Community Spirit Newsletter - Spring 2025

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Community Spirit

The Difference You’re Making for Neighbors in Need Spring 2025

You’re Helping Sierra Build a Brighter Future

Because of your generosity, Sierra’s life is filled with hope and opportunity. A loving single mom, Sierra was referred to Catholic Charities by Novant Hospital shortly after her son was born. Thanks to your support, she was able to visit our Wee Care Shoppe and receive the essential baby supplies she needed to care for her newborn.

But your kindness didn’t stop there. Through our Case Management Program—made possible by donors like you— Sierra is building a strong foundation for her family’s future. With your support, she’s learning to budget, set meaningful goals, and access nutritious food from our pantry. Every step of the way, Catholic Charities’ caring staff is there to guide her—but it’s your compassion that makes it all possible.

With your help, Sierra is working hard to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher— showing her son the power of perseverance and hope.

Thank you for helping families like Sierra’s move from crisis to stability—and inspiring brighter futures every day.

Your generosity helps moms like Sierra build brighter futures for their families

The love of Christ impels us (II Cor. 5:14) to serve our neighbors in need (Mt. 25: 31-46) –we cannot do otherwise (Deus Caritas Est, no. 25).

You Gave Patrick a Home—And a Fresh Start

After serving his country, Patrick faced an unexpected battle—finding a permanent home. But thanks to your generosity, he found the help he needed through Catholic Charities’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF).

With personalized support and financial assistance, Patrick secured stable housing and began rebuilding his life. But your impact didn’t stop there. You helped him prepare for lasting success by making financial literacy classes and holiday care assistance available, giving him the tools and confidence to move forward on his own.

Because of you, Patrick didn’t just find a home—he regained his stability, independence, and peace of mind.

Today, Patrick is thriving in his permanent home, a testament to the power of faith, community, and second chances. And it all started with you.

Thank you for standing with Veterans like Patrick and ensuring they have the support they need to build a brighter future.

You’re Keeping Families Safe and Warm at Haven on the Hill

Nestled on a peaceful hillside in Haywood County, Haven on the Hill in Waynesville has become a refuge for more than 40 families left homeless after Tropical Storm Helene. Thanks to the generosity of local landowner James Lunsford—who donated the land—and volunteers and compassionate donors like you, this community of 55 donated RVs—some coming from as far away as Oregon and Maine— now offers shelter, safety, and hope to families who lost everything.

But keeping this community warm through the winter takes more than just walls and roofs. It requires propane—$2,700 worth each month—to heat these temporary homes and protect children,

elderly residents, and families from the freezing mountain nights.

Because of your generosity, Catholic Charities has committed to covering at least four months of propane costs, ensuring these families stay warm and safe through April while permanent housing solutions are being developed. Your compassion is providing more than heat—it’s offering dignity, comfort, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing they are not alone.

Because of you, Haven on the Hill isn’t just a place to stay—it’s a community filled with care, compassion, and the love of Christ made visible through your generosity.

Thank you for being part of their story, and for ensuring no family is left out in the cold. Together with Catholic Charities, your kindness is truly the hands and feet of Christ at work in our communities.

You’re Rebuilding Homes— and Restoring Hope—in Swannanoa

Because of you, the sound of hammers and saws echoing through Swannanoa isn’t just construction noise—it’s the sound of hope returning to a community devastated by Tropical Storm Helene.

Your generosity has made it possible for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte to step into hard-hit communities like Alan Campos Mobile Home Park, where individuals and families lost so much.

Every repaired roof, every new floor, every HVAC system installed—all of it is made possible because you care. To date, your gifts have helped rebuild

53 mobile homes and repair dozens more homes, turning what was once destruction into a place of warmth, safety, and comfort for families who had nowhere else to turn.

But your impact goes beyond bricks and boards. You are restoring dignity, security, and hope proving to individuals and families across western North Carolina that they are not alone, and that compassion and community can rebuild what storms tried to take away.

Thank you for your unwavering generosity and for being a cornerstone of disaster recovery and renewal in Swannanoa and beyond. Together, you are living out the Gospel call to love and serve our neighbors, bringing God’s mercy to life in the heart of these communities.

You Gave Noor and His Family Safety— And a New Beginning

Noor once lived a good life in Kabul, Afghanistan. He had a stable job as a welder, a home where his five children played, and a community where his family felt safe. But when the Taliban regained power, everything changed.

Because of his work with a U.S. military subcontractor, Noor knew his life—and the lives of his family—were in danger. After years of uncertainty and a difficult journey through Pakistan, his family was finally granted permission to resettle in the U.S. They arrived in Charlotte with only what they could carry, filled with hope but also uncertainty about the road ahead.

St. Peter’s Refugee Ministry surrounded the family with support, guiding them through everyday tasks— like buying groceries, attending doctor’s appointments, and enrolling their children in school—until they gained confidence in their new lives.

“My dream is for my children to finish their studies. I want them to become good people and serve this country. And my youngest son will become healthy.”

Noor

Because of your generosity, Catholic Charities welcomed Noor and his family with open arms, securing a home for them, helping them navigate essential services, and providing Noor with the resources to find a job. Volunteers from

Thanks to you, Noor and his family are building a future filled with promise. His eldest daughter is enrolled in college and studying to become a dental hygienist. His other children are working hard in school, each with big dreams. His youngest, who has cerebral palsy, is receiving the therapy he needs to grow stronger.

“My dream is for my children to finish their studies,” Noor says. “I want them to become good people and serve this country. And my youngest son will become healthy.”

Your compassion gave them more than safety—you gave them the chance to dream again.

My Next Gift to Help a Neighbor In Need

556,341 pounds of

16,346 pounds of everyday essentials were provided to 16,693 people veterans were aided in securing stable housing

994 families

24,165

213 people received

2,573 mental health counseling sessions digni ed burials for families in need 95 apartments setup for refugee families

543 refugees resettled

237 volunteers gave

1,516 people participated in social concerns educational and advocacy programs

481 families in need received gi cards during the holiday season

1,138 refugees provided services to achieve self-su ciency and citizenship

6 college students received support to overcome barriers and pursue their education

708 older adults participated in Elder Ministry educational programs

57 TOP participants received personalized services to overcome poverty

513 people were assisted with rent and utility payments

198 immigrants received legal services

26 people received ongoing support to stay in their homes adolescents supported to achieve stability and pursue high school graduation

Why I Choose to Give Back

A Message from Monthly Supporter

Kristen Lennex

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte holds a special place in my heart, and that’s why I choose to give back as a monthly donor.

From 2012 to 2014, I had the privilege of working at Catholic Charities at the Piedmont Triad office, and my time there shaped who I am today—as a Catholic, as a professional, and as a person.

I saw Matthew 25 in action every single day, watching God’s love pour out through the hands of staff, volunteers, and supporters like you. That experience set me on my path in nonprofit finance, and even though I moved back to Ohio to raise my daughters near family, Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Charlotte never left my heart.

Being a monthly supporter lets me stay connected to the mission and the work I care about so deeply. I know that every month, my gift helps provide food for families, clothing for young children in need, and hope for neighbors in crisis.

To my fellow donors—thank you for walking alongside me in this important work. Together, we are a lifeline for families in need, and I am so proud to be part of this community of compassion.

Monthly Donor and Former Staff Member

May 1, 2025

Carmel Country Club Charlotte May 15, 2025

DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville

Our Regional Catholic Charities Offices

Charlotte* 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, NC 28203

P 704-370-3262 | F 704-370-3290

Asheville*

50 Orange St. Asheville, NC 28801

P 828-255-0146 | F 828-253-7339

Lenoir

328-B Woodsway Ln. NW

Lenoir, NC 28645-4356

P 828-434-5710

Greensboro

2311 W. Cone Blvd., Suite 230

Greensboro, NC 27408

P 336-288-1984 | F 336-288-5401

Murphy 27 Hatchett St. Murphy, NC 28906

P 828-835-3535 | F 828-835-9794

North Wilkesboro 201 Tenth Street

North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

P 828-434-5710

ESTABLISH A LEGACY THAT REFLECTS THE MANY BLESSINGS GOD HAD GIVEN YOU

For more information on how you can support Catholic Charities with a legacy gift, please contact: Gina Rhodes, Director of Planned Giving 704-370-3364 | gmrhodes@rcdoc.org

Winston-Salem*

1612 East 14th St. Winston-Salem, NC 27105

P 336-727-0705 | F 336-714-3232

* Foodpantrydistributionat thislocation.Calltomakean appointmentorlearnmore.

@CatholicCharitiesDioceseofCharlotte

@CatholicCharitiesDioceseofCLT

@ccdocharlotte

ccdoc.org

Visit our website ccdoc.org The love of Christ impels us (II Cor. 5:14) to serve our neighbors in need (Mt. 25:31-46) –we cannot do otherwise (Deus Caritas Est, no. 25). 1123 South

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Community Spirit Newsletter - Spring 2025 by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte - Issuu