PRESS RELEASE: Catholic Charities Announces New Nationwide Campaign
We Are There: Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend joins national campaign to promote the life-giving work of the Catholic Charities network
June 10, 2024 (Fort Wayne, IN) – Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (CCFWSB) is joining with the Catholic Charities network around the country to participate in We Are There, a national awareness campaign highlighting the life-giving services that Catholic Charities agencies provide in their local communities.
“We believe this new campaign articulates the mission of our local agency, as well as what other Catholic Charities are doing across the nation,” said Dan Florin, CEO. “Although we are not governed by Catholic Charities USA and have our own Board of Directors under the leadership of Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, we welcome the solidarity this campaign brings to the network and to the staff who show up each day for those in need.”
For over 100 years, CCFWSB has brought comfort, hope and relief to our most vulnerable neighbors in northeast Indiana, not because they are Catholic, but because we are. Specializing in Stability, Migration, Pro-Life, and Counseling Services, CCFWSB supports the vulnerable with something as straightforward as a warm coat or a new job skill, or something as complex as rebuilding an entire life. CCFWSB is home to two regional refugee resettlement sites and is accredited for immigration legal services by the Department of Justice.
The Catholic Charities network includes168 independent agencies and 3,900 collective locations spread out across the United States and its five territories. Collectively, the network served more than 15 million people last year and provided more than 30 million meals to those in need. The dedicated, selfless staff of Catholic Charities agencies are aided in this work by the indispensable contributions of more than 215,000 volunteers nationwide. The services offered by each local Catholic Charities agency are determined by their respective Boards and are tailored to the specific needs of the vulnerable members of their individual communities.
Catholic Charities USA, the national membership organization for Catholic Charities agencies, organized and launched the We Are There campaign. Over the coming months, the campaign will raise awareness for the work of Catholic Charities through a variety of national media outlets. Here in northeast Indiana, CCFWSB will continue to highlight the different ways we aid and accompany our neighbors in need.
To learn more about the We Are There campaign, visit WeAreThere.US. To learn how to volunteer or make a gift supporting the work of CCFWSB, visit www.ccfwsb.org/wearethere.
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About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:
Catholic Charities is a private 501 (c) 3 incorporated in the state of Indiana to act as the coordinating and administrative agency for the charitable activities assigned to it by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend; to plan for, initiate, direct, support and coordinate Catholic social-services programs for the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical welfare of persons in need; to seek and determine the causes of social problems in order to better promote preventative social-action programs; to participate in community planning and organization, and work cooperatively with other individuals and groups in the field of social work. The service area for Catholic Charities includes the 14 counties of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, encompassing 2,236 square miles, with a population of 1,247,850. Currently, Catholic Charities has offices in Fort Wayne (Allen County), Auburn (DeKalb County), and South Bend (St. Joseph County), Indiana. In Fiscal Year 2022-2023, CCFWSB served over 21,000 individuals at a fiscally responsible rate of 88 cents of every dollar dedicated to client services. The agency’s mission is to serve all those in need as Christ calls us to do.