Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop

Lord God, you were glorified 
by the life and death of Saint Martin.
Renew the wonders of your grace in our hearts 
so that neither death nor life may separate us from your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Highlights from CCUSA

Daily Advent reflections from CCUSA

Sunday, December 1, marks the beginning of Advent. Once again, CCUSA will offer daily reflections on each day's Mass readings, authored by Catholic Charities employees and other social concerns ministers. The reflections will arrive by email first thing each morning. Sign up here to receive them.

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We send the Weekly Digest to just over 8,000 email addresses every Monday and want to continue to notify you of special events, programs and services offered by Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Charities agencies in the United States. We also want to respect your email box. Please click here to update your profile, and let us know if you want to continue receiving the Weekly Digest. We look forward to hearing from you! If you are opting-out, we’re sorry to see you go. Should you change your mind, you can always re-subscribe.

Need some Innovation Inspiration?

Got innovation? Is your team ready to submit an entry for the CCUSA Innovation Challenge? Do you need some inspiration to mitigate the idea perspiration? We can help! Check out CCUSAInnovates.org for inspirational stories, take the quiz to see what kind of innovator you are and get answers to your FAQ’s.

Submit agency stories to the CCUSA storybank

When you share with us a story about your work and the people you serve in your local community, we can then share your stories not only with a national audience but also the lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Our government affairs team goes to the Hill often, and they are able to represent the Catholic Charities ministry more persuasively when they can share local stories that demonstrate the success and efficacy of programs and services. So please share your stories about food programs, affordable housing, family reunification, integrated health, social enterprises, and everything you do! Stories that involve the federal funding you receive are needed especially. We want everyone to know about the great work you are doing! Submit your stories here. 

December 2-6, 2019 the 11th CCUSA Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence (AIDE) training in Jacksonville, Fla. – Register Now!

Catholic Charities agencies are in the community for the life of the community. That means when a disaster strikes, the Catholic Charities network is called to be prepared and respond quickly to the needs of the community. Participants will gain a greater understanding of how to initiate and sustain disaster services in their agency, receive excellent resources and tools, and form new relationships with their peers facing similar challenges. Continuing Education Credits (CEC) for Social Work and Professional Counseling is available. This hands-on training disaster preparedness, response, recovery training is recommended for all Catholic Charities staff, including but not limited to: 

• agency/diocesan leadership
• emergency management or disaster workers 
• case-managers  
• social workers 
• business continuity planners
• program supervisors/directors/coordinators 
• parish administration/volunteers
• Catholic Charities partners (outside of the network) 

The training cost is only $400 – the hotel stay and meals from Monday to Friday night is complimentary. Click here to register. Please Note: The reduced registration cost is only available for the first 300 slots. 

Register now for the 2020 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering

Catholic Charities USA is a significant supporter of the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Bearing Witness: Life and Justice for All” is this year’s theme, scheduled for January 25-28 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. This Gathering will bring together those working on issues impacting life and human dignity across the spectrum such as the death penalty, human trafficking, restorative justice, and issues impacting families like migration, violence, and poverty. Connect with current and emerging leaders, engage in dynamic and thought provoking plenary presentations, briefings, and workshops, and raise your voice in advocacy with members of Congress. To register or for more information visit here; act now for special initiatives for diverse leaders and young leaders.  

Catholic Charities Retreat Opportunity with Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ

Catholic Charities USA is delighted to announce a retreat with one of the best-loved modern Catholic composers: Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ, writer of popular hymns such as “Be Not Afraid,” “All the Ends of the Earth,” “Sing to the Mountains,” and “Every Valley.” As a member of the Saint Louis Jesuits, Fr. Bob is a four-time Grammy nominee for compositions such as “Here I am, Lord,” and “Earthen Vessels.”  This retreat is open to all Catholic Charities staff and board members. Spouses are welcome to register in a shared room. The registration fee is $350 for individuals and $225 for spouses, and is inclusive of all meals and a modern room with an ensuite bath. It will be held from January 28-30, 2020, at the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville, Maryland (near Baltimore). Visit this link to register or for more information.

Save the Date! Join us in Cleveland for the 2020 Annual Gathering for “Innovation Now”

When: October 27-30, 2020 Where: Hilton Cleveland. Plan ahead, mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details! Still need convincing? See what your colleagues said about the 2019 Annual Gathering:

• “Workshops/topics and presentations were great – wonderful diversity.”
• “Learning from sister agencies – getting ideas that we could bring back to our agency.”
• “Connections I made, people I met, bonding with colleagues.” 

Questions? Send an email here.

2018 Member Agency Profiles

The 2018 Member Agency Profiles visualization is now live! Select a Diocese from the drop-down menu to review key information about each agency’s operations, programs, and services. Find the updated Member Agency Profiles through the CCUSA Members Portal, under ‘Annual Survey Resources.’ (11/18/19)

Member Agency FTE Visualization

This newly developed visualization enables member agencies to compare their reported full time equivalent (FTE) staff count to the broader network and identify agencies of comparable size. Such comparisons may be useful for benchmarking, enhancing regional or national context, or in considering partnership opportunities among Catholic Charities agencies. Access this resource through the CCUSA Members Portal under ‘Annual Survey Resources.’

CCUSA recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of America’s Favorite Charities

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is honored to be recognized once again in the top 15% of the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s new ranking of America’s Favorite Charities. The list of the top 100 cause-driven not-for-profit organizations is based on a group’s cash support — the total value of money and stock it received as gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations. It excludes government grants, donated products, and contributions to donor-advised funds.  We are grateful for the support and generosity of our donors who enable us to fulfill our mission of providing service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same. Click here to read more.

Events and Webinars

Another positive way to impact refugee and asylum-seeking families

Miles4Migrants (M4M) has been selected as an inaugural participant for the “Miles on a Mission” United Airlines campaign to raise 5 million miles by November 22, an amount enough to provide flights for over 250 individuals. The campaign allows M4M to raise more miles to support additional refugee and asylum seeking families. It also greatly improves the efficiency of the flight booking process, a huge benefit for partners, donors, and refugee and asylum seeking families. The minimum donation amount is 1,000 miles, an attainable amount for donors to contribute and play a part in reuniting the next well deserving family! Donate here.

Angel Tree program for incarcerted parents

Angel Tree® is a Prison Fellowship® program that gives incarcerated parents a pathway to strengthen and restore their relationships with their children and families. Through partnerships with local churches and community organizations, including over 160 Catholic parishes, hundreds of thousands of children receive a Christmas gift, the Gospel message, and a personal message of love on behalf of their incarcerated parents every year. In addition, many Angel Tree churches meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of both children and families through year-round ministry such as camping and mentoring. For you and your church, that first Christmas connection can be the beginning of an ongoing, restorative relationship with a hurting child. Join this webinar to learn more about how Angel Tree can complement your agency’s parish social ministry program, family programs, and prison and re-entry ministries.Date: November 6, 2019, at 3:00 PM EST. Register here.

Grant Opportunities and Resources

Hearts you hold: Opportunity for partnership to support migrant families

Hearts You Hold is a non-profit organization based on the principal that immigrants, migrants and refugees should feel valued, respected, and appreciated. Hearts You Hold believes it is critical to place control back in the hands of vulnerable clients, recognizing only individuals themselves can identify donations that can best positively impact their lives.  The organization provides an online platform for authorized intermediary agencies to submit requests for items migrants want or need, which are then purchased by individual donors. Previous requests range from diapers to a graphic calculator and their current request are viewable here. Hearts You Hold has a pilot partnership with Catholic Charities Atlanta and is interesting in expanding their impact across the network. Join this webinar learn about the mission of Hearts You Hold and how your migrant clients can benefit from the donation platform! November 5, 2019 at 3-4 PM. Register here.

Management & Administration Benchmarking Project Inventory

Since 2015, Catholic Charities of St. Louis has conducted several benchmarking projects in conjunction with the Taylor Community Consulting Program (TCCP) of the Olin School of Business at Washington University, CCUSA, and other Catholic Charities agencies. These benchmarking projects focus on programming and administrative services prevalent across the Catholic Charities network with the ultimate goal of providing measurable results and developing a protocol for additional benchmarking opportunities. View an inventory of past benchmarking projects in the ‘Resource Center’ of the CCUSA Members’ Portal or by viewing either the Management and Administration or the Research and Evaluation section pages: Click here.

Grant Opportunity: Jesuit Volunteer Corps taking applications for new Placement Sites

The JVC Admissions Team is excited to announce that the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Placement Site application for the 2020-2021 program year is now live. You can access the application page here. Applications are accepted until December 1, 2019. To review applicable locations as well as expected costs, please review their Request a JV page here. If you have additional questions, send emails here.

National Collection to Help Break the Cycle of Poverty to Take Place on November 23-24

For nearly 50 years, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has been the official domestic anti-poverty program of the Catholic bishops in the United States. Raising public awareness about poverty, its causes, and working to break the cycle in the U.S., the annual collection is coordinated nationally by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to be held in parishes the weekend of November 23-24. More than 38 million people live in poverty in the United States. This collection assists community leaders who work to expand access to affordable housing, health care, and education. The collection also supports the development of worker-owned businesses, and advocates for changes to structures that keep people in poverty.This national collection is the primary source of funding for CCHD’s community and economic development grants, as well as its education programs aimed at raising awareness of poverty and fostering hope in communities across the nation. 

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 or Lily Stewart. 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.