2022 Winter - Catholic Charities Connections Newsletter

Kennedy starts as executive director Feb. 1

Traci Kennedy plans to ask a lot of questions during her first 30 days as the new executive director for Catholic Charities. As she begins her new role Feb. 1, she wants to learn all she can about Catholic Charities’ 13 ministries, its administrative operations, its finances, donors and staff.

“I plan to observe, ask questions, listen and learn,” Traci says of her first 30 days. “I will also use the time to begin to build relationships and earn the trust of various stakeholders. I have many questions, and they will be different depending on the audience. The one question that I will ask everyone is, ‘how can I help the agency see more success?’”

Wendy Glick, retiring executive director, will be helping to answer many of Traci’s questions as she supports her during a 60-day transition period.

The Catholic Charities Board of Directors announced in early December 2022 that it had selected Traci to serve as the organization’s seventh executive director in its 80-year history.

“We are confident that Traci is the best person to guide an already strong organization to new heights,” says Chris Goebel, board chair and chairman/CEO of Star Lumber. “She leads with a servant’s heart, which is an important quality to have as executive director of a faith-based community impact organization with more than 100 employees serving some 15,000 people a year.”

Traci does, in fact, describe her leadership style as one of a servant or conscious leader.

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80 Years of Leadership

1951-1988 1989-1991 1992-2010 2010-2012 2013-2016 2016-2023 2023 -

Donations drive ability to serve others

By Wendy Glick, Executive Director of Catholic Charities

As we open a new year, a year in which Catholic Charities will mark 80 years of service to the community, we are tremendously grateful for the contributions so many people made in response to our Answer His Call and #GivingTuesday appeals. Others supported their favorite Queen Bee to raise much needed funds for our two shelters. Many others purchased gifts and household items to “Stuff the Box” or brighten Christmas Day for the children and adults staying in shelter.

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Louis J. Antonelli

Patrick D. Rackers

Janet Valente Pape Cynthia N. Colbert Mike Burrus

Wendy Glick

Traci Kennedy

Traci Kennedy will become the seventh executive leader for Catholic Charities, following in the footsteps of these servants:

Donations drive ability to serve others continued

While Catholic Charities has much for which to be grateful, we also recognize that the growing needs within our ministries can only be addressed by philanthropic support throughout the entire year. Even now, after successful appeals, we face the daunting task of serving more people at higher-than-anticipated costs. That is one reason we are introducing “Servants of Hope,” a recurring giving program that you can learn about in this newsletter.

As I reflect on the 80-year history of Catholic Charities and my own 14 years with the organization, I am in awe of the tremendous generosity of our donors. I truly believe that countless people have heard the whisper of God in their hearts asking them to share a portion of the gifts He has given them with Catholic Charities.

As long as there are people in our community who are hungry, homeless, lonely, disabled and abused, Catholic Charities will be here as the hands and feet of Jesus to serve them. Catholic Charities, under the leadership of new executive director Traci Kennedy, will continue to do His work for years to come because of donors like you.

Thank you for the kindness and grace you have shown me during my time with Catholic Charities. It has been my honor to get to personally know so many of our donors, and to serve alongside dedicated board members and compassionate staff. As Feb. 1 approaches, I am happy to hand Traci the reins to a strong organization. I have full faith and confidence in her ability to lead Catholic Charities for years to come.

Please pray for her success in her new role, and take the opportunity to meet her when it arises. As for me, please think fondly of me as I enjoy my retirement. Know that being a witness to the tremendous generosity of our donors is a memory I will forever carry in my heart.

Glick

Answer His Call

Match funds inspire others to give

hen friends of Catholic Charities established a $100,000 matching fund for the agency’s annual year-end appeal, they expressed their hope that their commitment would inspire others to give generously to the campaign. They were not disappointed.

New and current donors alike supported the appeal, helping Catholic Charities receive the full $100,000 in matching funds. Those matching dollars essentially doubled the impact of the gifts received, helping more people by providing more services.

What is the impact of $200,000 received into Catholic Charities’ Faithful Servant Fund? The Faithful Servant Fund allows Catholic Charities to address the most urgent needs within our ministries in the areas of hunger & homelessness, domestic violence, enrichment services and mission support.

Here is the impact of $200,000

Provides three daily meals for the children and adults staying at St. Anthony Family Shelter for three months.

Feeds

.

Shelters

Offers three low-income participants one year of attendance at Adult Day Services at the lowest daily rate.

Keeps the lights on, warms the air, and the water flowing at Catholic Charities’ Wichita-area buildings for two months

God bless, Wendy

349 families coming to Our Daily Bread Food Pantry by providing food for three days

20 families fleeing abuse for one month at Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter.

Donors help reach #GivingTuesday match

Thank you to all those who generously responded to a #GivingTuesday opportunity Catholic Charities had to receive $35,000 in matching funds. Gifts made for #GivingTuesday have double the impact as you helped us reach the goal!

We are grateful that Fugate Enterprises and Mechanical Systems, Inc., each offered $15,000 in matching funds to create the initial $30,000 pool. Late in the day Nov. 29, a friend of Catholic Charities stepped forward with another $5,000 in matching funds to encourage more donations in the final hours of #GivingTuesday.

continued Kennedy starts Feb. 1

“I will personally invest in, encourage and inspire all who work toward fulfilling the mission of the agency so that they are empowered and truly own their own roles and responsibilities,” she says. “While Catholic Charities is on a solid foundation with 13 ministries, I believe there is potential to make an even greater difference in the 25 counties it serves.

To give you an idea on the impact of #GivingTuesday gifts and the matching funds, here is how Catholic Charities can use those funds to help others:

Provides one month of shelter, food and supplies at St. Anthony Family Shelter for 19 families.

Provide meals for 22 days for the children and adults seeking safe shelter at Harbor House.

Offers 90 sessions of therapy at Cana Counseling through a sliding fee scale or uninsured and underinsured clients.

2022 Queen Bees set record for shelters

Traci has developed her leadership style during more than 20 years of experience with Wichita-area non-profits. She recently completed 13 years of service at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, where she has been director of stewardship and pastoral planning since February 2013. In that role, she has been responsible for strategic planning, fund development, communications and marketing, and is the parish’s primary administrative officer.

EXPERIENCE

HOMETOWN

Omaha, NE

COLLEGE

University of Kansas DEGREE

Bachelor of Arts, emphasis in non-profit management

FAMILY

Husband, Don, and daughters, Mary Kate, Ellie and Anna

PARISH

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

• Director of Stewardship & Pastoral Planning, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (2013-2023)

• Director of Extraordinary and Legacy Stewardship, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (2010-2013)

• Self-employed, Contract Recruiter, telecommunications and technology (2007-2009)

• Director of Development, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Wichita (2004-2006)

• Recruiter, Koch Industries (1996-1999)

• Executive Director, American Cancer Society (1994-1996)

Twenty-eight families will be provided one month of shelter, food and supplies at either Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter or St. Anthony Family Shelter, thanks to the efforts of a hard-working group of Queen Bees.

Stephanie Murphy, of 6 Meridian and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was recognized as the 2022 Queen Bee Woman of the Year and as the top fundraiser. Recognized as the top runner-up was Lauren Fontarum, Wichita State University and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; she joined Stephanie as the first two Bees to ever surpass $30,000 raised in a single campaign.

Catholic Charities is seeking six to 10 women who would like to support Catholic Charities’ two shelters by serving as Queen Bees in 2023.

If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please connect with Kenna Bell at kbell@CatholicCharitiesWichita.org or by calling her at 316-264-8344, ext. 1262.

Getting to know Traci Kennedy

“I look forward to working with the team in making that happen in the years to come,” she says.

OF

Ser vants Hope

Catholic Charities introduces Servants of Hope

By Lindsi Bachman, director of development and Kenna Bell, annual fund manager

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”

Jude 1:20-21

ou may recognize the scripture above as being written by St. Jude, one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, but did you know St. Jude also is the patron saint of hope and impossible causes? Countless miracles have been attributed to St. Jude, and his reputation for the impossible was so great he is often referred to as the Saint for the Hopeless and Despaired.

This struck us because we imagine many of the clients served by Catholic Charities feel this way; like they are in the midst of an impossible situation, desperate for some kind of hope.

Catholic Charities has planned to establish a formal recurring giving program, making philanthropic giving easy and convenient through automated payments. Monthly and quarterly contributions are essential in forecasting and budgeting for our ministries throughout the year, assuring our clients always have access to the resources they need.

You may recall when we established the Faithful Servant Fund in 2019, allowing

Catholic Charities flexibility to address the most urgent needs within our ministries. Many people give of their hard-earned treasure to the Faithful Servant Fund, embodying what it means to be a faithful servant of God. We certainly believe they are faithful servants. This is part of what inspired the name for this program – Servants of Hope.

Fait hful Ser vant

Please consider making a lasting impact by becoming a Servant of Hope. Whether you choose to designate your recurring gift to the Faithful Servant Fund or a specific ministry, it will go far in helping us continue to serve the most vulnerable in our community.

Because of the generosity of our donors, the clients of Catholic Charities are provided with hope in the midst of their “impossible cause.”

Once we started digging into the numbers, we realized, last year alone, nearly $455,000 was raised from donors who gave four or more times. We are especially thankful for this group of people who give so consistently to Catholic Charities.

Our goal this year is to add 50 donors to Servants of Hope, potentially adding $5,000 of guaranteed funds to our monthly budget. The livelihood of our ministries depends on gifts throughout the year.

We’ll leave you with a brief explanation of the Servants of Hope logo. A simple depiction of St. Jude, the logo features many elements often associated with him. The flame represents the Holy Spirit that St. Jude received at the first Pentecost, while the green cloak symbolizes hope and renewal. The solid gold circle represents the medallion that St. Jude is traditionally depicted holding, related to the story of King Agbar of Edessa. Finally, the blue heart and cross are a nod to Catholic Charities’ Faithful Servant Fund.

Sincerely,

To learn more about becoming a Servant of Hope through a recurring gift, call Lindsi Bachman (ext. 1222) or Kenna Bell (ext. 1262) at 316-264-8344 or email giving@CatholicCharitiesWichita.org.

One Mission. Many Ministries. 80 years.

Catholic Charities was established in 1943 by Bishop C.H. Winkelmann and was first known as Catholic Charities Bureau.

In those early years, the agency’s services were focused primarily on the care of children at St. Joseph’s Home, the placement of children for adoption, limited family counseling and services to families in conjunction with the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Lindsi Bachman, Director of Development

Kenna Bell, Annual Fund Manager

Y

Thank you for making the holiday season special for our clients

The participants at Adult Day Services hosted their annual Christmas Concert for family to enjoy and had a suprise visit from Santa!

Thank you to all who donated to help fill the shelves of Santa's Workshop. You made Christmas morning a special one for those staying in shelter.

Great work students! A huge shout out to Kapaun Mount Carmel and Bishop Carroll high school students for collecting cash and cans to support Our Daily Bread Food Pantry.

Many reaching out to Catholic Charities for help

As individuals and families continue to feel the impact of inflation on their monthly budgets, many are reaching out to Catholic Charities for help.

Derek Tyler, program director for Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, says clients are sharing that they are choosing between paying their utility bills or buying food. Thankfully, Our Daily Bread is able to lessen the burden for many by providing 2-3 days’ worth of food. Derek says it is not unusual for the pantry to distribute as much as 15,000 pounds of food a month.

At St. Anthony Family Shelter, Ann Nash, program director, says that homelessness is on

the rise as many struggle to pay their bills. Late last year, Wichita Public Schools reported a higher number of its students were homeless.

Even St. Anthony is feeling the pinch. The higher costs to heat and cool the shelter has forced St. Anthony to deplete its utilities budget for the entire fiscal year – mid-way through the year.

Keri McGregor, program director at Harbor House says a surge in calls, which often happens during the holidays, has the shelter near capacity while other clients are assisted with safe hotel stays, putting a strain on the shelter’s client assistance budget.

Charitable donations to the Faithful Servant Fund help Catholic Charities address these growing needs within our ministries.

In 1951, Catholic Charities Bureau formed its own board of directors and applied for membership in the Wichita Community Chest. By year’s end, Catholic Charities Bureau was officially incorporated and received its State Charter as a non-profit corporation. It received an allocation of $5,895 in 1952 as a first-year member of the Wichita Community Chest.

Two years later, in 1954, the agency changed its name to Catholic Social Service, Inc.

BACHMAN

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kevin

Marcos

Kevin

Stacie

WENDY GLICK Executive Director

LINDSI

Director of Development

MARY BETH CHAMBERS Marketing and Communications Director

CatholicCharitiesWichita.org

Christopher J. Goebel, Chair Star Lumber & Supply Co., Inc.

Andy Buessing, Vice Chair Hutton

Rev. Daryl Befort Diocese of Wichita, St. Joseph Parish, Andale

Scott Bergkamp Bergkamp Construction Monte Cook Commerce Bank Deborah Gladney WorkTorch

Julian Guerra Aerospace Consultant/Advisor

Missy Hampel Ascension Via Christi Hospitals

Stephen Hayes 5Point Ventures, LLC

Mary Alice Johnson Community Volunteer

Brian Kaiser Flint Hills Resources

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

Rev. David Lies Diocese of Wichita, Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia

Chuck Marshall Community Volunteer

Mitchelson Wheeler & Mitchelson, Chartered

Montemayor AM Law, LLC

Mullen Ritchie Associates, Inc.

Myers Wichita Business Journal

Buddy Shannon Tree Top Nursery

Carol Streckfus Cohlmia Marketing

Sr. Marsha Wilson, ASC Adorers of the Blood of Christ

ST. JOSEPH PASTORAL CENTER

437 N. Topeka Street Wichita, KS 67202-2413

CatholicCharitiesWichita.org

(316) 264-8344

Make a part of your 2023 plans

f you or your family has made a New Year’s resolution to get more involved in the community, Catholic Charities has a number of volunteer opportunities to help you achieve your goal.

Opportunities range from clerical work to manual labor to providing in-shelter childcare. Some assignments offer direct interaction with clients and others are more behind the scenes. Assignments are made based on a prospective volunteer’s preferences and availability.

One immediate need is for a volunteer truck driver for Our Daily Bread Food Pantry. There is an opening for a regular Tuesday morning driver, as well as openings for substitute drivers as needed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.

Truck drivers use Catholic Charities’ vehicles and equipment to pick up food orders from the Kansas Food Bank and deliver them to Our Daily Bread on S. Hillside.

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

To learn more about available volunteer opportunities or to apply, visit CatholicCharitiesWichita.org/volunteer. If you have questions, call Tiffany Oltjenbruns, volunteer coordinator, at 316-264-8344, ext. 1261.

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