The power of community

The spirit of generosity and kindness embraced me early on in my tenure at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and reinforced my faith that I had found my home.

In 2010, just two short months after I began my job, my father passed away. I was still a new employee. My coworkers and I barely knew each other. I will never forget the moment I stepped into the room where my father’s funeral was held. Half of those in attendance were Catholic Charities staff. I felt such fellowship and care. I knew immediately this was no ordinary job. This was family.

I have been here ever since.

When people show up during life’s most devastating moments, you never forget. That commitment is the heart and soul of Catholic Charities. We have the privilege to stand with people through their struggles, to help light a path forward.

Generosity and kindness reach every corner of our work at Catholic Charities, and I am blessed to feel genuine awe at work every day.

Our clients amaze me. Many come to us in the most dire moments of their lives. They need emergency services: food, clothing or housing. Despite what they are going through, they are joyful and kind. They greet us with a smile. Many have stopped to pray for me. I consider it an honor to walk alongside them.

Our staff and volunteers are awe-inspiring. Navigating complex, ever-changing systems day after day can be challenging, particularly when our clients’ lives and livelihoods are at stake. Our team simply does not give up. They work tirelessly until they solve the problem at hand. They come to their jobs, to their purpose, with energy, courageous compassion, empathy and respect.

I am in awe of our partners, private and public, who share our sense of responsibility to help transform systems and mindsets. They are willing to analyze with us which programs and services are working best and where we can innovate to meet needs most effectively.

Across all that we do, the commitment to serve is unwavering, even when faced with adversity: through a pandemic, organizational changes, with limited resources. No matter what, our clients and communities trust that we will show up.

Seniors have always been near and dear to me. In fact, they were much of the reason I chose this vocation. Growing up, my family modeled service to our elders. We made sure my grandparents had consistent care. I was raised to value their wisdom and experience. For so many of us, particularly in the African American community, our elders built the foundation upon which we could rise.

From early in my career, when I worked as a care coordinator visiting seniors at home to help connect them with services, I knew working with seniors was my calling.

My team shares this deep commitment to seniors. An unexpected event last summer reinforced this, as well as the importance of partnership.

Our largest senior housing residence lost power after an intense summer storm. We mobilized immediately after 170 senior residents were at risk because of the power outage. Team members across our organization rallied, climbed flights of stairs in the dark and sweltering heat. We stayed for more than 12 hours and made sure every resident was safe and comfortable.

Outside agencies like the local mayor’s office and police and fire departments joined forces. City officials brought bottles of water, a generator and industrial fans to create a cooling center. Everyone came together, united in a shared purpose.

It was awe-inspiring to see our community come together to help. And that day was just one example of the courageous compassion that fuels our work  every day.

Every staff member and volunteer across our agency helps to provide essential support to individuals, women, children, seniors and families facing challenges like poverty, mental health issues and housing. Together, we help navigate difficult situations and provide access to resources. Our organization acts as a safety net for more than 370,000 vulnerable people every year.

We simply cannot do this work without partners like those who came together during that power outage, without our amazing team and without caring people like you. Collaboration helps us to work smart and enables us to pool resources, share expertise to address complex issues and improve how we coordinate services, all of which leads to better outcomes for individuals facing challenging circumstances.

At Catholic Charities, every day in the work we do and the people who do it, I am reminded that we are here to help. We are here to take care of one another. Time and again, I have been awed witnessing the power of community. When we show up together with love and a desire to serve, we are unstoppable.