Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas

Loving God, You desire for all of us health in spirit, mind and body as You created us to be both spiritual and physical beings. Remind us that, in helping to make Your Reign present, we must be prepared to bring hope to the world through prayer, reflection, study and actions. We ask this in Your name. Amen.

Abigail was a single mother of one, with another child on the way. Struggling to make ends meet, she made the decision to return to school. After coming to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, she enrolled in the St. Rita Workforce program, later joining a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) class at Delores Homes, a Workforce partner. Through the support of the St. Rita program, all costs were covered for Abigail’s CMA training fees, scrubs, testing and even some much-needed car repairs. The program provided $1,348.54 for two essential repairs, ensuring she could continue attending school and work. Abigail has now been employed for over 90 days at an assisted living facility. She recently welcomed her second child, and her new job even covered her maternity leave.

Last fiscal year, 206 individuals boosted their job skills and advanced their education through our St. Rita Workforce Program, including a record 91 participants who attained their academic or certification credentials. Learn more about the history of our Workforce programming by reading our recent special to The Leaven: https://ow.ly/1Zhj50V0v5s.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one. - Colossians 4:6

Put #FaithIntoAction this Lent by helping Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas share knowledge with refugee youth! Our ReCONNECT refugee youth mentorship program is now seeking volunteer mentors who will provide compassionate educational and career counseling/guidance. L earn more about this opportunity and sign up here: https://ow.ly/YzcK50V0uPx.

Thank you, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School, for participating in a School Serve Experience! We greatly appreciate the school’s generous donations and the students' enthusiasm to learn more about our mission. Learn how schools like Sacred Heart are incorporating Catholic Social Teaching into their curriculum by visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/gsARFHbm.

Do you know the corporal and spiritual works of mercy? This video highlights the depictions of each work of mercy. Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas puts these works of mercy into practice through our 30+ ministries that provide help, hope and hospitality. https://ow.ly/oUup50V0uOg

God of bounty, your son Jesus embraced poverty and taught that the poor are blessed, for “theirs is the kingdom of God.” Help us to step out of our certainties and comforts and keep our eyes fixed on Him, so we can both see and serve Him in the faces of the poor. Amen. Prayer Credit: Catholic Charities USA https://ow.ly/48Pi50V0sy1

A satanic worship event is scheduled to take place outside of the Kansas State Capitol on Friday, March 28. Archbishop Naumann and the Kansas Catholic Conference are urging all Christians to stand in solidarity against this act. Archbishop calls us to prayer, especially for the conversion of those individuals involved in satanic worship, and promotes Catholic Charities volunteerism as one way we can continue to spread the love of Christ in response to such events. Click here for a full statement from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas: https://ow.ly/1YiN50VilJY.

Eliza came to the Resource Bus for food, she was in the process of tapping every resource she could manage to keep her family’s expenses down. Her husband, Jude, had lost his job, and unemployment wasn’t covering the bills. He was starting a new job soon, but even then, the pay would be significantly less than his previous position. With three maxed-out credit cards and an unclear path forward, Eliza decided to ask for help by selecting on her intake form that she would like to speak with a financial counselor from Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. An Asset Development team member worked with Eliza and Jude to lay out a comprehensive view of the family’s current financial situation, credit and budget. The findings were sobering: despite attempts to make the most of free community resources, their budget would still be $300 short on income vs. their regular monthly expenses. Together, they brainstormed ways to increase income and/or lower expenses. After a productive meeting, the Asset Development team member thought they had some good ideas, but still had doubts about how much of an impact could be made. He asked the couple to do the simplest tasks - cancel unnecessary insurance and subscriptions - before their next meeting, then they could focus on one or two more difficult changes. Not only did Eliza and Jude cancel their unnecessary insurance and subscriptions, they also refinanced their auto loan to get a lower monthly payment and changed to a budget phone plan. Also, Eliza picked up a part-time job, Jude gave up smoking, and they put their ATV up for sale to bring in money for an emergency fund, all in a matter of two weeks. The result? A new financial picture with sufficient income to cover all their monthly expenses, plus $150 leftover to save or put towards debt payments. The Asset Development team member told Eliza and Jude he was blown away at their determination and initiative, but Eliza was quick to turn the praise back around, saying, “I really don’t think any of this would have happened without the financial conversations we’ve been having."