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Reimagining Your New Year’s Resolution: Consider Volunteering with Catholic Charities
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January 16, 2025Each new year brings hope for self-improvement — a time to correct the less-than-savory aspects of our characters with hope for a better self in the year to come. New Year’s resolutions often focus on changing our habits, figures, and characteristics. Notoriously, these resolutions do not amount to much, with over 23% of them ending in the first week and 43% ending by January 31st (according to BetterHelp). Contributing factors typically amount to three things: lack of motivation, unrealistic goals, and not having a plan. It can be hard to have hope for a new year when it appears we are destined to fail due to our waning motivations, lack of accountability, and no set plans for success.
Perhaps our New Year’s resolutions fail because we look at them with hope for ourselves instead of hope for the world. As Catholics, Jesus commands us to make outward changes: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20). Just like the apostles, we too are commanded to go and make disciples, trusting that the Lord will provide the tools necessary (Acts 2:4-6). Jesus calls us to use the fruits of the Spirit to encounter others and form disciples by meeting them in their own languages and homes.
How can we answer this call from our place in the Diocese of Green Bay? We can be Jesus’s disciples by making the resolution to bring hope to our friends, family, and neighbors not only for the year ahead but also for Jesus’s kingdom to come. If you are looking for a more intentional way of putting your faith into action, consider volunteering with Catholic Charities!
Our volunteer program is equipped to make this resolution succeed with a locally focused mission that motivates, step-by-step volunteer process for easy service tracking, and clear role descriptions so you have a plan for service. The healthcare team for Refugee Resettlement, expectant parent mentors for Adoption & Pregnancy Support Services, language interpreters for Immigration Legal Services, or assistance with donation management/organization are just a few ways to share your skills! Help us bring Jesus’s commandment to fruition this year by partnering with Catholic Charities as we work to make the mission of the Church visible in northeast Wisconsin.
To learn more about the mission-fueled work of Catholic Charities and how you can join our efforts, call (920) 272-8323 today.
Halle Beranek is the Parish & Community Outreach Coordinator with Catholic Charities.
