Christians in Community Service: Providing Essential Aid to Our Community Members in Need

When Vida Laureano saw an article in the parish bulletin asking for volunteers for Christians in Community Service (CCS), she felt the Holy Spirit give her a nudge. Vida began as a volunteer, and a couple years later, she stepped up to the role of team leader. Christians in Community Service has impacted her deeply. It has given her a way to live her faith and grow in prayer and service.

“It really has been a blessing for me and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about it,” Vida says. “The blessings you receive as a volunteer are great.”

CCS is an outreach ministry that provides critical aid to residents of Fayette County. The ministry partners with social workers who refer clients who need financial assistance. Often they need help with rent, a utility bill, or food. Since the referrals come from social workers, volunteers know that their need is real. Clients can receive assistance once every 12 months.

“It’s an eye-opening experience to hear these stories,” Vida says. “You’re just in awe of the social workers and gain a great appreciation for the struggles that our clients have. Often it is through nothing that they’ve done, just circumstances. They don’t have the safety net of family that many of us do.”

In the last couple years, Vida has seen many clients impacted by COVID-19. For those whose lives already strike a delicate balance, one more burden can overwhelm them.

“Here we are two years out and we still are dealing with people affected by COVID,” Vida says. “When you are making an hourly wage, a reduction in hours can be catastrophic to a family’s budget.”

The assistance of CCS can help bridge the gap that could otherwise be devastating. CCS is dependent on financial donations from parishioners. Referrals for help during the pandemic have stretched the CCS budget to its limit. Parishioners can donate online or with quarterly envelopes. These funds are critical in supporting the community members with whom we regularly interact.

“You find out they are working in places we patronize, like restaurants, hotels, and retail,” Vida says. “These are people that we encounter on a daily basis.”

Beyond financial donations, CCS is run purely by volunteers. It’s flexible work — each volunteer takes half a day each week to respond to calls. They talk with the social worker, fill out an intake form, and send it to Treasurer Sharon Arnold, who writes the check and mails it directly to the utility company or landlord. Volunteers may work from anywhere as long as they have access to the database.

“It’s gratifying to know that we can assist at all, fulfilling our duty to serve our brothers and sisters in need,” Vida says. “We are all children of God, and we all deserve the proper dignity bestowed on us by our Creator. Through this ministry, we’re serving Jesus.”

If you would like to volunteer with CCS, please contact Vida Laureano at vlaureano@aol.com or 859-492-9999. To donate online, visit the parish website www.cathedralctk.org — select “Give to CTK” and under the “Fund” menu, designate donations for “Christians in Community Service.”

Vida Laureano, team leader