Providing Hope and Creating Help for our Neighbors in Need

Catholic Charities Bloomington

Travis* and his parents reached out to Catholic Charities Bloomington during the COVID-19 pandemic. Travis had been experiencing some physical health challenges which created a co-occurring set of mental health symptoms. Travis had high levels of anxiety which led to panic attacks and depression symptoms due to the fear and stress related to COVID. The combination of the physical and mental health symptoms caused Travis to report to his parents that he was suicidal. CCB placed Travis with a mental health therapist immediately to work on crisis prevention in the short term and a comprehensive approach to his long-term mental symptoms. Travis had always been a successful student, but his grades suffered with his depression and the loss of motivation that accompanies it. Travis also had to start his freshman year in high school isolated at home with e-learning which was challenging to his physiological system as well.

Travis committed to therapy and attended weekly sessions. He and his therapist worked together to form mental health recovery plan that incorporated all the mental and physical health challenges he was facing. Travis focused extensively on his schoolwork and grades knowing that much of the stress he was feeling was related to that worry. Travis maintained connection with his friends and a secure relationship with his family and pets which acted as strong protective factors. Travis’s involvement in his faith also acted as an empowering force in his life. Travis focused his effort on self-care, stress reduction, and setting attainable goals helped keep him on his path of self-discovery and growth.

Travis has been meeting weekly with his CCB therapist for over a year now with significant progress and recovery. His suicidal ideation has diminished with no negative intrusive thoughts of self-harm for over nine months, and he has created a wonderful self-directed plan to keep his anxiety and depression symptoms within his window of tolerance. Travis is now able to focus on the physical health challenges he’s facing with the support of his family. Travis is thriving in school and his commitment to his mental health recovery has created the healing that has occurred in his life.

*Name changed for Privacy

Becky's Place

Sammy* originally came to Becky’s Place after she had lost everything due to alcoholism. Sammy was a model resident during her stay and avoided drinking but did not talk about her substance use. She quickly found a job, saved money, and secured housing.

Shortly after leaving Becky’s Place, Sammy found herself drinking heavily again. She found herself in legal trouble and was considered a habitual offender facing years in prison. She reached out to Becky’s Place and to Problem-Solving Court while she was incarcerated.

Sammy was accepted into Problem-Solving Court and given the opportunity to work their 2–3-year program. Sammy returned to Becky’s Place on home detention, found a sponsor and started attending meetings at Becky’s Place and in the community. She quickly found a job and saved money. Most importantly, she started counseling to face her addiction. She wanted to talk about her past trauma and address the core issues that led up to her drinking. Sammy recently found the perfect apartment and moved out on her own. She is continuing with aftercare at Becky’s Place, has remained sober and is truly living her best life.

*Name changed for privacy

Catholic Charities Indianapolis

Caregiving is a Conversation for Now

Caregiving for an older adult is likely part of your future, and education and communication is an essential part of the journey. Caregivers provide regular care or assistance to a friend or family member with a health problem or a disability. In Indiana, 1 in 4 adults are caregivers: 60% are women, over 50% assist with personal care, and almost 1/3 spend 20 hours a week providing care (2019, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Caregivers often report a sense of gratitude for being able to provide care, but it’s also a reality that caregivers’ emotional, physical, and financial health can be at risk.

Caregivers can look at their own behavior and health risks by completing the Caregiver Health Self-Assessment Questionnaire, originally developed and tested by the American Medical Association.

Does the physical environment support safe living and aging? Review AARP’s HomeFit Guide.

What community resources are available to support aging individuals and their caregivers? When should they be used, and what are the qualifications for these resources? Review CICOA’s Solutions Guide.

There can be a financial impact. Caregivers report spending thousands of dollars on out-of-pocket caregiving expenses.

Now is the time to have conversations about how we envision aging for ourselves, the care we would want, and how we envision providing care to someone who may need assistance in the future. We risk ending up in crises, not knowing what decisions to make, and second-guessing decisions that are made when we don’t make these conversations a normal part of life. The Conversation Project and Five Wishes provide guides to help people talk about what’s important to them.

Catholic Charities Indianapolis has programs to support caregivers of older adults including A Caring Place Adult Day Services, the Senior Companion Program, Individual Counseling, in person and virtual caregiver support groups, caregiver massage and music therapy, and individual consultation. To speak with someone about caregiving, even if you don’t know the questions to ask, contact Monica Woodsworth, MGS, at mwoodsworth@archindy.org or 317-261-3378.

Hear why some of our Board of Advisors are so passionate about the work of Catholic Charities

St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities

In March we celebrated Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This is a time to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of community life and the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to their communities. Our Supported Living Program (SLP) is continuously striving to find meaningful opportunities for clients to foster their interests, try new things, and take part in the community. A generous ticket donation from Louisville City FC allowed several of our clients to attend a professional soccer match for the first time on Saturday, March 26^th vs. Indy Eleven. Although it was a very cold evening, they had a fantastic time taking part in the atmosphere at Lynn Family Stadium and cheering on Lou City. Our SLP clients and staff are excited for the coming warm months and taking part in many more community events.

Catholic Charities Tell City

Sr. Shellie has been busy speaking to different groups in the Tell City community. She has spoken to a couple of churches, the Kiwanis Club, and the Lions Club. She shares with them what Catholic Charities Tell City is all about and the work they do in the community. She also thanks them for their support and asks how Catholic Charities can in turn support them. Catholic Charities Tell City strives to be Ecumenical in our efforts to assist those in need in the Tell City Community.

Catholic Charities Terre Haute

As Catholics, we are taught that all people have a duty to participate in society, “seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.” Some of the most vulnerable that we see are the children who participate at Ryves Youth Center.

Dr. Angelo J. DiSalvo, known lovingly as “Dr. D.”, first came to Catholic Charities Terre Haute in March 2021 after a long career at Indiana State University. Initially, Dr. D. wanted to help in the Fishes & Loaves Soup Kitchen but quickly fell in love with Ryves and felt called to use his skills and talents there instead.

Since starting at Ryves, he now volunteers four days a week! Taking Thursday’s off as his “retirement day.” Tutoring children daily, helping with Fun Food Friday activities and any other task, he is always happy to help. One of his favorite activities is being a mentor in our TIME for Me program. The one-on-one relationships that form between the mentor and the mentee create lifelong memories and provide the child with a safe environment to thrive. “I have to admit, at first it was frustrating because all he was talking about were videos games that I hadn’t heard of - but I realized that he was talking to me and spending a lot of time telling me something that’s really important to him. So, I started looking at it from his perspective and started to really look forward to it. He’s opened up so much in our time together.” Said Dr. DiSalvo of his experience with TIME for Me.

Our programs at Catholic Charities Terre Haute rely heavily on amazing volunteers like Dr. DiSalvo. Together, we can build a strong sense of community and serve our brothers and sisters when and where they need us.

Save the Date

Catholic Charities Bloomington Exercising Mindfulness Benefit Luncheon

Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Time: 11:30am

Location: Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington

200 Daniels Way, Bloomington, IN 47404

Details: Join us as we feature demonstrations on exercising mindfulness in your daily life, an update from CCB and an appearance by our therapy dog, Amina. There is no cost to attend, but there will be an opportunity to pledge support for the work of Catholic Charities Bloomington. RSVP by Wednesday, May 4th. Click here to register.

Catholic Charities Terre Haute Quick Quack 5k Trail Run

Date: Saturday, June 18, 2022

Time: 8:00am

Location: Griffin Bike Park

Details: Dress in your best duck attire and bring your ducklings along - awards will be given for the best-dressed child and adult racer! The beautiful trails of Hawthorn Park will serve as the backdrop for all races. The 15k can be run as an individual or as a team of three for a fun way to challenge friends. The children's Walk, Waddle, Run 1-Mile begins at 7:40am, followed by the 5k and 15k at 8:00am. You can get the details and register for the event here.

Catholic Charities Terre Haute Rubber Duck Regatta

Date: Monday, July 4, 2022

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Fairbanks Park

Details: Opening Day of Duck Season for the 4th Annual Wabash Valley Rubber Duck Regatta will be May 23. Learn how you can adopt your ducks to win $10,000 and the chance at $1 million at www.WabashValleyRubberDuckRegatta.com.

Donate

Volunteer

Donor Advised Funds - Did you Know?

The Archdiocese’s Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) is a sponsoring charity which administers Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) for archdiocesan parishes, schools and ministries.

· DAFs act like a tax-friendly “charitable investment account.” They are easy to create, have no start-up fee, and provide a hands-on vehicle for you to make an impact on your favorite Catholic ministry(ies).

· As the donor advisor, you can advise distributions to be gifted from your CCF fund to varying Catholic ministries at any time, in any amount.

· Like an endowment, a DAF grows within CCF’s ‘pool’ of funds (525+ funds valued at $240 million+) which utilizes the power of investing and provides greater collective growth for all funds. The value of a gifted asset to a DAF (such as cash, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other property) continues to grow tax-free in this “pool” until used - i.e. more funds for your charitable giving.

· CCF also follows the US Catholic Bishops’ ethical investment guidelines which promote socially-responsible investing aligned with Catholic teaching.

· A DAF can be especially useful when your finances might benefit from a significant charitable tax deduction in a given year while you wish to distribute the amount of the gift over several years (aka “charitable bunching.” increasingly popular with the higher standard deduction).

For more information about establishing a DAF with the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF), please contact ccf@archindy.org or 317-236-1482.