St. Elizabeth|Coleman Provides Christmas for Families in Need
Rebecca came to St. Elizabeth|Coleman several years ago to make an adoption plan for her unborn child. Since then, she’s been working hard on becoming self-sufficient and providing for her other young children. This past Christmas, she worried that she could not afford presents for her children due to financial struggles. She turned to
St. Elizabeth|Coleman for assistance and, thanks to generous donors, we were able to assist Rebecca. St. Elizabeth Coleman was able to help 25 families with a total of 50 children during the 2021 Christmas Season. 
 
St. Elizabeth|Coleman has continued to assist birthmothers with adoption plans throughout the pandemic. Adoptions have been different and sometimes challenging with new hospital regulations but we have adapted to still service the birth families and adoptive couples. 

After two years of no international travel, several families recently traveled abroad to bring children home to their forever family. St. Elizabeth|Coleman has adapted to the challenges presented by the pandemic and we look forward to continuing to providing services to our clients in need. For more information about our services visit GivingBirthtoHope.org
Expanding Staff Allows Program to Increase Services
The Immigrant Legal Services team has undergone some recent expansion to better serve clients. Julie Wakolbinger, our new Citizenship Instructor, oversees the entire Citizenship Education program. She ensures our various classes have trained volunteer instructors, assesses student learning, leads classes, and develops the curriculum to maximize student success. Mbarka Belkassim, the new Community Integration and Legal Specialist, works with our grant participants to help build connections in the community. Additionally, Mbarka evaluates the needs of those in our program, connects them with community partners to address concerns, and ensures they are enrolled in our citizenship classes or naturalization services. 
 
Two attorneys have joined the team which allows us to diversify our services. Haddy Rikabi is our Immigration Attorney and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. He focuses on affirmative asylum cases but also handles more complicated cases. Katie Bray is the new Immigration Junior Legal Counsel. Katie brings a unique legal experience as she served as the Legal Lead at Camp Atterbury when the Afghan evacuees arrived in 2021. Katie is working directly with Afghan parolees to provide legal orientation and assess their immigration options.
 
The new staff members join our two accredited Immigration Consultants, Flor Bickel and Haley Bastin. They have years of experience providing high-quality, professional, and efficient legal services. The Immigration Legal Services team is excited about this growth which allows us to serve more immigrants in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. To see how you can get involved with our Immigration Services program visit HelpCreateHope.org 
School Social Work Program Provides Resources to Local Schools
The School Social Work Program has 24 master’s level social workers and counselors who serve 29 Catholic schools in the Indianapolis metro area. These dedicated counselors provide a variety of services including individual and small group counseling, classroom guidance, staff consultations, family support, school crisis intervention and more. Some of the services our social workers provided this school year include coordinating with parishes to provide weekend food bags for students. They helped Kindergarten through 3rd graders bolster communication and problem-solving skills that were lacking because of school year disruptions caused by COVID-19. They also collaborated with high school social workers to educate and prepare 8th graders for their transition to high school.
 
At a time when children’s mental health is in crisis, our counselors and social workers continues to provide quality professional services to students and families. 
Check Out Our New Instagram Page
Catholic Charities Indianapolis has joined Instagram! Be sure to follow us at "CatholicCharitiesIndy" to stay up to date with what is happening with our programs. Invite your friends and family to follow us as well.
Caregiver Support Groups:
Virtual and in person support groups for caregivers of older adults. The groups are not disease specific. Registration required. Contact Monica at mwoodsworth@archindy.org or 317-261-3378. If you are not able to attend, feel free to call for caregiver information. 

  • 3rd Thursday, from 5:30 - 7 PM. In person at the Catholic Center, 1400 N Meridian Street.

  • 3rd Tuesday from 5:30 - 7 PM. In person at St Jude's, 5375 McFarland Road.

  • 4th Thursday from 4:15 - 5:30 PM. Virtual. Registration required to receive Zoom link.  
Why People Give to Religious Organizations
Charitable giving is central to Christian spirituality. We see everything we have, material and spiritual, as unmerited gifts from God. God entrusts us with everything we have because he is generous and wants to bless us.

Some interesting 2019 facts about charitable giving to religious organizations (according to studies by USCCB, U.S. Catholic, Sharefaith and Qgiv):

  • Overall charitable giving reached nearly $450 billion in 2019. Of those donations, approximately 1/3 of all charitable gifts benefited religious organizations
  • About 69% of all charitable donations come from individuals and 10% of these gifts come in the form of a bequest. Foundations and corporations contribute 17% and 5%, respectively.
  • Individuals who attend church regularly tend to donate more money to any cause, giving 81% of their donations to religious organizations with an average donation of $2,224. Americans who never attend religious services give less overall and tend to contribute more toward secular causes with an average secular donation of $593 and $111 for religious causes.
  • Not surprisingly, individuals donate more as their wealth increases. Christian households earning between $60-90,000 tend to donate at least $500 annually. Households earning $100,000+ donated $500+. However, younger-aged Christians earning less than $20,000 are eight times more likely to give church contributions than those making $75,000. 

At the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF), our staff seeks to match donors’ stewardship and passions with the needs of the Archdiocese, parishes, schools and agencies. Please contact CCF at ccf@archindy.org or 317-236-1482 to see how we can assist you with your plan to give to Catholic Charities. Thank you!
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For More Information
To inquire about St. Elizabeth|Coleman, contact Renee Hummel at rhummel@secindy.org
To inquire about the School Social Work Program, contact Patrice Uminski at puminski@archindy.org or Sharmila John at sjohn@archindy.org
To inquire about donating to Catholic Charities Indianapolis, contact Cheri Bush at cbush@archindy.org
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92 cents of every dollar is used to provide critical support, genuine care, and gentle relief for those who seek our help.