The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mk 10:45

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Highlights from CCUSA

Watch a special Mass of Thanksgiving celebrating Catholic Charities’ 110 years of responding to the needs of people across US

On Friday, September 25 at 2:30 pm EDT, Sister Donna Markham OP, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, welcomed viewers to the celebration. Her welcome was followed by a message from Cardinal Luis Tagle, President Caritas Internationalis, and a Mass, celebrated by Bishop Frank Dewane, Diocese of Venice, Florida, and Episcopal Liaison to Catholic Charities USA. You can watch the events here.

The awardees of the Catholic Charities USA Innovation Challenge have been announced

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) President and CEO, Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, announced the three awardees of the CCUSA Social Innovation Challenge during a virtual event with staff from across the Catholic Charities ministry. The awardees will receive a combined $1 million to invest in their respective innovative program. Read the press release here. You can also listen to all of the finalists’ video pitches here.

CCUSA affordable housing institute

The Housing Institute will be an opportunity for members of the Housing Community of Practice to provide input on goals and an agenda for the next year. The Institute will also feature affordable housing project presentations where attendees can learn about project structures and discuss project financing needs. Finally, the Institute will conclude with peer-to-peer breakout sessions where members seeking project consultations will be matched with experienced member agency developers. Register here.

2020 AIDE is Virtual – Registration is Now Open

Join your fellow Disaster practitioners and network experts for three days of education, networking, and fun as we bring together the Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence as a free virtual lite training. Participating in AIDE Lite is one of the best ways to be in the "know" about disaster response and recovery best practices, particularly when coupled with responding to the pandemic and systematic racism that has led to widespread community unrest. Click here to register.

Check out CCUSA's new podcast “Charities at Work”

CCUSA has a new podcast: “Charities at Work." It can be accessed on the CCUSA website as well as the following podcast platforms: Google Podcasts, iTunes, and Spotify. “Charities at Work” will focus on the work and mission of the Catholic Charities ministry in the United States, both the national office (CCUSA) and local agencies. Topics regarding the Catholic faith in general will also be featured. The first seven episodes of “Charities at Work” will explore the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching as outlined by the USCCB: 1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person; 2. Solidarity; 3. Care for Creation; 4. Call to Family, Community, and Participation; 5. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; 6. Rights and Responsibilities; and 7. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers. See the CCUSA website for more information on each episode and the guest speakers.

Events and Webinars

Social Enterprise Initiatives

Not able to rely on traditional funding sources, Catholic Charities of Acadiana developed alternative revenue programs including a Catholic bookstore. In this session CCA will share its journey from non-profit to small business owner in the interest of income diversification, and help you evaluate if there are opportunities for you. You will identify examples of social enterprise and charitable revenue generators that could provide alternative income to support programs outside of government or donor funding. You will apply practical experience in assessing an investment in an enterprise, create a vision and establish a ROI. Additionally, you will be able to evaluate the value of an enterprise of this nature beyond financial factors. NOTE: This webinar offers 1.0 Continuing Education Credit. Course completion requirements - To earn CE credit, participants must log in at the scheduled time, attend the webinar and complete an online course evaluation and CEC post-test. The post-test survey will close 7 days after you receive the link to your email. CE Certificates will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion. Date: September 29, 2020. Time: 3:00-4:00 PM EDT. Register here.

Policy Changes at the Border: How the migrant protection protocols and other policies continue separating families

Date: Oct 01, 2020 at 2:00 PM EDT. The Trump Administration's Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) "Asylum Cooperative Agreements" and the recent partial border closure has effectively created a new form of family separation. Join us to explore the unique vulnerability of asylum seekers children under this new policy and discuss opportunities for direct case intervention and advocacy. Come learn about the unique vulnerabilities of children under this policy and the circumstance it has created for hundreds of children and their families. Register here.

Impact Investing and Social Enterprise

This webinar is an introduction to impact investing in the context of Catholic Charities agency programming. Join us to explore the basic concepts, examples from Catholic organizations, relevance in different sectors with a focus on Social Enterprise, and resources available locally and from CCUSA. The presentation includes content to create a common definition of impact investing, identify program areas where impact investing could be useful, and explore additional resources for your agency. NOTE: This webinar offers 1.0 Continuing Education Credit. Course completion requirements - To earn CE credit, participants must log in at the scheduled time, attend the webinar and complete an online course evaluation and CEC post-test. The post-test survey will close 7 days after you receive the link to your email. CE Certificates will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion. Date: October 1 Time: 2pm-3pm EDT. Register here.

Working with those impacted by incarceration webinar

The workshop will highlight two approaches that support families impacted by incarceration. 1) A prison ministry model that works across rural Iowa utilizing volunteers who serve as mentors via Circle of Support group. Additionally, highlighted is the role of restorative justice in their work. 2) Catholic Charities New Orleans has an innovation public/private partnership with the Plaquemines Parish Jail and other community partners allowing staff to work, pre-lease that supports housing and employment. Join our presenters to scan some of the network's ministries to those impacted by incarceration. Date: Oct. 13, 2020, at 3:00 PM EDT. Register here.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on how to help people receive stimulus payments

On Monday, September 14, CBPP launched a final 30-day push to help eligible people get their stimulus payments. People who were excluded from automatic delivery of payments must sign up by October 15 to get their money this year. Here are resources that can support stimulus outreach efforts during these final 30 days:

• 30 Day Outreach Plan – includes weekly suggested remote and in-person outreach strategies
• Outreach Tips to Assist People Experiencing Homelessness with Stimulus Payments
• Guide to completing the IRS Non-filer Form in English and Spanish
• CFPB’s Guide for intermediary organizations to help people get Economic Impact Payments
• Code for America’s mobile-friendly Get Your Refund Service – uses IRS-certified volunteers to help people get their stimulus payment for free
• United Way’s 211 Economic Impact Payment Helpline (1-844-322-3639) – helps people complete the IRS Non-filer form and answers questions about the stimulus
• State Agency Outreach Toolkit – includes templates for online and print outreach that can be adapted by anyone for use
• Stimulus Outreach Hub – find links to all resources mentioned (plus more) in one place

We ask that you encourage your network to contribute to stimulus outreach efforts during these final weeks. Here are 3 ways they can get directly get involved:

1. Assist – Ask people questions to help complete the IRS non-filer form on their behalf
2. Refer – Identify local places to direct people to for in-person assistance
3. Notify – Share information about the October 15 deadline, basic eligibility, the Get Your Refund service, and the 211 EIP Helpline as resources for help

Those who don’t work directly with people can share on social media and through personal networks about the October 15 deadline and the available stimulus outreach resources. Know that our collective outreach efforts are making a difference! On June 23, CBPP released a paper estimating that the non-filer population included 12 million people. On September 8, the IRS shared that more than 7 million people have used the online Non-filer form to sign up for their payments.

PREPARES - CCUSA Innovation Challenge finalist

Join this webinar to learn about PREPARES, a Catholic Charities USA Innovation Challenge finalist which presently engages over 500 volunteers from 159 parishes who have served 12,000 families. This parish-based program engages a network of parish volunteers, professional staff, and aligned programs to accompany pregnant and parenting women, men, and families with children under five who live in poverty and lack a healthy support network. PREPARES successfully alleviates poverty, increases health care access, and protects children at risk of abuse and neglect. Created by the bishops of Washington state in 2013, funding from the USCCB and CCHD enabled three state Catholic Charities agencies to begin implementation, including Catholic Charities Eastern Washington as featured in this webinar. Date: October 14, 2020, at 3 PM. Register here.

CCUSA Webinar - How to Educate Your Staff: A Catholic Charities of St. Louis Case Study

Date: Nov 11, 2020 at 3:00 PM EST. An overwhelming need in all organizations is to provide professional development for staff on a consistent basis. Catholic Charities of St. Louis embarked on a journey to meet that need in a coordinative fashion by creating the Federation Training Program. This program provides professional development to staff at all levels in clinical topics, management development, personal enrichment, and safety on an ongoing basis. This presentation will describe the evolution of this program, demonstrate the resources used, the multi-level evaluation processes applied, and the performance improvements to elevate this initiative on an ongoing basis. Finally, the presentation will also include the results of a comprehensive analysis to monetize the value of these trainings and discuss how these concepts can be applied in the audiences’ organizations.  Register here.

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County offers social media contest

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is promoting a social media contest to get the word out to our diverse communities about the importance of being tested for COVID 19 and the importance of following health guidelines for keeping safe and keeping our communities safe.