Catholic Charities: Looking for volunteers to help volunteers
Catholic Spirit, June 2010, Good News
By Mark Sliter-Hays
Catholic Charities of Central Texas
The summer of love. No, not the summer of 1969. I was barely walking then! But in the summer of 1991, I fell in love with the idea of volunteer service in a Catholic organization, VESS, Volunteers for Educational and Social Services. This volunteer organization was run by the Texas Catholic Conference and provided me with the opportunity to reside in a community and live with fellow volunteers who shared my values of social justice, spirituality, simple living and serving the poor. VESS and other Catholic lay programs such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) place young adults to work with people in dire need across the U.S. and around the world.
As mentioned in last month’s Catholic Spirit article, Catholic Charities had been accepted, along with St. Louise House (VinCare Services of Austin) and Casa Marianella, as agencies where Jesuit volunteers will be placed. All three agencies have recently interviewed applicants, and we are excited that some of these recent college graduates will begin their spiritual journey serving those who are marginalized and needing a listening ear and guiding hand. In addition, their volunteer service will allow the agencies to extend our services at a fraction of the usual cost.
Beginning in mid-August, five Jesuit volunteers will begin living a life committed to social service and social justice by being placed at the three agencies. Two volunteers will be placed at Catholic Charities, one at St. Louise House (VinCare Services of Austin) and two at Casa Marianella. The Jesuit volunteers live in communal housing, which provides opportunities for prayer, support and socializing with peers.
The fees for this program are about $12,000 per volunteer ($60,000 total), which includes a small monthly stipend, health insurance, food allowance, placement fee, transportation and lodging for quarterly spiritual retreats with other Jesuit volunteers in the southwest region, and other related costs. These expenses have been budgeted and will be covered by the agencies. The other main expense is housing, which is not included in the $60,000 total. Because these volunteers are living on a very small stipend and are relocating from all over the country, housing is provided to them as part of their volunteer service.
We are seeking assistance that will help defray housing and utility costs. Donating a three or four bedroom rental house in central or south Austin would allow more of our funds to be used for client assistance. Another way to assist would be to sponsor a Jesuit volunteer for a month, multiple months, or for a year, covering his or her housing and/or utility expenses, at about $300 a month per volunteer. Not everyone has the resources to sponsor a volunteer, but even $20 to $50 will help. Other ways to help would be to donate dishes, linens, furniture and bus passes. All donations are tax deductible.
Here is a little more information on these three agencies that will receive Jesuit volunteers this summer.
Catholic Charities of Central Texas (CCCTX) assists the poor and vulnerable in 25 Central Texas counties through a program of direct services designed to stabilize individuals and families during times of crises and help them build the skills for self-sufficiency.
St. Louise House (VinCare Services of Austin) provides affordable housing and on-site supportive services for homeless women with children.
Casa Marianella serves homeless immigrants and political asylees through immediate safe housing, food, clothing, access to medical care, comprehensive case management and life skills education.
For more information on donating to CCCTX, contact Ryla Simmons at (512) 651-6103 or ryla-simmons@austindiocese.org. For more information on Catholic Charities of Central Texas, visit www.ccctx.org or email mark-sliter-hays@austindiocese. org.
For more information on donating to St. Louise House, contact Sharon Bieser at sbieser@saintlouisehouse.org or (512) 302-0027.
For more information on donating to Casa Marianella, contact Jennifer Long at jlong@casamarianella.org or (512) 653-7824.