catholic Charities, we fight hunger every day through the daily meal at the Marian House Soup Kitchen, where anyone is welcome to come and enjoy a meal, and through the hundreds of food boxes, we distribute every year. Food boxes are distributed to seniors, families, people with disabilities, people in poverty, those in rural communities without resources, those living in food deserts, or anyone who cannot come to the Marian House due to transportation, childcare, or other issues.

Poverty and Hunger go hand in hand. Join the fight today.

Rochelle Schlortt if the Chief Communications Officer with Catholic Charities of Central Colorado.

BY ROCHELLE SCHLORTT

The time period between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is National Family Month. In 1998, Congress passed the National Family Month bill to recognize the importance of children and families to the future of the United States. This national recognition of family is particularly important to us at Catholic Charities as most of our programs have families at the center of everything we do.

Our newest family programs pair qualifying families with local congregations as well as access on-site programs and partnerships to transition families out of homelessness. Qualifying families must have a base level of income to enter the program. The success rate of families maintaining housing for at least a year is above 90%.

We also welcome families in crisis and homeless families to partner with us through case management to develop a plan to move from crisis to stability. These families access a variety of programs and services such as Catholic Charities emergency services for basic needs, the Life Skills and Career Development Center to begin developing skills to find employment, or Family Immigration Services to begin the process towards legal residency. These are just a few of the family programs that are available at Catholic Charities.

The intent of National Family Month is to provide opportunities for families to spend time together, develop and renew family relationships, identify and rediscover needs within the family, and remind everyone of the important role that family plays in raising healthy and confident kids. These concepts are recognized in the programming and activities being developed in new family programs at Catholic Charities as well as in existing programs and services. Many of our programs provide educational support and resources that can ultimately strengthen the family structure and provide the tools needed to begin the journey toward greater stability.

We are particularly proud of a partnership that is in development with CPCD and our Family Services programs. When a family in poverty or homelessness seeks our services, we will be able to enroll them in a CPCD Headstart class. Look for more information on this as these plans become more solidified.

Families are at the core of a strong society. If we didn’t think we had a reason to celebrate families publicly, just remember, Mother’s Day to Father’s Day is National Family Month!

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