Chronicle SUMMER 2022
C O M M O N W E A LT H C AT H O L I C C H A R I T I E S
Starting Anew At seven months pregnant, Amanda escaped from an abusive relationship and moved to Roanoke, hoping to find a home with her dad. “Amanda is a resourceful young woman,” said Julie Vance, CCC case worker. “When it didn’t work to live with her dad, she secured subsidized housing on her own, but she only had her clothes and a few household items. She was sleeping on a blow-up mattress and had no other furniture.” Amanda reached out to CCC’s pregnancy counseling team and, through CCC’s Seton Housing program, the team helped Amanda continue to build on the progress she was making. Through the program her case worker set-up payment for her electricity and other utilities and connected her with CCC’s St. Francis House food pantry to access healthy food. CCC staff also reached out to the St. Andrews Moms (SAMs) at Saint Andrews Catholic Church in Roanoke for additional assistance. The group immediately jumped into action, donating gift cards, a crib, pack and play, clothing, a swing, furniture, and various household items. “Any time that we have the opportunity to help each other we really do... I am always blown away by the generosity of this group,” said Maria-Theresa MacBain, co-chair of SAMs. Amanda is working with her case worker to obtain a Virginia driver’s license and find a steady job. She has also been participating in CCC’s Financial Fitness Bootcamp where she is learning important money management skills. “Amanda has worked hard to make a home for herself and her new son,” said Vance. “Her future is looking very bright.” To learn more about Seton Housing visit www.cccofva.org/pregnancy-counseling.
www.cccofva.org • CCC provides quality, compassionate human services to all people, especially the most vulnerable, regardless of faith.
Financial Fitness Bootcamp Public speaking, even over Zoom, can be nervewracking and Ellen Foskey was a little nervous, but she didn’t show it as she presented her final project to the other participants of CCC’s Financial Fitness Bootcamp. “The best and most important lesson that I have learned is to build my creditworthiness,” said Foskey. In her presentation, Foskey shared that by implementing what she was learning in the program she had already raised her credit score by over 100 points. “It’s exciting to see someone make a change like this and experience immediate improvement,” said Denise Crews, income and asset-building director. “I’m honored that I can help make a difference in someone’s life.” The next Financial Fitness Bootcamp begins in September. To enroll for free email denise.crews@cccofva.org.
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A Birthday Wish Being away from home, family, and everything familiar can be hard. It’s even harder when you're a child and it’s your birthday. For Mateo, his birthday meant a day away from the grandparents who had raised him. Mateo was staying at CCC’s Cabrini Children’s Shelter in Richmond after a long journey to the United States. At just 14-years-old he had left his home, dreaming of an education and a future that were impossible in his country. To celebrate his fifteenth birthday, Mateo requested a special cake to remind him of home and family. Iboneth Pinzon, food specialist at the shelter, made sure that his wish came true in a big way. “She always gives the kids a little taste of home,” said Bob Larkin, program manager. “When a child is feeling homesick, Iboneth has been known to search out recipes to make them feel less sad.” For Mateo, the extra love made a huge difference. “The cake probably weighed ten pounds,” joked Larkin. “On his birthday, Mateo was up at 5 a.m. and we heard him singing all day long. It was a very special day.” Iboneth and the special cake she made to celebrate Mateo’s birthday.
Refugee Restaurateurs Support CCC At a tall table near the door of The Mantu, a family watches as a waiter wearing a CCC t-shirt carefully sets several sizzling plates in front of them. This is their first experience with Afghan cuisine. Soon after their food arrives, Chef Hamidullah Noori, also wearing a CCC t-shirt, comes to check on them. Chef Noori, founder of the Richmond restaurant, is originally from Kabul, Afghanistan. Following years of turmoil in Afghanistan, Chef Noori came to the United States and was resettled by CCC in 2015. “I was received by a CCC case worker in Newport News airport, and they had already rented an apartment, helped us through resettlement, finding a job and registering all my kids into school,” said Chef Noori. Now Chef Noori is helping others who are in the same situation. Since April, Chef Noori has donated 10% of proceeds from every Tuesday dinner and Sunday lunch to CCC’s refugee resettlement program. Seventy miles away in Newport News, another restaurant owner Mushtaq Hashem is also giving back to CCC’s refugee resettlement program. “I had no one in the U.S.,” said Hashem. “But CCC helped me resettle in Virginia.” Hashem left Afghanistan when he was 17 and lived for a time in Russia before being resettled by CCC in 2018. He now owns the restaurant Halal Kabab. On June 28, in honor of World Refugee Day, Hashem, donated a percentage of proceeds to the resettlement program. "Mushtaq and Chef Noori came here on their own and they have built these wonderful lives here in our communities,” said CEO Jay Brown. “It is exciting to now be working together to support others who face similar situations.”
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St. Francis House Delivers Residents of nine apartment complexes in the Roanoke area now receive a monthly delivery of groceries from CCC’s St. Francis House Food Pantry. “With the steady increase in gas and food costs, this gives individuals with limited income a steady and reliable source for healthy food,” said Denise Crews, director of income and asset-building. The delivery includes a variety of items from canned fruits, vegetables, and apple sauce, to pasta, frozen meat, and evaporated milk. “The residents we’ve spoken to are grateful for these deliveries,” said Crews. “We anticipate that there could be room to grow the delivery options in the coming months and are looking at additional ways to reach even more people.” Deliveries are made in St. Francis House’s 1988 van, which is unreliable and cannot keep up with the demand for food pantry service. In April, donors raised $9,665 towards the purchase of a new van. If you would like to help us reach our goal of $15,000, please donate today. www.cccofva.org/giveroanoke
Recipients of St. Francis House deliveries picking up their groceries.
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Longtime volunteer Granville Sherman III loads groceries into the St. Francis House van for delivery.
Interns Lend a Hand Ways to Give For nine months, eight interns each spent one day a week at CCC’s headquarters and at the Housing Resource Center in Richmond. The students worked with different departments as part of their corporate work study program. The interns worked on various projects for several different departments. “The students helped tremendously with keeping the resettlement office organized and running smoothly. They worked diligently to assist me with filing, organizing client binders, and putting together finance documents,” said Julia Scheidemantel, refugee resettlement case worker. “I truly appreciate and value the help and hard work they put in this year! Their inoffice assistance made a whole world of difference during the Afghan humanitarian crisis that had many of our staff members out in the field five days a week.” Staff are already looking forward to hosting students again next year.
For donors aged 70 ½ and older - your IRA makes giving easy! “I make annual gifts to Commonwealth Catholic Charities through my IRA. It’s simple—I can directly transfer funds from my IRA account to CCC. The gift helps fulfill my annual required minimum distribution and since it goes directly to CCC, I don’t pay taxes on it. Most importantly, this lets me increase my financial support for crucial CCC programs like Independence for Seniors (IFS).” – Nick Lucas, CCC Board of Directors and IFS Volunteer
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Two tax saving ways to maximize your philanthropic giving with your IRA: NOW - Make annual transfer gifts to CCC from your IRA as CCC Board Member Nick Lucas does. LATER - Make a planned gift and join our 1923 Society by designating CCC as the/a beneficiary of your IRA For more information about or to inform us of your planned gift intention, please contact Jennifer Cunningham, VP of Mission Advancement. 804.256.2011 jennifer.cunningham@cccofva.org
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A Home of His Own Scott, who is 59-years-old and has an acute mental illness, had been sleeping in an abandoned car junk yard for several months when he met CCC outreach worker, Ashli Hill. Ashli helped Scott complete paperwork for permanent supportive housing, which provides long-term rental assistance for individuals with a disability. “As we waited for his name to be selected for housing, we met consistently for check-ins and updates,” said Hill. “We worked hard to ensure Scott’s success by completing a budget to determine how to offset some of his costs, and we applied for SNAP food benefits.” During that time, Scott also began working odd jobs and increased his income. Finally, after many months of waiting, Scott was selected to receive permanent supportive housing and in April he was finally able to move into his own apartment.
Youth Anger Management Class CCC’s newest counseling program is a youth anger management group. Since September 2021, four groups of teens have completed the program which focuses on learning how to express anger in a healthy way, cultivate emotional intelligence, and improve communication, and problem-solving skills. Parents are also included in the class. “Our goal when working with the parent group is to help parents connect with their teens, empower them to provide supportive yet strong guidance, set reasonable expectations, and learn to recognize the underlining causes of anger, which could be related to bullying, grief, low self-esteem, and trauma,” said Counselor Tia Lukanova. “One situation which stands out to me is a mother and her daughter who had a very disconnected and strained relationship. After the program, they both said that they feel more connected, they relate to one another better, and they no longer have resentment of or unrealistic expectations for each other, which allows them to have a deeper relationship moving forward. It is very rewarding to see relationships like theirs flourish." To learn more about CCC’s in-person and remote counseling services visit www.cccofva.org/counseling-services.
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A Bright Future for Norton Area Students The foster care staff in Norton celebrated two very special graduation ceremonies this spring.
Harley Harley is 19-years-old. He and his brothers have been living with their foster parents since 2018. “I am kind and easy to work with,” said Harley. “I can cook and I am willing to help others.” Harley plans to enlist in the Army soon and then possibly attend college to earn a degree in mechanics. Eventually, he would like to get married and own his own home.
Carly Carly is 17-years-old and plans to attend college in the fall to become a police officer. “She is working really hard towards becoming independent,” said Amy Mullins, case worker. “She is an outgoing young woman who is able to make friends easily. She is a hard worker and always tries her best at work.” “We are all so proud of both Harley and Carly,” said Mullins. “We have watched them both grow into young adults with bright futures. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for them.”
Be a part of more stories just like these! Because of your support, CCC can connect young moms to resources, guide teens in foster care into adulthood, deliver food to hungry families, and so much more. Donate today and make more stories of hope possible.
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918 Harris Street Charlottesville, VA 22903 434.974.6880
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820 Campbell Avenue, SW Roanoke, VA 24016 540.342.7561 St. Francis House Food Pantry 836 Campbell Avenue, SW Roanoke, VA 24016 540.268.0098 541 Luck Avenue, SW Suite 118 Roanoke, VA 24016 540.342.0411