Thursday May 5 (tomorrow): Help us keep homeless shelters open!

Just passing on an urgent and quick note about an action step we need your help with tomorrow. The Mayor's proposed budget for 2012 has a $20.5 million funding hole that could leave the emergency shelters for men and women who are single and homeless out on the street.

The Washington Legal Clinic has the full break down here if you need more information. But please, please call your council member tomorrow, May 5, between 9 am and noon and ask them to keep the 2012 funding levels at the same level as last year. In the single adult emergency shelters operated by Catholic Charities, more than 9,000 people seek safety and a place to sleep each year.

Without your help, these shelters may run out of funding by April of 2012! Please stand with us!

Contact for Council:
724-8032 or kbrown@dccouncil.us
Vincent Orange (soon to be at-large) 529-1962 or vo40@aol.com or action@orangeatlarge.com
David Catania (at-large) 724-7772 or dcatania@dccouncil.us
Phil Mendelson (at-large) 724-8064 or pmendelson@dccouncil.us
Michael Brown (at-large) 724-8105 or mbrown@dccouncil.us
Jim Graham (Ward 1) 724-8181 or jim@grahamwone.com
Jack Evans (Ward 2) 724-8058 or Jackevans@dccouncil.us
Mary Cheh (Ward 3) 724-8062 or mcheh@dccouncil.us
Muriel Bowser (Ward 4) 724-8052 or mbowser@dccouncil.us
Harry Thomas, Jr. (Ward 5) 724-8028 or hthomas@dccouncil.us
Tommy Wells (Ward 6) 724-8072 or twells@dccouncil.us
Yvette Alexander (Ward 7) 724-8068 or yalexander@dccouncil.us
Marion Barry (Ward 8 ) 724-8045 or mbarry@dccouncil.us
Jen Budoff, Council Budget Director 724-8139 or jbudoff@dccouncil.us

Catholic Charities President and CEO Ed Orzechowski announces new leadership

Rev. Msgr. John J. Enzler

This announcement from Catholic Charities President and CEO Ed Orzechowski was sent directly to our donors on Monday, May 2.  We are very excited for Ed as he transitions into retirement--but we are equally excited to welcome Msgr. Enzler as the next generation of leadership for our organization.


Dear Friends,

I want to share some great news with you. Last week, both the Catholic Charities and Catholic Charities Foundation Boards unanimously approved the next President and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington: Reverend Monsignor John J. Enzler.

Many of you already are familiar with the significant impact Msgr. Enzler has had on our community. I have personally known him for many years - he is the perfect choice to lead the next chapter of Catholic Charities’ incredible history here in the Washington-metropolitan region.

A native Washingtonian, Msgr. Enzler has more than 40 years of experience as a priest, leader and advocate serving the needs of the most vulnerable in our community. Msgr. Enzler has long been involved in the work of Catholic Charities, having served on the Catholic Charities Foundation Board of Directors and on our Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute Advisory Council.

Throughout the District and Maryland, Msgr. Enzler has had a lasting impact on our community through his leadership in many organizations that provide housing, health care, support for those with disabilities, assistance to immigrants and refugees, guidance to children and youth and immediate help to families in crisis. He was a founding member of Action in Montgomery, Inc., an interfaith network for social and economic change in Montgomery County. He is an active member of the Washington Interfaith Network and a Prince George’s County interfaith network. He has served on both local and national boards including Christ Child Society, Providence Hospital, Potomac Community Resources, SOAR, Shepherd Foundation, Victory Housing, Mount St. Mary’s University and Order of Malta among others.

In his priestly ministry, he has served at a number of parishes throughout the Archdiocese, including St. Jane de Chantal and Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, and as pastor of three parishes, Mt. Calvary in Forestville, Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac and most recently at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, DC. A month-long period he spent working side-by-side with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta has inspired, affirmed and driven his work locally.

Msgr. Enzler will begin his tenure in July. Of course, I will assist with the transition until my planned retirement date in January. But as I write today, I could not be more excited for the future of Catholic Charities, for our great staff who dedicate their lives to service and especially for the people who turn to us every day seeking help and hope.

Yours truly,


Ed Orzechowski
President and CEO
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington

My Brother’s Keeper: Through a new garden, two brothers help each other and educate a community

Taylor Fairbanks (center right) hands gardening
gloves to a Community Companions student. His
mother, Amy (center), and his brother,
Douglas (center left) helped plant the garden.

Taylor Fairbanks had a great idea for an Eagle Scout Project. Why not work with the staff and kids of our Kennedy Institute’s Community Companions program to plant an urban garden?

For almost two months, he’s worked endlessly to plan, fund and execute his project – building a garden that can be enjoyed by kids with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities. The project is part of his journey to become an Eagle Scout, the highest honor of the Boy Scouts of America. But his real reason for involvement with Kennedy is far more personal – his little brother Douglas. Douglas, 13, was born with autism and spends his weekdays with the teachers and staff at our Community Companions program in Rockville learning and playing.

Through the garden project, Taylor hopes to make an important point: Kids living with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities can and do make valuable contributions to society. In the process, he hopes to teach them more about life, responsibility, and healthy eating – and reinforce Kennedy’s existing curriculum of inclusion and learning.

"I think that he's responsible to care for his own plants, just like all people with autism. This is a great way for Douglas and his classmates to learn more about growing plants and taking care of something," Taylor said.

Taylor and Douglas help Community Companion
students plant tomatoes and green peppers.

It all culminated early this week when the kids got their hands dirty churning soil and transplanting potted plants into their new vegetable garden.  And from the looks of it, you can expect this summer's salad to be loaded with delicious, juicy tomatoes and ripe green peppers. Local nurseries and home improvement stores donated a bulk of the garden supplies, including the plants. Taylor, his parents and a number of moms and dads of the Boy Scout troop contributed more plants and helped prepare the plots.

The troop upped the wow factor of the plot by constructing cedar garden boxes, filling them with soil, and installing a bench and flower pots just a few feet away, where kids, parents and teachers can now read a book or chat near the garden.  An impressive harvest is sure to follow later this summer.

Amy Fairbanks, Taylor's mother, explained that "this is a great way to show citizenship in the community. These kids are ready to take care of something, to watch it grow into new life."

Amy added, "At the same time, we're informing people. So many people don’t know a lot about autism. We're offering them a glimpse into the lives of people who are living with autism or are experiencing another kind of intellectual developmental disability." 

This project represents a wonderful way for our kids to learn how they can contribute, and it's an equally wonderful way our neighbors can learn about our kids and their lives. The message is perfect for a program like Community Companions that focuses on empowerment and inclusion. So a big shout out from The Open Door Blog and the Kennedy Institute to Taylor and his awesome vision and for including us in his Eagle Scout project.  

Now, if you don't mind, pass the salad?

In observance of Arbor Day and National Autism Awareness Month, we invite you to learn more about Community Companions and our other programs that provide support to individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities--and we encourage you to support important learning activities like these. To learn more about how you can donate materials to maintain our garden, contact Brennan Gamwell at brennan.gamwell@catholiccharitiesdc.org.

Be sure to check out more pictures of our urban garden on Catholic Charities' Facebook page.

Legal Network brings equal access to justice to all

Attorney Robert Zink of Covington & Burling, LLP,
advises client Sharon Holquin in an unemployment
dispute. Through the Archdiocesan Legal Network,
dozens of attorneys like Robert provide pro bono legal
aid to thousands of people each year.

On intake days at our Archdiocesan Legal Network, Jim Bishop greets our clients with a caring smile.  Helping them gives him a sense of purpose and renewed motivation.  An attorney of 25 years, Jim has dedicated his life to giving low-income families access to sound legal help or advice they may not otherwise be able to afford.  Every day, Jim and other attorneys like him bridge the gap between inequality and justice for so many of our neighbors.

Jim Bishop delivers an address to attendees of
Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Charities of the
Archdiocese of Washington's annual Dr. Martin Luther
Mass at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church in the District.
Jim says that sharing his faith at gatherings like this
is one of the most rewarding parts of working at
Catholic Charities.

As the economic slump continues, the work of the Legal Network is more relevant than ever, according to Jim.  “We’ve seen a huge uptick in clients and a change in the type of clients who seek our help. More and more people are coming in having been laid off, are struggling with credit card debt or are fighting former employers for withholding compensation or benefits.”

Intake days are the days attorneys in our Legal Network review new client civil cases – the Legal Network does not handle criminal matters.  Many of these cases are referred to volunteers within our network of more than 500 pro bono attorneys, who advise clients on issues ranging from landlord/tenant disputes to family law to benefits issues.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, and every other Wednesday, volunteer attorneys from law firms across the region come to staff intake at our 924 G St. location, meeting one-on-one to listen to client’s needs and asses how the Legal Network can help.

 “Many of our clients have never spoken with a lawyer before, and everything they know about our profession comes from television. So it is our job to help them feel comfortable, and most importantly, listen to what they have to say,” Jim said.

May Wall, an attorney with Winston & Strawn in Washington, DC, volunteers at least 25 hours a year helping low-income families facing legal issues.  “It makes what I see on the street every day so much more real,” May said.  While May specializes in environmental law and typically works with corporate clients, she said that the opportunity to serve at Catholic Charities gives her a glimpse at “real life,” the hardships that so many of our neighbors face and that are so often ignored by the community.

Winston & Strawn, like dozens of law firms throughout the District, Maryland and Virginia, encourage all of their associates to reach out a helping hand to our neighbors in need, incorporating a strong pro bono component into their organizational culture. 

And it pays off.  Last year, our volunteer attorneys opened 696 cases and conducted 14 law-related education seminars for more than 400 people in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The value of their time donated to the Legal Network is estimated at over $10 million.

For Jim, his career with the Legal Network is a place where his Catholic faith and professional skills intersect perfectly. “We try to shine the Lord’s light in the darkness,” Jim said. “We use this light to help people make good legal decisions and to move on with their lives.”

The Archdiocesan Legal Network needs you! Learn more about how you or other associates from your law firm can provide a helping hand to our neighbors. Visit us on the Web at http://www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/aln, or contact Jim Bishop, Senior Program Manager, at (202) 772-4300.

Welcome to the McCarrick Center: Building a Patient-Centered Medical Home

On Monday, we celebrated two major milestones at our Spanish Catholic Center medical clinics. First, we moved our Langley Park clinic into a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in the Wheaton/ Silver Spring neighborhood. And as if that wasn’t enough, we also upgraded all of our medical and dental clinics to electronic health records. Whew!

“The goal of our new clinic and our electronic medical records is to be even more patient-centered,” said Dr. Marguerite Duane, medical director at the Spanish Catholic Center.  From the clinic layout to the cutting-edge tools now available to our staff, everything is about giving our patients, mostly uninsured and low-income individuals, the medical care that they deserve. While our old location in Langley Park served us well for many years, our new facility was designed to be even more accessible to patients, from the entrances to specially-equipped exam rooms. We also have an on-site room which can handle minor surgical procedures in-house!

The new office is located at 12247 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md., where we already offer a dental clinic, health and education program, food and clothing distributions and an immigration legal services office.  The addition of a new medical clinic on-site makes it easier for our clients to receive the comprehensive, holistic care we seek to offer each and every one of our neighbors who comes to us for help.

The addition of Electronic Health Records (EHR for short) brings all of our clinics – including our two dental clinics – online where doctors at multiple offices can update patient charts in real time and access the same information. By the end of the month, dentists will be able to see medications, allergies and any pre-existing patient conditions. In turn, doctors will be able to see any medications prescribed by the dentists.

EHR systems go a long way toward streamlining information sharing in medical offices, allowing our clinics to interface with other e-records systems, such as the DC immunization registry and the Regional Health Information Exchange Organization (DC RHIO), which will allow Catholic Charities to share patient information with other clinics and hospitals if our clients seek medical care at a different facility.

For our patients, this means far less paperwork each visit – something everyone is a fan of.

The Spanish Catholic Center’s medical clinics provide services to more than 5,000 patients from around the world through about 17,000 individual appointments every year.  We are proud to offer top-of-the-line, comprehensive services in our community, and we’d like to thank you for your support as we continue to do good for our neighbors.

Pictured above: Our very first patient receives a medical examination from clinic staff members.  Below: All-new exam rooms boast state-of-the-art medical equipment.

A seat at the (dinner) table: fighting food insecurity at Catholic Charities

Thousands of our neighbors—including thousands of children—go to bed hungry every single night.  According to the Capital Area Food Bank, nearly one in six of our neighbors in the District doesn’t have enough food to eat.  In short, thousands of mothers, fathers and caregivers can’t afford to buy enough food to feed their families.

Over the past two weekends, generous volunteers from our parishes and schools collected canned foods through Share in Hope, an archdiocesan food drive designed to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank, the Southern Maryland Food Bank and the dozens of community-based food pantries operated by Catholic parishes and Catholic Charities programs. 

“Hunger is becoming an increasingly salient issue in our community,” said Teresa Volante, senior program manager for Parish Partners. Parish Partners coordinates the Share in Hope drive each year.  “Simply remembering to purchase a little extra healthy food when you do your own shopping at the grocery store is a quick and easy way to help those who are in need.”

According to this article from the Washington Post, nearly ten percent of people in the Washington region are food insecure.

That’s far too many. Aside from The Share in Hope Food Drive, here are other ways Catholic Charities recently has been helping hungry families:

On March 15 food distributor Goya marked its 75th anniversary by pledging more than a million pounds of food to organizations in more than 12 cities around the country.  Locally, Goya distributed 75,000 pounds of food to local area pantries through its Goya Gives campaign at the Capital Area Food Bank last week.  Food pantries at our Montgomery County Family Center and Spanish Catholic Center accepted 1,000 pounds of Goya rice, beans and hot sauce.  And all that yummy food packing the shelves goes a long way toward feeding local families seeking help through Catholic Charities.

Brenda DiCarlo, the Program Manager at our Southern Maryland Food Bank, is also familiar with the difficulties many families face when looking for a healthy meal.

“It’s up to providers in Southern Maryland to step up and meet the growing demand for affordable, healthy food,” Brenda said.  In response, she’s coordinated the 3^rd Annual Southern Maryland Hunger Conference, bringing together dozens of providers of free or low-cost food as a way to share resources and strategies as more and more families come to pantries, food kitchens and shelters looking for a meal.

Last year, the Southern Maryland Food Bank distributed 655,199 pounds of food to 25 local pantries, group homes, soup kitchens and shelters across Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland.  That’s a 72 percent increase from the previous year! More than 35,000 people received emergency food thanks to the support of Brenda and the Food Bank.   The Food Bank always needs volunteers and extra canned foods.  Learn how you can contribute.

Our SHARE Food Network distributes a whopping 130,000 food packages each year across the region, saving customers of all backgrounds $3 million on their grocery bill.  SHARE’s innovative system guarantees reduced food costs for buyers by making monthly bulk purchases from food wholesalers and depending on volunteers to help keep overhead very low.   The more buyers there are, the more volunteers can help package and distribute food.  And that means affordable food for everyone.  If you haven’t been to a SHARE Food distribution day (they happen every third week of the month), you really need to see this incredible effort in motion – great volunteer opportunity!

And remember, food is something we all need year-round, not just during holidays or Lent, so donate a can today, or give one of our programs a call to see how you can help!

Pictured above: Volunteers at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Derwood, Md., load up donations during last weekend's Share in Hope collection.

Our Spanish Catholic Center Gala brings in a record $720,000!

We are really, really, really excited to report that on Saturday night, the annual Spanish Catholic Center Gala raised a record $720,000! It was a smashing evening, to say the least, as Gala Chair Franco Nuschese (CEO of Georgetown Media and owner of the famous Café Milano in Georgetown) pulled out all of the stops to support the Spanish Catholic Center. The Gala was hosted by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington.

All proceeds from the evening go directly to the programs serving low-income Latinos and immigrants who have come to our community seeking a better future. The Spanish Catholic Center, a program of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, worked with more than 42,000 people last year.

The black-tie event (so fancy!) was held at the Organization of American States, located across from the White House Ellipse. The evening of dinner and dancing was highlighted by a first-time live auction for three dream vacation trips to Italy, organized by Nuschese. With a professional auctioneer leading the way, the auction raised $120,000 on the spot to support the medical and dental clinics, job training programs, emergency food assistance and many other services offered by the Spanish Catholic Center.

“I consider it an honor to have been chosen to head the gala, which is involved in so many important programs to help the Latino and other communities,” said Nuschese. “These are services that make life better for those who come to America seeking a brighter future for their families and themselves.”

The staff at the Spanish Catholic Center provide holistic care in a way that is culturally competent. Our staff come from countries around the world, and many of them are bilingual. So they understand that often clients face not one or two needs, but many as they strive to overcome poverty.

Cardinal Wuerl presented awards to three honorees: Michele Burke Bowe, Daniel Flores, who accepted on behalf of all clients served by the Center and Dr. William Battle, who accepted on behalf of the Archdiocesan Health Care Network.

As Daniel Flores accepted the award, it was a particularly touching moment as he had once received assistance through the Spanish Catholic Center. Today, he has a career working in the nonprofit sector and is a donor back to the Spanish Catholic Center – evidence of what is possible with opportunity. He accepted the award on behalf of all clients served by the Center, in recognition of their courage and the inspiration they provide to others.

Michele Burke Bowe has been a long-time volunteer, leader and supporter of the Spanish Catholic Center and Catholic Charities. The Archdiocesan Health Care Network, also a Catholic Charities program, is a network of 200 doctors and specialists who provide their care to low-income patients at no cost.

Learn more about the Spanish Catholic Center.

More media coverage in the Georgetown Dish.