I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the Lord,
exquisite in all their delights. Ps 111:1-2

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Highlights from CCUSA

The Call for Proposals for the CCUSA 2021 Annual Gathering will open soon!

Think about your agency’s program successes, best practices and lessons learned from this past year and consider submitting a proposal for review. Share your expertise with colleagues across the network and gain the opportunity to learn from others. Completed Workshop Proposal Forms must be submitted by the deadline of Monday, March 15, 2021. SAVE THE DATE! Hope is Bold! Join us in San Diego for CCUSA’s 2021 Annual Gathering When: September 20-23, 2021. Where: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina.

Register now for the 2021 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering!

“Make justice your aim” (cf. Is 1:17): Rebuilding Together, February 6-9, 2021, Virtual Gathering. This year only, scholarships are available to cover a portion of the registration fee. Apply now! The application deadline is January 19, 2021. Don’t miss this transformative annual gathering for leaders in Catholic social ministry and advocacy! This year, we will pray, learn, and advocate together on the disparities revealed by COVID-19 and re-imagine new models of justice and solidarity. For more than 30 years, the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (CSMG) has brought together hundreds of participants whose faith inspires them to address pressing current domestic and global challenges affecting our most vulnerable brothers and sisters at home and around the world. This year’s gathering will include:

Inspiring leading voices in Church and society
Workshops with policy experts and grassroots community leaders
Intentional opportunities for best practice-sharing among participants
Resources from dozens of Catholic social ministry organizations
Virtual advocacy visits with elected officials
And much more!

Act now to be part of our special initiative for young leaders in Catholic social ministry and learn more about our Diversity Outreach Initiative. To register or for more information visit here. Join the discussion and be part of the solution!

Children, Youth, and Family Section, Steering Committee member recruitment

Catholic Charities USA is recruiting additional members to join the Children, Youth, and Family Section (CYFS) Steering Committee. The purpose, mission, and vision of the CYFS Services Professional Interest Section are to provide information, formation, and networking opportunities to staff and volunteers working with children, youth, and families. If you are interested in becoming a steering committee member for this section, please click here to request more information! Your participation on the committee will bring valuable expertise, which will continue to enrich and build upon the knowledge of our network. The deadline for submission of applications is Monday, February 1, 2021.

Events and Webinars

Miracle Projects: Students leading the gospel call to love

This webinar will present Miracle Projects, an initiative of Catholic Charities Community Services (Phoenix) which engages local Catholic schools. Miracle Projects leverage students' strenghts and creativity in an entrepreneurial endeavor to teach social responsibility, the prevalence of social injustice, the impact of community reinvestment, and the joy of faithful stewardship of God's graces. To accomplish this, 1) Catholic Charities makes classroom presentation about community justice issues; 2) Students choose one program to support the fight against injustice; 3) Students create an entrepreneurial project to raise resources; 4) Students reinvest their profits to bring about social change. This webinar will be of particular interest to those responsible for parish engagement and also social enterprise. Date: Jan. 19, 2021. Time: 3 - 4 PM. Register here.

A Laudato Si' Focus on Environmental Justice webinar

Please join us on Thursday, January 21st at 2 p.m. for the first of a two-part series on “A Laudato Si’ Focus on Environmental Justice.” In this first part of the Laudato Si’ Focus on Environmental Justice series, Dr. Catherine Wright will unpack the meaning of environmental justice and how Catholic Social Teaching (in particular Laudato Si’) gives us a helpful lens to view and act on this timely issue. Veronica Coptis will present on her organization’s collaboration with area residents living with the daily impacts of fossil fuel extraction to improve oversight of and accountability for fossil fuel extraction and use, and to protect public and environmental health. The second part of the series will be scheduled in February and will also include presenters sharing first-hand stories of how their communities are addressing environmental injustice, and include a focus on how U.S. Catholics can accompany them. All who register receive a link to the recording. Register here.

Introduction to creating impactful partnerships with your local health systems

Catholic Charities USA’s Integrated Health Team is excited to invite you to join a special webinar - "Introduction to Creating Impactful Partnerships with your Local Health Systems – The Provider Perspective", on Tuesday, January 26th at 2:00pm EST. Presenters from four health systems will discuss the scope and success of their partnerships with local Catholic Charities and social service providers. This webinar is part of a series of presentations focused on providing guidance and information to local Catholic Charities agencies interested in forming new or enhancing existing partnerships with their local health system. Successful partnerships that address the health and the social determinants of health of clients is beneficial to all community stakeholders. We hope you are able to join! Register here.

Trauma and Self Care: Tools for Parish Social Ministers Webinar

Serving during the pandemic has been extraordinarily difficult for many parish social ministers at Catholic Charities agencies, Dioceses, and parishes. Client needs are overwhelming, parish activities have been restricted or cancelled, and some fear for their jobs. Join this webinar to learn about vicarious trauma, remaining resilient, and how to practice self-care to prevent illness, cope with stress, and how to help you and your community be stronger. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Date: Jan. 26, 2021. Time: 3 PM EST. Register here. View System Requirements

Introducing the USDA: Housing and Community Facility Programs for Rural America

This webinar will introduce some and update others on the work of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in rural America. Specifically, the webinar will focus on rural housing programs (single-family and multi-family homes). Additionally, presenters will explore community facility grants and loans that might be attractive to CCUSA member agencies. Join us for a webinar that will feature senior leadership from USDA and offer an opportunity to ask questions! Date: Jan 28, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST. Register here.

HIPAA updates for health and behavioral health providers

Join us for updates on HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Diana Vincenzo with the Office of Civil Rights will discuss: 1. Disclosing Behavioral Health Information; 2. Social Media; 3. Tele-psych; 4. Mobile Devices; 5. HIPAA Updates and Refresher. 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: Jan. 28, 2021. Time: 2 PM EST. Register here.

AmeriCorps VISTA Funding Opportunities Webinar and Request for Proposals

CCUSA is taking applications for our Family Strengthening AmeriCorps VISTA program! Join this webinar to learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA and how this program could help expand your existing programming through the power of national service. The Family Strengthening program focuses on the foundational services that Catholic Charities provides, allowing it to be a broad-based program that can support a variety of program types and interventions. VISTAs in this program support strengthening families through indirect activities, capacity building activities, such as fundraising and resource development, communications and social media, outreach, partnership building, volunteer management, and parish outreach, and much more! In this webinar, we will review sub-grantee expectations, estimated costs, and allowable activities. Bring your creative ideas to the session and consider if this program is right for your agency. Date: Jan 28, 2021. Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM EST. Register for the webinar here.

Register for Food and Job Training Readiness Workshop

Tuesday, February 9, Tuesday, March 9 and Tuesday April 13, 2021 (3 Sessions – Must attend all) Join us for a virtual event sponsored by CCUSA and presented by FareStart's Catalyst Kitchens. The entire program includes 3, 3-hour sessions. The training, exclusively for Catholic Charities member agencies, will help you evaluate whether incorporating job training into food service programs is a useful addition to improve kitchen operations and to create new job opportunities for clients. The workshop will improve your food service even if you decide not to add a workforce training component. There is a modest fee for the 3-session training (9 hours), and the fee is discount because of CCUSA’s sponsorship. Space is limited. Questions about whether this program is a fit for your kitchen? Contact Steve Bogus. Ready to register? Click here.

Public Forum: CCUSA Poverty and Racism Paper

In a response to events in 2020, CCUSA rewrote its 2008 Poverty and Racism paper and developed a facilitation guide on racial justice and anti-racist work for Diocesan Directors of Catholic Charities. Please join us for a conversation about the best way for Catholic Charities agencies to conduct anti-racist programming in our communities. Date: February 18, 2021. Time: 2 PM EST. Register here.

Strengthening 2Gen approaches through listening, engaging, and designing with families

Join our experts for a webinar where participants will engage in peer learning to develop and strengthen understanding of a Whole Family Approach (WFA). Additionally, we will focus on ways to become centered in key WFA concepts like racial equity, engaging and listening to families, and attending to system and policy changes that support parents and children. We will address how engaging and listening to customers can strengthen program design and build buy-in internally and externally while exploring multiple ways to connect organizations shifting to a Whole Family Approach (WFA). Date: Feb 24, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST. Register here.

Open Wide Our Hearts virtual exhibit from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay

Inspired by Open Wide Our Hearts, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2018 pastoral letter against racism, staff at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay launched the Open Wide Our Hearts photo exhibit in November 2019. This exhibit features photos of Catholics from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, alongside written narratives that document what life in the church of the Diocese of Green Bay has been like for them as a person of color. This past summer, due to limitations on in-person gatherings as well as the national response to the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, a virtual version of the exhibit was developed in order to be able to share these stories with a wider audience and continue these important conversations. You can check out the exhibit here.

Grant Opportunities and Resources

The Foundation for Financial Planning grant opportunity

The Foundation for Financial Planning is accepting grant applications (until April 30th, 2021) from nonprofit organizations whose programs link pro bono financial planners to people in need. Programs should include one-on-one engagements between Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professionals and pro bono clients, and comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines. Grants are generally in the range of $5,000 to $40,000. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, please visit here. Nonprofits seeking to connect with CFP professionals who want to provide free, no-strings-attached financial planning and advice to underserved populations can register on FFP’s Pro Bono Planner Match website. On Pro Bono Planner Match, nonprofits can post volunteer opportunities that engage financial planners in one-on-one or interactive, small group (virtual) sessions with people in need. To access Pro Bono Planner Match, click here. For more information, please contact Rachel Roth.

Employment Opportunities

Catholic Charities job opportunities now listed on CCUSA website

Anyone can view the job opportunities by clicking on the "Careers" tag on the footer of the CCUSA webpage. To post a job opportunity, one must be a member and have access to the members' portal in order to fill out the submission form (click on "Careers" tag on members only portal homepage). If you have any questions about the new job opportunities submission form, please contact David Werning. Please click here to access job opportunities.

CCUSA Photo Gallery

Did you know that one of the benefits CCUSA provides to member agencies is access to a professional photo gallery? Visit our Flickr photo pages to explore our albums and photos. If you would like a high-resolution version for your agency's use, please email CCUSA with photo number.

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