2019 Summer - Catholic Charities Connections Newsletter

Adult Day Services Growing to Meet Demand many of the family members of clients at Adult Day Services, Mary Jane Wooten and L ike Kevin Langenwalter feel blessed that their loved ones have a safe place and enriching environment in which to spend their days.

Adult Day Services (ADS) at Catholic Charities Wichita is a vibrant community that provides quality day programs for adults with developmental disabilities and seniors with dementia or other needs.

For Wooten, ADS offers a safe place for her 24-year-old daughter, McRae, who has developmental disabilities and a seizure disorder that requires round-the-clock monitoring.

“We are so blessed to have McRae,” Wooten said. “Her hugs and smiles are worth so much.

She is a great source of love and wonderful to be around.” When McRae comes to ADS for the day, it gives her mom a well-deserved break and the opportunity to work, run errands, volunteer or simply rest.

With a growing demand in the Wichita area for day services for adults and seniors with special needs, Catholic Charities is planning to expand its Adult Day Services in 2021.

CONTINUED INSIDE...

Mary Jane Wooten and daughter, McRae, a client of Adult Day Services.

SUMMER 2019

For Langenwalter, ADS providers a stable environment for his mother, Nancy, who gets confused and forgets where she is. While he is at work, Nancy enjoys her day at ADS, finding independence and fun in a community that is safe for her.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

From left to right: Mary Jane and McRae Wooten and Nancy and Kevin Langenwalter.

CONNECTIONS

An artists rendering of the new Adult Day Services.

Adult Day Services Cont...

“For the individuals served by Adult Day Services, the program is a lifeline to independence. For their families, it serves as powerful support,” said Wendy Glick, Catholic Charities executive director. “As demand for these services has increased, the program has outgrown its current facilities. Catholic Charities is developing plans for renovating a larger building in Wichita to house the program, enabling us to double the number of individuals we serve.”

Catholic Charities has purchased the former Michener Elementary School in north Wichita, which most recently served as the Wichita Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Training Center, to serve as the future home of Adult Day Services. The building offers more than 25,600 square feet and sits on 5.5 acres of land.

Catholic Charities Wichita will soon kick-off a campaign to fund the renovation of the building.

Clients Keep Buck Coming Back for More Diane Buck was an “ordinary” volunteer for Our Daily Bread.

A t“Ifirst, started because a friend told me I should try volunteering there,” she said.

“That was when the pantry was located downtown, and long before they started the client-choice model.” She moved from an “ordinary” volunteer to an “extraordinary” one when she and another volunteer, Jimmy Jordan, noticed that Commodity Day took up a large part of the program director’s time.

Commodity Day is a bimonthly program sponsored by Kansas’ Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP. Our Daily Bread participates in distributing USDA food to low-income families. The food stretches the pantry’s limited stores from food drives, but has strict guidelines. TEFAP-supplied food must be kept separate from regular donations and carefully tracked to ensure it only goes to families in severe need.

Buck and Jordan stepped up and agreed to take over the program. Since then, Jordan has retired from the pantry, but Buck still handles Commodity Day, joined now by her husband, Alan Buck, and David Carter. The three of them work quickly to keep up with demand – on Commodity Day the pantry serves more than 100 families – but still take time with each client.

“Sometimes, we’re just there for someone to talk to,” Diane Buck said.

Jason Searl, another volunteer at the pantry, said, “I’ve served with the Bucks for years. They serve with love and joy, and their smiles are contagious. The pantry wouldn’t have been able to function with the joy and compassion it has for these years if they hadn’t answered the call of stewardship.”

Diane Buck attributes her dedication to people in need to her parents.

“My mom volunteered a lot; she volunteered at Meals on Wheels and at the hospital in Pratt,” she said. “My dad didn’t volunteer but he would always pick people up and buy them groceries.”

Diane Buck has left a legacy of her own. She’s served more than 1,500 hours in the past 10 years, personally impacting some 20,000 families. “It’ll be hard to retire,” she said. “I keep coming back because of the clients.”

Would you like to become a Catholic Charities’ volunteer?

Email volunteer@CatholicCharitiesWichita.org or call Cole at 316-264-8344, ext. 1261, to get started.

Diane and Alan Buck

Hunger doesn’t take a vacation Hunger happens 365 days a year.

Even when school is out for the summer and many people take a break from work, hunger remains.

Hunger never takes a vacation.

To meet the needs of its client this summer, Our Daily Bread Food Pantry is in need of the following items: • Protein items such as canned tuna and chicken, and dried beans • Soups • Canned fruits • Breakfast items Interested in donating food items or hosting a food drive this summer?

Contact us via email at giving@ CatholicCharitiesWichita.org

Foster Grandparents Receive Good Apple Awards

Grandma Serlestine Stone

“Ms. Stone is devoted to the Anderson Elementary School community. She comes to school with a positive attitude and is ready to get to work. She puts tremendous effort into every interaction she has with a child so they feel valued.”

the school year wound down, the Wichita Board of Education A shonored employees, volunteers and partners with Good Apple

awards, including three Foster Grandparents from the Catholic Charities of Wichita program. Foster Grandparents are 55 or older and work 15-40 hours a week at local schools, helping children develop the social and academic skills necessary for success in school.

Earning Good Apple awards were Mazel Davis, Judi Fellers and Serlestine Stone. Each of the Foster Grandparents received high praise from their nominating school: Grandma Mazel Davis

“Mazel has been a dedicated and respected Foster Grandma in our kindergarten classes at Gordon Parks Academy for 10 years. She works with small groups, one on one and builds relationships with each student. She is a motivator and encourager!”

Teachers and students are not the only ones who benefit from the Foster Grandparent experience. Ninety eight percent of the grandparents say that involvement with the Foster Grandparent program is a key reason that retirement is meaningful and rewarding.

All photos courtesy of USD 259.

Grandma Judi Fellers

“Judi is an asset to Marshall Middle School. She comes into the building with a smile on her face.

Respectively known as Grandma to the students, she happily goes into the classroom and assists with every task that is asked of her.”

Interested in becoming a Foster Grandparent?

Learn more about the program and income stipend you can earn at one of these July informational programs:

July 17

· July 18 · July 31

Sessions at 9 a.m. and noon each day.

Call 316-264-8344, ext. 1211, to register for a session. Seniors 55 and older must attend an information session prior to orientation in August.

Catholic Charities is the local sponsor of the program. The federal Corporation for National and Community Service provides 90 percent of the funding matched by local funds from United Way of the Plains and from Catholic Charities, Inc.

Recent Happenings Employees of Dillard’s at Towne East delivered handbags and bras for the women in shelter.

Birthdays are important celebrations. Thanks to the Relief Society of the Church of Latter-day Saints, children of Harbor House will now have a special birthday basket to help them celebrate.

Carlos O’Kelley’s shoots and scores for Our Daily Bread Food Pantry collecting $4,800 during it’s annual Hungry for Hoops campaign. The pantry purchased breakfast items, fruit and protien items for 1,229 families - or more than 3,000 individuals served during the month of April.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22 violence is a pattern of D omestic behavior in which one relationship

partner tries to control the other through violence, intimidation or threats. This experience is, indeed, “spirit crushing” and has profound effects on the victim’s health – emotionally, physically and spiritually.

What Harbor House Means to Me The following article is from a client who found shelter from domestic violence for her and her children at Harbor House. my family got into shelter, we were beyond broken and barely W hen holding on. I am a mother of three children under the age of 10, one girl and two boys. My daughter is special needs and demands extra attention. I was extremely drained and I just couldn’t keep up.

I genuinely believed I had no other option than to stay with an abusive man. I thought I might lose my kids. I felt like a failure as a mother.

Going to Harbor House was a last resort for me. I was worried about going there because it’s a religious organization. I thought the shelter would be strict, judgmental and difficult. But I had to try; I couldn’t lose my kids.

Harbor House was nothing like I expected. The staff was open, honest and was there to help me with whatever I needed. It was a safe environment that felt like home; it didn’t feel like a shelter. There were so many little things, like a private bathroom and access to laundry, which made a huge difference for my family’s recovery.

It’s not just the little stuff, though. They got my daughter into a specialist to assess her needs and help me take care of her better. My two boys were able to go back to school quickly with new backpacks and supplies. My advocate was able to help me find a job and open my own bank account. I didn’t need to worry at all like I had to before coming to shelter.

My advocate and case managers went above and beyond to make time to listen to me and help wipe away my tears. I quickly learned through their compassion that I not only had options but also deserved so much more.

They showed me my dreams were not out of reach and assured me they would be there with my family every step of the way.

I have struggled my entire life as a momma in one way or another. I doubted myself for a long time and questioned my worthiness as my children’s mother.

I no longer live in that dark hole. I strive to be the very best mother I can for my babies; if I fail one day, I no longer allow it to keep me down. I know now, even as a single mother, “We’ve got this!”

For 26 years, Harbor House at Catholic

Charities of Wichita has provided advocacy services for victims of domestic violence.

With only two crisis domestic violence programs in Sedgwick County, the need consistently surpasses the community’s ability to provide.

Harbor House meets those challenges by offering a wide-range of services in multiple settings: • A crisis line (316-263-6000) is the front line, providing referral and safety planning to an estimated 8,500 callers each year.

• Harbor House provides full-time advocacy and protection order assistance to survivors at district court.

• Individualized safety plans and support are provided to victims in their own neighborhoods.

• Safe house services are available for those whose circumstances are potentially lethal.

We all know someone who has experienced domestic violence. It occurs at the same rate in all socio-economic groups, races and faiths. We see survivors at church, at work, throughout our daily lives. We just don’t know. There may be someone living on your block who is being abused.

The staff at Harbor House has nearly 150 years of combined experience in the domestic violence field.

You do not need to be an advocate to make a difference in someone’s life. If someone you know is experiencing a controlling relationship, it can be hard to express your concern or offer help. Call Harbor House for support, and explore the range of available services at www.catholiccharitieswichita. org/services/harbor-house.

Queen Bees Buzzing about Shelter Services WENDY GLICK

S

ix local women are gathering funds this summer to help women, men and children living in Catholic Charities Wichita shelters to blossom as they move past domestic violence and homelessness.

The 2019 Queen Bees are Mary Billings, Monica Bowmaker, Jordan Kieffer, Amanda Maier, Niki Parks and Jessica Tarbell. They are part of a friendly competition to raise much needed funds for Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter and St. Anthony Family Shelter. The competition culminates July 17 at Bags to Riches when the results will be announced and the top fundraiser will be named Queen Bee Woman of 2019.

The 2018 campaign raised more than $58,000 for the shelters.

Executive Director

MARY BETH CHAMBERS Marketing and Communications Director

ST. JOSEPH PASTORAL CENTER 437 North Topeka Street Wichita, KS 67202-2413

Mary Billings

Monica Bowmaker

(316) 264-8344

CatholicCharitiesWichita.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeff Leonard, Chair

Triplett, Woolf and Garretson, LLC

Christina Ricke, Vice Chair

Why a bumble bee?

K•Coe Isom

The bumble bee is symbolic of the many families who have experienced the despair of domestic violence or homelessness. The bumble bee’s body is quite heavy yet its wingspan is quite small. The weight of its body seems too much for its wings to bear. Yet, despite this perceived “limitation,” the bumble bee takes flight. It is precisely that bee’s resiliency to grow past assumptions and stereotypes that Catholic Charities hopes our clients gain while in shelter.

Fr. Daryl Befort,

Jordan Kieffer

Amanda Maier

Diocese of Wichita, St. Joseph Parish, Andale

Scott Bergkamp,

Bergkamp Construction

Monte Cook,

Commerce Bank

Joe Dellasega,

Founder - The Dellasega Group

Christopher J. Goebel,

Star Lumber & Supply Co., Inc.

Melissa Grelinger, Community Volunteer

Missy Hampel,

To learn more about the 2019 Queen Bee candidates or to donate to one, visit https://give.classy.org/queenbee2019.

Via Christi - St. Francis Medical Center

Niki Parks

Jessica Tarbell

Mark Humphrey, Koch Industries

Most Rev. Bishop Carl A. Kemme, D.D., Bishop of Wichita

Mary Alice Johnson,

Your donation can help cover these common costs:

Kuman Learning Center

Patty Koehler,

JR Custom Metal Products, LLC

Ed Mikesell,

Duckhorn Properties LLC

$25

provides bath towels for a family while they stay in shelter.

$100

$50

provides gas for one week to travel to appointments and school.

$250

$75

provides bedding for a family in shelter.

$2,000

provides healthy snacks for one month for the children in shelter. provides new school uniforms for 10 children. funds one family in shelter for one month.

Kevin Mullen,

Ritchie Associates, Inc.

Lisa Oehmke,

Community Volunteer

Matt Onofrio, GT Midwest

Jason Searl,

Community Volunteer

Tony Sementelli,

Flint Hills Resources

Andrew Thengvall,

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Mary Jane Wooten, Wesley Medical Center

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

CONNECTIONS Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Wichita, KS Permit No. 152

PAID

ST. JOSEPH PASTORAL CENTER 437 N. Topeka Street Wichita, KS 67202-2413

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

COUNSELING AND IMMIGRATION

DISABLED ADULTS AND SENIORS

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

HOMELESSNESS

HUNGER

OUTREACH

CatholicCharitiesWichita.org

Catholic Charities infuses faith into our community through the care it shows all people

TO

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

BAGS RICHES

A B E N E F I T F O R T H E S H E LT E R M I N I S T R I E S A T C A T H O L I C C H A R I T I E S

W E D N E S DAY

J U LY 1 7 T H

5 : 3 0 P. M . - 8 : 0 0 P. M .

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W I C H I TA , K S 6 7 2 0 6

MARK ARTS CENTER

1307 N. ROCK RD.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Not going to be in town?

Purchase a ticket and still receive access to bid online on our silent auction!

Bring your smartphone charged and ready!

ONLINE AUCTION AND MOBILE BIDDING

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT

It’s philanthropic shopping at its best! Bags to Riches is a “Girls Evening Out” featuring a silent auction with fabulous purses and accessories.

Enjoy an evening at Mark Arts with friends, wine, food and unique raffle items.

F E AT U R E S P O N S O R S

Visit our website at CatholicCharitiesWichita.org or call Kara at (316) 264-8344 ext. 1262.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS

All proceeds from the event benefit the shelter ministries at Catholic Charities: St. Anthony Family Shelter for homeless families and Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter.

PER ATTENDEE

$ 50

TITLE SPONSOR