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Catholic Charities Gives Back on Giving Tuesday
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December 5, 2024For the third year in a row, Catholic Charities team members celebrated Giving Tuesday by spending an afternoon volunteering with area nonprofits.
Giving Tuesday, celebrated each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities. In other words, a day that encourages people to give back in whatever ways they can.
Catholic Charities knows first-hand the value of volunteers. This past year, over 65 volunteers recorded 513 hours wrking with us and our clients in so many ways and, for that, we are grateful. We also cherish the many partnerships we have with other nonprofit organizations. Without the mutual assistance and support, we would not be able to provide a fully integrative approach to helping people in need and breaking down social barriers to meet those needs.
Putting our faith into action this year, we partnered with three wonderful organizations to give back on Giving Tuesday:
Awaken is a faith-based nonprofit whose mission is to increase awareness and education surrounding the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and to provide housing and restoration for its victims. Our team assisted with wrapping Christmas gifts, preparing stockings, and helping organize a clothing boutique for survivors. Helping someone who has survived sex trafficking is not just about rescuing but forming real, lasting relationships that empower people to thrive.
Another group of Catholic Charities employees teamed up with the Ecumenical Partnership for Housing (EPH) and helped with cleaning and preparing apartments for families taking part in the program, as well as preparing a space for a family Christmas celebration. EPH provides safety, stability, and solutions leading to self-sufficiency for families with children facing homelessness. Stable housing is a growing concern for many, and our Financial Health Services team works with EPH case managers and their clients to provide budget counseling and prepare them for their first home. Clients complete our program feeling confident in managing their finances. These support systems empower families over time, so they can thrive and achieve independence.
Our final outreach activity was in partnership with Days for Girls, an international organization that increases access to menstrual care and education by developing global partnerships, cultivating social enterprises, mobilizing volunteers, and innovating sustainable solutions that remove stigma and limitations for women and girls. We can easily take for granted having access to these items, and our team members spent the afternoon preparing personal hygiene kits that will be distributed to schools and Catholic Charities clients/families in need.
“Catholic Charities partners with many agencies to meet the needs of those residing in the 16 counties served by the Diocese of Green Bay. Our employees identify organizations who need assistance, allowing us to show our gratitude and build new relationships. It’s also a team-building opportunity for our staff to make our communities stronger and to get to know each other better,” said Lisa Dee, Information & Referral Specialist with Catholic Charities.
In previous years, Catholic Charities has assisted St. John’s Ministries, Paul’s Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. If you know an organization that could benefit from our Giving Tuesday efforts next year, please reach out to Lisa Dee at [email protected].
To learn more about Catholic Charities volunteer opportunities, please visit: https://catholiccharitiesgb.org/volunteer
If you wish to make a donation to the Catholic Charities Giving Tuesday campaign and have your gift matched by a generous donor, please visit: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/3PO4kA
