November 21, 2016

UPDATED: Bishop announces 2016 Annual Catholic Appeal agency allocations

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Rebecca Drake

SPRINGFIELD – While many local Catholics struggle to balance their own household budgets, their monetary donations to this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) will bring support and hope to those who are most needy throughout western Massachusetts.

This was the message Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski presented to reporters during an 11 a.m. press conference held Nov. 21 at the Bishop Maguire Pastoral Center, here. In announcing nearly $300,000 to be distributed to social agencies, ministries and programs, the bishop expressed gratitude for all who made donations to this year’s annual appeal.

“First I want to thank the 17,533 donors who have donated or pledged more than $2.7 million to this year’s campaign, which I should note continues for another month,” Bishop Rozanski said. “As we mark Thanksgiving in just a few days, I am extremely grateful to those who have so generously helped us to help our neighbors in need, including our pastors and parish communities, which are the backbone of this charitable effort.”

The bishop noted that appeal funds support emergency assistance services based at the pastoral center, as well as tuition assistance for Catholic school and pastoral care for people at all stages of life, among many other ministries and agencies.

The grant awards announced at the Nov. 21 press conference represent only the non-diocesan services and agencies. Of the $2.7 million total raised in the 2016 appeal, the remaining funds help support diocesan services and agencies, including the Catholic Charities Agency, Catholic Communications and Catholic schools. The complete list of those allocations will be published in the 2017 annual appeal brochure.

“In addition we set aside roughly 11 percent of what we collect each year to provide support to numerous community based agencies, like food pantries, community education centers, and crisis pregnancy support,” Bishop Rozanski said.  (A complete list of 2016-2017 non-diocesan agency allocations is presented below.)

Accompanying Bishop Rozanski at the press conference were representatives of two of the programs receiving funds from the annual appeal: Virginia Dillon, executive director of Homework House in Holyoke, and Diane Murray, program director of Rick’s Place, a bereavement program for children located in Wilbraham.

Speaking to the reporters gathered, Dillon noted that the Homework House program, which provides homework assistance and mentoring to elementary schoolchildren, is celebrating its 10^th year in Holyoke. The program serves 85 to 90 children a day at two locations, one in the Flats section of the city and the other at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the Churchill section.

Dillon emphasized that the Homework House is a free program, making it accessible to children who are most in need, and therefore receives no public funds. “The Annual Catholic Appeal is the rock around which we can build the rest of our budget,” she said.

Murray also addressed reporters, explaining that Rick’s Place, named for a local resident, Rick Thorpe, who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, is a bereavement ministry for children ages 5 through 18. She announced that the ministry has recently added an early childhood program.

Murray explained that, in addition to sessions held one evening a week and on Saturday morning, Rick’s Place staff members also visit children in local schools in West Springfield, South Hadley and Springfield. In 2017, she said, they will be adding schools in Springfield and Holyoke to that list.

“All of that work is funded through the Annual Catholic Appeal,” said Murray. “And these funds mean the world to us and to the kids we see in schools.” She added that the program also holds three major fundraisers throughout the year and receives additional grants.

The complete list of ACA recipients follows:

2016 ACA COMMUNITY AGENCY AWARDS

Angels Take Flight (Hampden County)- $4,000

Alternatives: Crisis Pregnancy Center (Greenfield)- $6,000  

Bethlehem House (Easthampton)- $25,000 

Every Step Matters Ministry (Westfield) – $5,000. 

Genesis Spiritual Life Center (Westfield, all WMass) – $10,000. 

The Gray House (Springfield) – $21,000  

Holy Cross Sandwiches for the Homeless (Springfield) – $2,500

Homework House (Holyoke) – $19,000

Jericho (Holyoke, all WMass)- $25,000  

Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen (Chicopee) – $15,000

Montague Catholic Social Ministries (Turners Falls) – $30,000

New Spirit, Inc. (all WMass) – $21,000

New Direction (No Berkshire County) – $8,000 

Pittsfield Pregnancy Support Services (Pittsfield and Central Berkshire County)- $3,000

Providence Behavioral Health Hospital (Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties)- $30,000

Providence Ministries Service Network (Hampden County)- $26,000

Residents Encounter Christ Prison Ministry (Berkshire County)- $1,000

Residents Encounter Christ Prison Ministry (Hampden County)-$1,500

Rick’s Place (Hampden County)- $10,000

St. Vincent DePaul Society (Westfield)- $6,000

Take and Eat (all WMass)- $20,000

Youth Center, Inc (Adams)- $9,000