THINK OF ME

The Catholic Charities Appeal for 2020 is now underway. Requests for donations have been mailed out. The goal of the Appeal this year is $10 million. The theme this year is “Think of Me.” The patron of the Appeal is St. Joseph. The Catholic Charites Appeal runs through June 30th.

The Catholic Charities Appeal helps to fund 51 programs and services administered by Catholic Charities throughout the eight counties of Western New York, along with a number of ministries that benefit all parishes through the Fund for the Faith. More than 160,000 people benefited from services provided by Catholic Charities during 2019.

Understandably, many people have questions about their donations in light of the Child Victims Act and the talk about bankruptcy. Like donations to Upon This Rock, donations to Catholic Charities are protected funds. This means they cannot be used for anything other than for what they are designated. Catholic Charities is a separate non-profit entity distinct from the Diocese of Buffalo. The money raised for the Catholic Charities Appeal will be effected. Donations to the Appeal and Fund for the Faith are restricted gifts and therefore legally protected.

Ministries and services supported by the Catholic Charities Appeal are: Counseling and Mental Health programs; Domestic Violence programs; Family and Parent Resources; Foster Care and Adoption Resources; Immigration Services; Services to Older Adults; School Based services; Chemical Dependency Treatment and Support; and Workforce and Education programs. The ministries supported by the Fund of the Faith are: Campus Ministry; Catholic Schools; Communications; Cultural Diversity; Deaf Ministry; Evangelization and Faith Formation; Hospital and Nursing Home Ministry; Priest, Seminarian and Deacon Formation; and Youth and Young Adult Ministry. 

Once again this year, donors are able to select where they want their gift to go: Both Catholic Charities and the Fund for the Faith; Catholic Charities only, or Fund for the Faith only.

Last year St. Louis contributed $93,123.75 to the Catholic Charities Appeal. This year our goal is $110,000. Parishioners of St. Louis have already contributed $18,901.92 toward the 2020 Appeal. Once again we ask that you be as generous as your means allow and thank you on behalf of all those who will benefit from your generosity.