Serving the Poor and Vulnerable

New Catholic Charities Website

We are so excited to share our new website! Our hope is that the new navigation, information, and accessibility will make it easier for you to stay up-to-date with everything our programs are doing to serve the community. Check it out at www.helpcreatehope.org

Visit our New Website

Lisa Sperry, who served adult day services for 28 years, retired at the end of March. Lisa spent the last 3 years as the A Caring Place program director. We are grateful to Lisa for her many years of dedication to the clients and caregivers that utilize A Caring Place.

A Caring Place will continue to provide a safe, daytime environment for older adults with physical and cognitive impairments while the search for a new director takes place.

Crisis Office Welcomes New Director

Michelle Gudger has been named the new Director of the Crisis Office. She started in her role at the end of February. Michelle comes to us with years of experience helping families facing challenging times. We are excited for the energy and dedication she will bring to the clients of both the Crisis Office and the Christmas Store and the impact these programs will have on people in need.

Caregiver Support

Caregiving Includes Taking Steps to Fight Crime

Caregivers of older adults have many responsibilities, include picking up prescriptions, scheduling medical appointments, assisting with bathing, household/vehicle maintenance, and paying bills and other financial transactions. Monitoring financial transactions is a responsibility that cannot be overlooked. In 2022, older adults reported losing more than $1.6 billion to fraud (Protecting Older Consumers, 2022-2023, A Report of the Federal Trade Commission). The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates the actual cost closer to $48 billion due to underreporting by victims.

The goal of the criminal is to catch a person off guard and create a sense of urgency for the older adult to give personal information, download malware, transfer money out of accounts, buy gift cards, or complete another action that ultimately gives the criminal control. The criminal can sound or look like a known person due to AI (Artificial Intelligence). Victims may feel fear or shame and be reluctant to tell anyone what happened or report the crime.

The FTC’s Pass It On campaign educates about different types of scams so people can protect themselves and share what they learn. Read simple explanations about identity theft, unwanted texts/messages, impersonator scams (tech, government, romance, grandkid/family), health insurance scams, charity fraud, and other scams here. Report scams/fraud by calling the FTC at 877-382-4357 or online at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Caregivers can be victims as easily as their loved ones. Talk about fraud with the people in your life. Be knowledgeable about protecting yourself and people who depend on you.

Two easy actions to take are setting up property alerts and regularly requesting/reviewing free credit reports.

Property fraud alerts: Home title fraud is when a person transfers your deed or title to their name without you knowing, taking ownership of your property using forged documents. Sign up to have your name monitored within the Recorder’s Office to track possible fraudulent recordings affecting your property by visiting either propertyfraudalert.com/select or watch.doxpop.com/property/county.
Free credit reports: Federal law gives you the right to get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. Click here to learn more .

Caregiver support services, including monthly support groups, are offered through Catholic Charities Indianapolis. Contact Monica Woodsworth, mwoodsworth@archindy.org, 317-261-3378.

Simple Soup & Bread Luncheon Honors

Former Director

Thank you to all those who joined us for our annual Holy Thursday Simple Soup & Bread Luncheon on March 28 at the Catholic Center. It was a great afternoon of fellowship. This year's luncheon was held in honor of former Crisis Office Director, Stephanie Davis, who passed away last fall. We were able to raise over $10,000 in support of the Crisis Office. These funds will help the Crisis Office provide more food and assistance to families in need.

We would like to give a special thanks to the sponsors of this great event:

Jason & Lauren Kashman

Ray and Kathy Butkiewicz

Kathy Weissenberger- KW Consultants

Caregiver Support Groups:

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 Tuesday from 5:30pm - 7pm at St Jude Catholic Church, 5375 McFarland Road.

3rd Thursday, from 1:00pm - 2:30pm at the Catholic Center, 1400 N Meridian St.

Using your Retirement Fund for Giving

A qualified charitable distribution from an IRA is a well-established and popular way to give. If you are 70½ or older, this option allows you to make a charitable gift and satisfy your annual required minimum distribution (if one is due) without paying taxes. Whether you want to make a gift of $100, $1,000 or $100,000 (the maximum annual aggregate amount allowed), this is a simple, effective way to make a difference, meet your annual distribution requirements, and enjoy tax benefits. To make a gift from your IRA to any Archdiocesan parish, school or ministry, please complete this form to let us know of your intentions.

Making a Beneficiary Designation

One of the easiest ways to blend gift planning with retirement planning is to name a parish, school or ministry as the beneficiary of your retirement plan.

As the primary, contingent or partial beneficiary, your favorite Catholic cause receives the retirement funds upon your death. Simply consult your retirement plan custodian to update your beneficiary using their easy online form. For more information, please contact CCF at 317-236-1482 or CCF@archindy.org.

Support Catholic Charities Endowments

Supporting a Catholic Charities endowment shows your long-term investment in our mission of providing help and creating hope for those in need. By establishing an endowment through the Catholic Community Foundation, or contributing to an existing endowment, you are helping to ensure a sustainable source of funding for generations to come. Every donation, regardless of size, propels us towards a brighter future. Here is a list of endowments that support Catholic Charities Indianapolis programs:

-Catholic Charities: #600-0205

-Holy Family Shelter: #602-0154

-St. Elizabeth Coleman: #270-0240

Click here to support our endowments and be a catalyst for positive change. When donating using this secure online form, you will need to fill in the appropriate fund # from the list above.