Catholic Charities of Philadelphia 2023-2024 Annual Report
Members of The Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence at the ministry’s annual Feast Day Mass for their patron, Saint Luigi Guanella.
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FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
Revenue and expenses for fiscal year ended June 30, 2024
12
NOURISING AND SHELTERING
Delco Housing Case Manager Provides Shelter, Services, and Friendship to the Unhoused
STRENGTHENING AND SUPPORTING
Childhood Experiences Inspired Career Dedicated to Helping Other Families Experiencing Homelessness
STABILIZING AND ENRICHING
Driven by Prayer, Social Worker Leaves
Retirement to Enrich Lives of Area Seniors
16 20 24
EMPOWERING
Inspired by Jesus, Case Worker Cares for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities with Dignity, Integrity
LEADERSHIP
Bishop John J. McIntyre
Auxiliary Bishop - Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Heather Huot
Secretary and Executive Vice President, Catholic Charities of Philadelphia
Daniel Dougherty Jr.
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Michael Chorneiko
Chief Information Officer
Dr. James Black
Director of Youth Services Division
Lizanne Hagedorn
Executive Director of Nutritional Development Services
Suzanne O’Grady Laurito
Director of Catholic Housing and Community Services
Amy Stoner
Director of Community-Based and Housing and Homeless Services Division
Francis Swiacki
Director of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Division
COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Kenneth A. Gavin
Chief Communications Officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Timothy Walz
Director of Marketing for Catholic Charities of Philadelphia
Katie Rogers
Media and Events Specialist for Catholic Charities of Philadelphia
Gia Myers
Contributor
Secretary’s Message
Dear Friends in Christ,
It is with deep gratitude and joy that I introduce this year’s annual report for Catholic Charities of Philadelphia (formerly Catholic Human Services). Over the past eighteen months, I have had the privilege of visiting many of our 40+ programs, meeting the dedicated staff who embody the spirit of service, and hearing the personal stories of those we are blessed to serve. Each encounter has strengthened my awe at how we fulfill the mission of the Church as we brought hope, dignity, and compassion to 294,403 neighbors across the five-county Philadelphia area in 2023-2024.
As we remain steadfast in our commitment to serving those in need, we are taking steps to expand our impact. One such step is rebranding the ministries of Catholic Human Services—Catholic Social Services, Catholic Housing and Community Services, and Nutritional Development Services—under a name that honors our legacy and brings clarity to our combined mission and organization: Catholic Charities of Philadelphia.
This annual report reflects our new identity, highlighting our work through four key areas of mercy and charity:
• Nourishing the hungry and sheltering those experiencing homelessness;
• Strengthening and supporting at-risk children, youth, and families;
• Stabilizing and enriching the lives of seniors;
• Empowering individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Our theme this year, Good Works of Faith: Building Hope and Strengthening Lives, speaks to the unwavering commitment that drives every program and every act of service. None of this would be possible without the prayers, volunteer efforts, and financial support of faithful partners like you.
May the stories within these pages inspire you and remind you of the profound impact we can have when we work together in the name of Christ. Thank you for walking alongside us in this mission of mercy and love.
With gratitude and blessings,
Heather Huot, MSW, LSW Secretary and Executive Vice President Catholic Charities of Philadelphia
Catholic Charities of Philadelphia Board of Directors
OFFICERS
Bishop John J. McIntyre
President
Heather Huot
Executive Vice President
Susan McCrary
Secretary
Maura B. Kelly, CPA
Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Matthew B. Aaron
Robert F. Byrne
Daniel Connelly
Ruben David
Jacqueline Delaney
John Delaney
Reverend Thomas Higgins
Gertrude (Trudy) Jackson
Robert J. Macri
John W. Meacham
Mark P. Nessel
Sister Kathleen Schipani, IHM
Thomas P. Sholes
Patricia R. Urrunaga
Ursula Yau
*Catholic Charities Board of Directors as of 2024
Nutritional Development Services Board of Directors
OFFICERS
Reverend Monsignor Daniel J. Sullivan
President
Heather Huot
Executive Vice President
Susanne Santora Robinson
Secretary
Rosalind W. Sutch, CPA, MT
Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Heather Huot
Richard Van Fossen, Jr.
Sean Tamba Matthew, Esq.
Dr. Stephen J. Porth
Suzanne Santoro Robinson
Thomas P. Forkin
Raymond Tarnowski
Gina Christian
*Nutritional Development Services Board of Directors as of 2024
Archbishop’s Message
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Jesus Christ reminds us that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for Him. This commandment from our Savior is the motivation for every charitable act performed by the staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities of Philadelphia. Our works of mercy provide life sustaining and dignified support to the lives of those often on the margins of society.
In this annual report you will read about the transformative impact our ministries have in our local communities. We count on your continued support, both prayerful and material, as every day we bring the compassionate love of Christ to all through the work of human hands. Please be assured of my prayers for you and your families.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D. Archbishop of Philadelphia
Archbishop
and Catholic
Pérez
Charities of Philadelphia staff with members of Norris Square Senior Community Center’s Grupo Alegria at the launch of the annual Catholic Charities Appeal.
Revenue for fiscal year ended June 30, 2024
Expenses for fiscal year ended June 30, 2024
Hunger and Housing
Children, Youth, and Families
Seniors
IDD Programs
Operating Expenses
Hunger and Housing
Children, Youth, and Families
Seniors
IDD Programs
Total Expenditures
$40,723,508
$26,795,555
$8,821,622
$82,286,441
$158,627,126
St. Edmond’s Home for Children staff with residents at the blessing of Mary’s House, a community-based home for young adults with disabilities.
294,403 lives directly
294,403 directly impacted
Delco Housing Case Manager Provides Shelter, Services, and Friendship to the Unhoused
By Gia Myers
As a Housing Case Manager for Catholic Charities of Philadelphia, Lisa Radano does much more than provide housing case management and services to the unhoused and unsheltered in the City of Chester.
Inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary, she often becomes a dear friend, even while simultaneously managing a case load of clients measured in the dozens.
Dennis was one of Radano’s many memorable clients. An older, single gentleman, Dennis, had a challenging personality. Yet, Radano continually looked for ways to connect with him.
On the morning of one of their regular appointments, Radano called Dennis and asked if there was anything she could bring him.
Dennis requested a McDonald’s coffee. Radano brought him the coffee, and “he was ecstatic,” she said.
Dennis’ whole demeanor was changed by the small, yet thoughtful gesture. For the first time, he opened himself up to Radano.
She continued to bring Dennis coffee at every appointment.
Radano worked with Dennis over the course of several years, and as he became increasingly frail and started walking with a cane, she helped him to meet his monthly rental payments by purchasing and mailing money orders on his behalf, since he wasn’t mobile and wasn’t able to pay bills online.
When Dennis was diagnosed with cancer and sent to hospice care in Northeast Philadelphia, Radano visited him regularly to lift his spirits.
After Dennis’ passing, Radano reached out to assist his daughter.
Continued on page 14.
She called Radano a few days later, asking if Radano could pick up Dennis’ cremated remains in Northeast Philadelphia and bring them home to her in Delaware County.
Reflecting on that day, Radano felt it was “a great honor to be asked” to deliver Dennis’ cremains home and found it “a very humbling experience.”
Radano has worked for Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia since earning a bachelor’s degree in social work from Georgian Court University in 1998.
She started as a referral specialist, helping the elderly, pregnant women and those needing counseling services, food or help paying utility bills. Radano connected them with the necessary community and government programs.
She has spent the last 12 years in her current role as a housing case manager at Catholic Charities’ Delaware County Family Service Center, working in conjunction with the Office of Adult and Family Services in Delaware County.
“They can start fresh.”
Though her clients have very limited income, Radano works with different community programs to help her clients acquire furniture, and occasionally people donate Walmart or Target gift cards to her office, which helps clients to purchase necessities, including towels, shower curtains, and kitchenware.
“I find it to be very rewarding, when I can help them with the other things many people take for granted” says Radano of her work.
Raised in the Catholic faith and now sharing her faith with her children, Radano says she’s always “been service oriented” and “wanted to help people.”
“It’s amazing to see them [clients] get their keys for the first time and open that door. They can start fresh.”
Family Service Centers are the first point of contact for individuals, families, and parishes when they seek assistance from Catholic Charities and are located located throughout the five-county metropolitan area.
She says her goal is to get the unhoused into housing as soon as possible, moving them “off the street unsheltered, or out of a shelter and open up spots for other people.”
The help Radano provides ranges from finding apartments, arranging home inspections through HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), coordinating leases with landlords, reviewing leases and helping to secure financials. “It’s amazing to see them get their keys for the first time and open that door,” says Radano of her clients.
“I talk to Mary a lot,” she says of her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mother. In challenging situations, Radano prays to Mary for intercession.
“I’ll say a Hail Mary, and the next day, a landlord will call and say they’ll work with us,” or a similar miracle will take place, she says.
Without the generous works of her Catholic Charities office, Radano says the people she serves would be at risk of “having no other safety net.”
When talking with clients, Radano says she often realizes that “one day, this could be me.”
“Some of us are just a paycheck away from not making a mortgage payment or a rent check, or it takes a big car repair to put us in the negative,” she said.
Thankfully, through Radano’s generous giving of self without judgment – made possible through her Catholic faith – those in need in Delaware County are made to feel comfortable and safe.
Catholic Charities of Philadelphia provides more than just meals and shelter; we offer a compassionate response to immediate needs while fostering long-term stability.
Hunger
5.6 million children’s meals served through Nutritional Development Services
2 million+ meals provided across 50+ food cupboards, shelters, senior centers, and Family Service Centers
18,000 pounds of food grown at Martha’s Community Farm
Homelessness
861 clients housed
56 moved to permanent housing 1,600 showers provided 2,000 received mail room services
Pictured: Shawna Murray (right) and Renee Hudson-Small, an assistant director for Catholic Charities of Philadelphia overseeing housing and homeless services, at Visitation Homes.
Childhood Experiences Inspired Career Dedicated
to Helping Other Families Experiencing
Homelessness
By Gia Myers
Shawna Murray remembers experiencing homelessness firsthand when she emigrated to the U.S. from the Caribbean with her family in the 1980s.
She was only eight years old at the time. Her mother struggled to find basic resources for her family including shelter, food, and clothing.
“Sometimes, she wasn’t treated as a person,” says Murray, reflecting upon her mother’s experiences during that time.
Though many people often want to put challenging times behind them, the hardships Murray experienced during childhood inspired her. She has dedicated her career to supporting at-risk children, youth, and families.
Many of them live in temporary shelters or “live couch-tocouch until they can find stable housing,” says Murray.
Raised Pentecostal Baptist, Murray says faith is what motivates her to help and care for families, and to build healthy relationships with people in the community.
For six years, Murray has worked as a Catholic Charities of Philadelphia case manager and family support coordinator with Visitation Homes in North Philadelphia, a permanent supportive 18-unit housing program that serves families experiencing homelessness and assists them with transitioning to independent living and self-sufficiency.
A special family Murray encountered early on included a young mother with two sons aged 3 and 8. They came to Visitation Homes after fleeing a domestic violence situation in South Carolina.
The mother was forced to leave behind her 5-year-old daughter in South Carolina due to a custody issue, and reunification of her family was the mother’s main goal.
Continued on page 18.
Though she has no legal expertise, Murray took on performing legal research on the mother’s behalf and found ways to connect the mother with a lawyer and other legal resources so that the mother was able to obtain custody of her daughter, which happened two years later.
Catholic Charities also helped the mother with travel expenses so that she could appear in person at the South Carolina courthouse.
“Without financial support, she wouldn’t have been able to do that,” said Murray, reflecting on the mother’s situation.
During her stay at Visitation Homes, the mother also worked on obtaining her GED and employment, and she was eventually able to move her family into their own rental home.
nent housing, which allows families to eventually transition into independent living.
Whereas many transitional housing programs tend to have a hard deadline of about a year, semi-permanent housing provides a more flexible timeline and supportive environment for families to adjust to independent and self-sufficient lives.
“I work with them, but I don’t judge them because homelessness can happen to anyone.”
“There were a lot of challenges, and there were times she felt like giving up, but we just kept encouraging her to not give up,” Murray said.
Murray, who graduated from La Salle University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in social work, says she was inspired to work for Catholic Charities by one of her college professors, Renee Hudson-Small, MSW, an assistant director for Catholic Charities overseeing housing and homeless services.
Murray first worked as a residential aide at Mercy Hospice, a Catholic Charities residential program that helps women in recovery and their families, before she transferred to Visitation Homes. Helping families is different from helping individuals, says Murray, “because everybody in the family has their own needs.”
Though Visitation Homes holds a maximum of 18 families, Murray’s usual case load is about 37-45 cases, including parents and their children.
What’s unique about the Visitation Homes’ program, says Murray, is that it offers semi-perma-
When a new family comes to Visitation Homes, a case manager, such as Murray, performs an assessment to determine what the family’s needs and barriers are.
A plan with goals is created, including what the family needs to work on to achieve their goals. Plans include a variety of activities, including getting a GED, a better job, attending workshops on mental health, trauma healing, and financial literacy.
“Once families are able to remove all their barriers, they can transition into renting their own apartment or own their own home,” says Murray.
Without a place like Visitation Homes, Murray says the families she helps would be “lost in the system” and unable to find the resources they need.
“It would be a devastating experience for them,” she says.
Murray aims “to meet the families where they are and help them remove any barriers” during their stay at Visitation Homes, “so they can improve the quality of their lives.”
“I work with them, but I don’t judge them,” she said, “because homelessness can happen to anyone,” which Murray well-knows from her own personal experience.
“I treat them with respect,” she said.
“I try to show them kindness and support so we can build trusting relationships.”
Catholic Charities of Philadelphia intervenes at critical moments, ensuring that vulnerable children and struggling families receive the care, guidance, and resources they need to thrive.
Safe Home
289 at-risk children and families received case management and support services
12,000 received essential items
130 families provided with foster care assistance
2,311 helpline calls
Essentials
734 households received entitlement assistance
770 received laundry services
Skills and Resources
700 children and youth participated in a conflict resolution program
8 children served in Youth Skills Building Program in first year
Newcomer
9,548 newcomers served
2,215 Immigration Legal intake calls
1,224 cases opened for legal services
Driven by Prayer, Social Worker Leaves Retirement to Enrich Lives of Area Seniors
By Gia Myers
It was after only a few months of retirement that experienced social worker, Chris Minnick, felt called to apply for a Care Manager position with Catholic Charities of Philadelphia.
Through daily prayer, he asked for God’s guidance and realized the position was “a real good fit for me,” he says, looking back.
Now, Minnick works to stabilize and enrich the lives of seniors in need, aged 60 and over. They are often referred to him through word of mouth by priests or neighbors. The seniors don’t need to be members of the parish.They don’t need to be Catholic to receive supportive services either.
One memorable case involved a senior woman who lives with her 41-year-old son who is disabled and suffers with mental health issues. They faithfully attended Mass every Sunday, though struggled financially with paying bills and buying food.
Minnick was able to help the woman get food benefits, emergency funds, and a new HVAC system through the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), when her central air system failed during the heat of last summer.
Additionally, Minnick advocated for the woman’s son to get the needed mental health services and helped the son apply for disability income through Social Security.
Without this work, Minnick says many area seniors would likely “be invisible” in our communities and cut off from critical support services.
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Minnick says he “came to Philadelphia to attend Temple University in 1976 and never left.”
Minnick graduated from Temple, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work.
Continued on page 22.
He started his career as a social worker in a Catholic nursing home in Philadelphia in the 1980s and has consistently worked with the senior population throughout his career
He later worked as a nursing home administrator, served in various leadership roles for Einstein Healthcare Network and Duke University Health System, and was a director for a senior life program in Philadelphia, from which he retired in August 2023.
His focus has long been on assisting seniors, providing them with necessary healthcare services to stay healthy and helping them keep their independence in their homes for as long as possible, what the National Institute on Aging refers to as “aging in place.”
Minnick says his work with seniors is inspired by his grandfather who lived to be 100 years old and was cared for until his passing by Minnick’s parents in their home.
In his role at Catholic Charities, Minnick works with two parish-based elder care programs.
One program is based at St. John the Baptist Church in Manayunk, and the other at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish in South Philadelphia. The seniors he serves live within one of the two parish communities.
He visits seniors’ homes, assesses their individual needs, plans services, helps seniors navigate complex systems and advocates for their needs.
Though he feels great fulfillment in his work, Minnick admits there are also some challenging situations he faces.
“A lot of times, there are mental health issues, substance abuse issues, or personality issues,” he says. “I rely on prayer to help me through those difficult times.”
“It helps me to focus my work and my
energy,” he says, “to follow God’s teachings, to invite God to guide me as an instrument of Him in the work that I do.”
There can also be long waiting times for seniors to receive the needed services he’s requested for them.
“I continue to pray and ask God’s help to speed things along. Sometimes, miracles happen,” he says. It’s happened to me a couple of times in this position, and I definitely think there was divine intervention.”
Some people Minnick helps, he says, have lost connection to their parish and the Catholic Church, but after receiving help, “they find spiritual fulfillment, and they want to get reconnected, which is a good outcome.”
Without the Catholic Charities elder care program, Minnick expects that the people he helps “would fall through the cracks, remain distant from the Church,” he says. “They wouldn’t be seen in their communities. They’d become invisible because they’re isolated.”
Chris Minnick with a client in the elder care program.
Catholic Charities of Philadelphia is committed to ensuring that older adults have access to the resources, companionship, and care they need to lead meaningful lives.
Senior Centers
1,363 clients
8,787 participated in educational, health and wellness, and social/ recreational activities
52,091 meals served Senior Housing
senior housing clients Elder Care
clients
Pictured: Kimberly Cowley (right) and a staff member with clients of St. Edmond’s Home for Children, a residential home for children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Inspired by Jesus, Case Worker Cares for Children with Intellectual
and Developmental Disabilities with Dignity, Integrity
By Gia Myers
As a young Catholic school student, Kimberly Cowley was moved by the Catholic teaching “that Jesus means for us to really care for and focus on advocating for those who society has overlooked,” she says.
“That definitely inspired me to consider things like dignity and integrity when I’m working with anyone with intellectual and physical disabilities,” says Cowley, who has dedicated her career since 2022 to working as a Catholic Charities of Philadelphia family case worker at St. Edmond’s Home for Children in Bryn Mawr, Delaware County. She remembers one very resilient resident, a young teenage boy who moved into St. Edmond’s around the time she first started working there. He didn’t have any family support, and he had experienced a failed adoption.
“Unfortunately, he had several traumatic events in his childhood,” Cowley said. “However, you would never know that by looking at him because he was as happy as can be.”
Cowley spent much time with the teenager and worked on his behalf, meeting with his advocates, and adoption recruiters in hopes of finding a family for him. Then, a family experienced in helping people with disabilities came forward to adopt him. They already knew how to adapt their home and how to get all the proper equipment for him to live comfortably.
“His life is changed forever,” she said. “It took an army of advocates to work together to make it happen, and it did, and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. I’m happy to know he’s out there thriving.”
St. Edmond’s Home for Children – founded in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia back in 1916 by Archbishop Edmond Prendergast – provides exceptional round-the-clock, holistic care from infancy through young adulthood for children and youth with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Continued on page 26.
“We have some residents who’ve been here since they were babies, and now they’re teenagers, and that’s a wonderful thing to have that support for them and their families,” Cowley said.
A 2020 graduate of West Chester University with a bachelor’s degree in social work, Cowley says she was drawn to working at St. Edmond’s because of the “comprehensive care” provided by the staff and residents have the opportunity “to experience faith” in a home-like environment.
St. Edmond’s offers a broad spectrum of medical/ nursing and therapeutic services – along with faith, love, and compassion – to assist residents in achieving their greatest intellectual, physical, and social potential.
Cowley notes that St. Edmond’s is open all-day, every day of the year, celebrating holidays with residents, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Some St. Edmond’s residents “don’t have family involvement or families that can be there for them, so our staff fortunately is,” she said.
As a family case worker, Cowley acts as a liaison in many ways for the St. Edmond’s residents. She works with their families, their schools, and collaborates with other social workers.
She additionally works with new residents to help
them feel comfortable and assists young adult residents with finding suitable placements when they are ready to leave their home at St. Edmond’s.
The staff at St. Edmond’s also plans exciting events for residents, including inviting a Mummers String Band to perform at their Eagles pep rally.
Cowley says people may not usually see children in wheelchairs typically at an event like a pep rally, especially since not everywhere in our society is wheelchair accessible.
“So, we’re able to bring those things to them, and we have a wonderful migration therapist who also brings the kids into the community as much as possible,” she said.
When facing challenges with her work, Cowley says her “guiding force” is reminding herself to always do her best for the children, even when it’s not convenient, because “they deserve that.”
If places like St. Edmond’s didn’t exist, Cowley says many children with intellectual and developmental disabilities would have no place to call home.
She expects that these children would be admitted to hospitals long-term, or they’d have to move to a specialized foster home, “which are few and far between.” Both options would have negative impacts on the children’s well-being, she says.
St. Edmond’s is also blessed to be located nearby many specialized schools that residents can attend, as well as pediatric hospitals offering crucial services.
“We live in an able-bodied world, and it’s not easy to have a disability nor is it easy to raise a child with disabilities,” says Cowley, reflecting on her work at St. Edmond’s Home.
“The joy and humility I see in people with special needs, it’s life changing,” she says. “It’s taught me to appreciate the things that matter most in life. The kids have shown me that any amount of progress is worth celebrating, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.”
Cowley and a resident greet Archbishop Pérez.
With specialized programs, supported employment, wellness and community integration initiatives, and residential options, Catholic Charities of Philadelphia helps individuals with intellectual and development disabilities develop skills, gain confidence, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Residential
186 men and women in residential care, 70 participating in Life Sharing through Family Living program
42 children and young adults at St. Edmond’s Home for Children, 4 participating in Life Sharing medically fragile children program
Community Programs
148 Day Program clients
15 clients in the 100% community participation program, 14 hold volunteer positions, 10 have community employment and receiving job coaching, 58 attended 14 special trips
Make a Difference with Catholic Charities of Philadelphia
Whether through volunteering, donating, or spreading the word, everyone has a role to play in advancing the mission of Catholic Charities. We invite individuals, families, businesses, and faith communities to be part of this journey. When we come together in service, we don’t just change lives; we create a stronger, more compassionate world, in the Philadelphia region and beyond.
How You Can Help
Volunteer
Every hour spent serving is a chance to change a life—including your own. Whether leading activities or assisting in food pantries, your presence brings hope to others while fostering personal growth and deeper connections. Visit: ccphila.org/volunteer
Spread Hope
Consider sharing these stories and our quarterly newsletter with friends and family. Following us on social media and reposting stories to help us grow awareness and reach in the community.
Share Financially
Your generosity fuels real, measurable change— providing stability to families, dignity to seniors, and opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Your support today transforms lives tomorrow. Please consider helping us answer Jesus’ call to love our neighbor and help those most in need through:
• Annual or recurring giving by visiting ccphila.org/donate
• For planned giving or corporate sponsorships please call 215-854-7000.
Volunteers at Catholic Charities’ bimonthly Bishops’ Dinner initiative.
