2023 Summer Catholic Charities Connections

Hambelton empowering women and children

What began in 2010 as a small gratitude event with a charitable component has grown into one of the hottest summer invitations in Wichita. Proceeds from the 2023 event are expected to push the all-time total raised for Harbor House at Catholic Charities over $100,000.

The annual ladies’ night out event hosted by Mel Hambelton Ford is an example of how an organization, business or group of friends can have fun while making a huge impact on the people served by Catholic Charities. This year, more than 300 guests gathered July 20 for “Hello Barbie, Let’s Go Party!” as the dealership was awash in pink.

The event started as a way for Lisa Hambelton, the new owner and principal dealer, to say “thanks for hanging in there with me” to her female

employees and the wives of her male employees during the economically challenging years of 2008 and 2009.

With the help of a well-oiled planning committee, generous vendor partners, enthusiastic guests and entertaining themes, the event has grown into an evening that is both fun and impactful. Lisa credits lessons learned from both her parents in shaping the event.

Lisa learned all about the car business and customer service working alongside her father, Mel Hambelton, from the time she was 14 until she became owner and principal dealer of Mel Hambelton Ford in 2008. During that time, her father also taught her the importance of giving back to the community.

However, it was her mother, Beverly, who inspired Lisa

God gives hope to all

By Traci Kennedy, Executive Director of Catholic Charities T

to focus her charity towards organizations that empower women and children.

When she was an adult, Lisa says Beverly shared with her that she had thought of leaving her husband. There was a time in the marriage that she felt trapped at home; responsible for raising five children and married to a man who spent little time at home and was a heavy drinker.

“She stayed because she felt it would be too hard, with five kids, to impose on family or friends, and there weren’t shelters at the time that took in women and their children," Lisa recalls. "Mom wouldn’t have considered a place that didn’t take children, too.”

That is why Harbor House is so important to Lisa, and why it has long received the proceeds from the annual ladies’ night out event.

Continues inside.

he day-to-day work of Catholic Charities is often challenging. In many cases, the people who come to us face tremendous barriers to having the shelter, food and employment they need to support themselves and their family. I am proud of our staff who look beyond the barriers to see a valuable child of God deserving dignity and respect.

Continues inside.

God gives hope to all Hambelton

continued continued

The story of Greg, an older man who built a life on the streets of Wichita for 40 years before connecting with our Rapid ReHousing ministry, is just one example. He faced so many barriers then, and now. But our staff perseveres because our work, despite all of the challenges, is meaningful and rewarding.

Lisa Butler, director of Cana Counseling, recently received a beautiful note from a client who had completed therapy. In part, the note said, “I don’t even know how to thank you for everything that you have done for me. It has been such a blessing having a Catholic therapist like you in my life. Thank you for always listening, calming my fears and validating my feelings.”

In John 14, Jesus reminds us to not be troubled or afraid, because he left us the gift of peace of mind and heart. It is this peace of mind that we strive to share with those whom we serve; we strive to calm their fears. We find strength in knowing that our God, the one who guides all our work at Catholic Charities, is not a god of hopelessness. He is a God of hope! Through His generous grace and mercy, no person or situation is ever a hopeless case.

That is why Catholic Charities continues each day to serve the most vulnerable in our community. For another 80 years, we will share God’s love with the hungry, homeless, disabled, lonely and abused.

With gratitude in our hearts for those who financially support the work that we do, the staff at Catholic Charities will continue to bring peace of mind and hope to the more than 15,000 people we serve each year.

Gratefully,

empowering women and children

“Harbor House is attractive to me because they take in women and their children in tough times," Lisa says. “That’s what I love about Catholic Charities. They build self-esteem and teach life skills. They help women have the courage to start over.

“Harbor House is important for not only the women, but their children, too,” she continues. “It is important to encourage sons to choose a different way and for daughters to know they have great worth from God.”

Despite the tough times, Lisa’s parents built a life together for 57 years, until her father’s death in 2015. What he might have lacked as a father, he more than made up for as a grandfather.

“My father was not there for us as a dad, but he was a fantastic grandfather,” Lisa says lovingly of the man who had 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren at the time of his passing.

Butler is new senior director of finance

atrick Butler brings more than 10 years of senior financial leadership at area non-profit organizations to his new role as senior director of finance at Catholic Charities.

Patrick joined Catholic Charities June 14, replacing Bill Wallisch, who completed two years in the role in early May. Bill and his wife, Martha, relocated to northeast Kansas to be closer to their Kansas City-area children and grandchildren.

Patrick oversees the day-to-day operations of the agency’s accounting and information technology departments. In addition, the Wichita native is a member of its executive committee and is the staff liaison to the board of directors’ finance committee.

“Patrick’s practical knowledge of how non-profits must blend charitable contributions, grant funding and fee-based revenue streams together

Did you know?

to support the overall operating budget and longterm financial stability will serve Catholic Charities well,” says Traci Kennedy, executive director.

Prior to joining Catholic Charities, Patrick served nearly five years as vice president of finance and chief financial officer for KETCH, a Wichitabased intellectual and developmental disability service provider. He began his career at Flinthills Services/CDDO of Butler County, where he moved from staff accountant to accounting manager then chief financial officer.

Patrick earned both a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s in business administration from Wichita State University. He and his wife, Jessica, live in Derby with their five children. The family attends St. Mary Catholic Church in Derby.

One Mission. Many Ministries. 80 years. 1981

The agency adopted the Foster Grandparent Program, which continues today to connect low-income seniors with children in need of tutoring, mentoring and special attention.

Back to School Drive

The two Catholic Charities shelters need school supplies throughout the year to serve children moving into shelter.

Seeking Queen Bees for 2023

atholic Charities is seeking women who would be interested in introducing their family, friends and coworkers to the work of Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter and St. Anthony Family Shelter in an effort to raise awareness and critical financial support.

For six weeks each fall, Queen Bees have a friendly competition to raise the funds to shelter survivors of domestic violence and homeless families. Our development team provides access to

Servants of Hope growing to meet needs

hirteen donors have agreed to bless Catholic Charities with new recurring gifts, growing the number of participants in the organization’s Servants of Hope recurring gift program

Recurring gifts to Catholic Charities – whether given on a monthly or quarterly basis – create a steady stream of revenue which helps staff more accurately budget for our forecasted needs, assuring we always have access to the resources needed to help our clients.

The 13 newest Servants of Hope are collectively adding $1,785 each month to Catholic Charities’ income. Our goal for 2023 is to add 37 more donors to the program to exceed an additional $5,000 in gifts each month.

The Impact of Recurring Gifts

MONTHLY ANNUALLY IMPACT

Feeds 3 families coming to Our Daily Bread Food Pantry for 2-3 days

Supplies 1 month of formula and diapers for 3 babies staying in shelter

Prepares 4 children for school with properly fitting clothes and basic school supplies

Offers 1 month of shelter, food and supplies for 1 family

Allows 1 low-income participant 6 months of attendance at ADS at the lowest daily fee

an online giving platform, a host of tools and guidance to help each Queen Bee have a successful campaign.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please connect with Kenna Bell, development manager, at kbell@CatholicCharitiesWichita.org or by calling her at 316-264-8344, ext. 1262.

RECURRING GIVING PROGRAM

Become a Servant of Hope

If you would like to become a Servant of Hope by pledging a recurring gift on a monthly or quarterly basis, there are three ways you can begin:

Online Credit Card

Set up an automatic credit card payment at give.CatholicCharitiesWichita.org/ servants-of-hope

Scan QR code with phone camera

Automatic ACH

Call Kenna at 316-264-8344, ext. 1262, to set up automatic ACH withdrawal

Bill Pay

Create an automatic bill pay through your bank or credit union

St. Anthony Family Shelter, then known simply as Anthony Family Shelter, opened its doors in 1988 in response to a growing number of homeless families in the community.

Adult Day Services expanded to welcome clients with mental and developmental disabilities.

Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter opened to offer a safe, confidential shelter and support services to a growing number of women and children affected by domestic violence.

Make an online gift by scanning the QR code

Working with homeless has ups, downs

hrough her many years of assisting the homeless gain housing, Marilyn Karst, Rapid Re-Housing case manager for Catholic Charities, has witnessed clients experience many ups and downs. She has walked alongside many, serving as their advocate, personal cheerleader and, sometimes, sole support.

None more than Greg, a chronically homeless man whom Marilyn began working with in 2022. Not counting the occasional cold night when he would pay for a hotel room or slept in one of the cold-weather shelters, Greg has lived 40 of his 58 years on the streets. He often lived in a tent by the Arkansas River.

Greg had a daily routine. He would eat breakfast at Breakthrough, lunch at Open Door and dinner at The Lord’s Diner. He was so worried about someone stealing his personal possessions, that he carried just one backpack with him. All his other items were divided into other backpacks, and either buried or hidden all over downtown Wichita.

Marilyn helped him secure a studio apartment at HumanKind. At the lease signing, Greg smiled as tears streamed down his face, repeatedly saying,

Did you know?

portion of the rent. She visits weekly to make sure his apartment is clean, and checks in with his landlord to make sure there are no concerns. She worked to get him a Section 8 housing voucher so when his rental assistance through Catholic Charities ends, he will continue to have financial assistance to remain housed.

Things were going well, until Greg went missing earlier this year. He was not answering his phone and his landlord had not seen him. Marilyn called the hospitals, looked at jail records and reached out to other homeless service providers. Eventually, he showed up at Open Door for lunch and a case manager there called Marilyn.

After the lease signing, Marilyn drove him around town to gather all of his backpacks. She provided him a packet of hygiene items, and took him to Our Daily Bread Food Pantry at Catholic Charities to get food. They returned from His Helping Hands with a bed and some furniture.

It turned out that finding Greg a place to live was only a small portion of the battle. After 40 years of surviving on the streets, Greg did not know many of the things most 58-year-olds take for granted; activities like operating a thermostat, cooking on a stovetop or in an oven, doing laundry, or getting a money order to pay bills. He has mental health and memory issues. So, Marilyn posted instruction sheets throughout his apartment.

Marilyn has frequent contact with Greg. Each month she takes him to Our Daily Bread and other food pantries, to get his haircut or to get a money order to pay his

Greg shared that he had invited a homeless friend he had known for years to stay at his apartment during a rainstorm. That person brought more people and before Greg knew what was happening, they had taken over his apartment, stolen his phone and money, and locked him out. They trashed his apartment.

Not knowing what to do, he went back to the only life he had known. When he reconnected with Marilyn after going to lunch at Open Door, she coordinated with the landlord to get him back into his apartment and change the locks. He was facing eviction due to the state of his apartment, so staff from Catholic Charities, HumanKind and United Way worked with him to clean it up.

Today, more than nine months after first becoming a Rapid Re-Housing client with Catholic Charities, Greg still checks in with Marilyn often. However, being in one place long term is a new experience and it is not always comfortable for him. Greg periodically returns to what feels more normal and goes back to the streets for several days at a time. Marilyn understands that this cycle will likely continue, yet still worries about him until they reconnect.

Janet Valente Pape became the first woman to lead Catholic Charities, serving as executive director until 2010.

The first Cruise Night fundraiser in support of shelter operations set sail.

“I’m never giving up or losing this place; I can’t believe I finally have a home.”

Donor advised fund contributions… you can direct them here!

By Lindsi Bachman, director of development

ne of our goals is to make giving cash donations to Catholic Charities as easy and convenient as possible for those who graciously choose to partner with us in this way. One popular method of giving that reaps tax benefits for the investor is the donor advised fund. We are thankful to have several donors directing their donor advised fund contributions to Catholic Charities, and thought it pertinent to share a few facts about this vehicle for giving.

For those with established donor advised funds, we pray you will consider Catholic Charities as a recipient of your contributions.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about directing your donor advised fund contributions to Catholic Charities. You may reach me at 316-264-8344, ext. 1222.

How a Donor Advised Fund works

Individuals and/or couples put money into an investment fund with a sponsoring organization such as, Fidelity Charitable, Charles Schwab or a community foundation. The fund grows over time allowing donors to direct the accrual amount to a charity of their choosing, such as Catholic Charities. Donors receive tax benefits upon their initial investment.

Cash or other assets

Recieve tax deduction

DONORS

Facts to consider:

• The standard minimum deduction increased in 2018, making it more beneficial to give a large sum of money all at once.

• You can set up a recurring gift schedule for your donor advised fund contributions with Catholic Charities as the beneficiary.

• Some employers will match your donor advised fund contributions to not-for-profit organizations, such as Catholic Charities.

• Two thirds of 2021 investments to donor advised funds at Fidelity Charitable and Charles Schwab were non-cash gifts. These financial institutions make it easy and convenient to use stock and crypto currency as an initial investment to a donor advised fund. Contact your financial advisor for more information.

TRACI KENNEDY

Executive Director

LINDSI BACHMAN

Director of Development

MARY BETH CHAMBERS

Marketing and Communications Director

CatholicCharitiesWichita.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

Andy Buessing, Vice Chair Hutton

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

Monte Cook Commerce Bank

Justin Dugan Pinion

Deborah Gladney WorkTorch

Julian Guerra Aerospace Consultant/Advisor

Stephen Hayes 5Point Ventures, LLC

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

Kevin Mitchelson Wheeler & Mitchelson, Chartered Marcos Montemayor AM Law, LLC

Stephanie Murphy 6 Meridian Stacie Myers Wichita Business Journal

Megan McCurdy Niedens McCurdy Real Estate & Auction

Joy Scott Ascension Via Christi Hospitals

The agency underwent its final name change, from Catholic Social Service, Inc., to Catholic Charities, Inc.

The agency’s first official volunteer program was created by an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer named Wendy Glick.

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

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Many Ministries. One Mission. Catholic Charities. years

CatholicCharitiesWichita.org

(316) 264-8344

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

Ministry Corner

Thanking those who served as board members

Four members of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors each recently completed six years of service when their terms on the board ended June 30.

The four, who began their terms in 2017 and participated in their final board meeting June 28, are: Scott Bergkamp, president of Bergkamp Construction and a member of Church of the Resurrection

Families and staff at St. Anthony Family Shelter have been enjoying Friday field trips to the Sedgwick Country Zoo, splashpads and other activities.

Therapy dog, Zeke, and his mom, Jessica Seiler have been paying frequent visits to Adult Day Services and Harbor House getting plenty of smiles and pets.

KSN staff volunteer their time doing yardwork at Adult Day Services and St. Anthony Family Shelter.

Missy Hampel, director of nursing for Ascension Via Christi Hospitals and member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Mary Alice Johnson, community volunteer and member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Kevin Mullen, Ritchie Associates, Inc. and member of St. Thomas Aquinas

“Catholic Charities has been truly blessed these past six years to have Mary Alice, Missy, Kevin and Scott share their time, talent and treasure with our organization,” says Traci Kennedy, executive director. “We appreciate their willingness to share their expertise with us and help guide the organization as we share God’s love by caring for those most in need in our community.”

Traci adds that Catholic Charities expects to introduce four new board members to the community in early August.