Catholic Charities holds spring appeal Parishes fill a bucket for families

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
April 29, 2004

During tough times, more people need the services of Catholic Charities. At the same time, various factors have tightened the agency's budget.

According to the executive director of Catholic Charities, Jerry Eaton, for the last three years state funding has nearly been cut in half each year.

"The state has been under tremendous pressure to control their finances and about every program in the state has had severe cutbacks," he noted. "The same thing is happening to all of the programs they would fund for counseling of children and families."

Eaton explained that four or five years ago state funds would have made up about 35 percent of the agency's budget but today these funds consist of about 10 percent of their budget. The agency has had to reduce its budget as well as cut staff in recent years.

Some of the same factors affecting the state's and Catholic Charities budget also hit people in the pocketbook. He explained the need for services has increased partly due to stresses caused by a poor economy and job market.

Steve Elbert, development director for Catholic Charities, said that for the last few years Catholic Charities has held an annual spring appeal.

"We rely on funds from contributors all year round," he stressed. "It has become increasingly important that we have a spring appeal because of the limited resources we are receiving from the state of Iowa."

Elbert noted that while Catholic Charities receives generous support from contributors through the Christmas collection and the Diocesan Annual Appeal, because of such significant state cuts they ask people to consider a gift at this time of the year as well.

This year the agency received a jump-start on the spring appeal as some parishes in the diocese opted to take part in a project centered on Catholic Charities called Fill a Bucket for Families.

Materials about this special project went to parish religious education programs and Catholic schools in the diocese.

Linda Anderson, director of catechesis for the diocese, said, "I thought this was a real catchy way to raise money for Catholic Charities. It was an easy project and very worthwhile."

She also liked the fact that Catholic Charities provided an information sheet so students and other parishioners could learn about the work of the agency.

"Kids usually respond well when you ask them to help - contributing their nickels, dimes and quarters. Usually we just do this with the missions, but this gave the students a chance to give at the local level," noted Anderson.

Some parishes such as St. Anthony in Primghar and Sacred Heart in Sutherland focused on the project specifically in the religious education programs. Other parishes opted to expand it out to all parishioners.

Father Tim Fitzgerald, pastor at St. Mary in Everly and St. Louis in Royal, pointed out that every Lent his parishes try to do something special. This year the children had already opted to participate in Operation Rice Bowl, so the parishes took on the Fill the Bucket for Families project as an entire community.

In order to promote it, they put a few facts about Catholic Charities in the bulletin every week. It helped parishioners understand why the agency was in need and why it would be important to give.

"The children were the ones that held the bucket at every Mass," said Father Fitzgerald. "People could give as they left church. I was really impressed with the amount of money that people were willing to give."

Nancy Williams, director of religious education at St. Joseph Church in Hartley and St. Cecilia in Sanborn, pointed out that they decorated buckets and placed them in a visible place at each church.

"We talked about it every weekend during Lent and asked people to remember to put their change in after Mass," she said. "We tried to promote their good work."

Williams explained that every Lent they try to participate in special almsgiving. When this information came the diocesan department of catechesis, they found it to be the perfect charity to promote.

While it was promoted as a possible Lenten project, Anderson stressed that it is something parishes could organize at any time of the year.

"The programs of Catholic Charities are ongoing and they always have needs," she said.

Eaton and Elbert extended thanks to the parishes that participated in the Fill A Bucket For Families project. Along with the stewardship aspect of the program, they were pleased that it offered an educational component in spreading information about the mission of Catholic Charities. Eaton added that he liked the fact that they also promoted each person's responsibility to act in a charitable way to one another.

"Catholic Charities is very grateful to the parish families of the diocese for all they do to support our programs and support the families, individuals and children. They are making a difference in people's lives in a meaningful way," said Elbert.

Eaton pointed out that the agency offers services to people on a sliding fee scale, all the way down to one-tenth the actual cost of the counseling session. In some cases, such as to unwed parents, services are offered at no charge.

Bishop DiNardo, Eaton noted, was always good to Catholic Charities. The agency director said, "He always knew there was far more need for services than we could ever meet. That is the nature of what it is to be working for a charity."

He explained that the services in which the agency offers, demand that they have counselors with master's degrees and be licensed by the state of Iowa.

"It costs us a certain amount of money to provide an hour of therapy services," said Eaton.

Catholic Charities offers individual, couple, family and group counseling along with play therapy and services to unwed parents.

Information about Catholic Charities' spring appeal will be available in an upcoming Catholic Steward newsletter.

"We encourage people review the information on the spring appeal and pray about making a donation this time of the year," said Elbert.