By Katie Patrick
When someone calls Catholic Social Services in need of financial assistance, it’s usually because, for one reason or another, they have fallen behind in rent or utilities. Many things can disrupt a household’s ability to pay the bills, including illness, job loss, or the unexpected death of a family member. Natural disasters such as a fire or flood can also affect a family’s financial independence, prompting them to seek temporary assistance.
When I took calls and processed requests at our Lincoln office, I remember many of these scenarios and the families that we were able to assist. However, there is one unique request that we have received several times in the past few years from our office in Hastings: financial assistance to pay for cranial helmets for infants and young children.
EXTRA EXTRA! There's too much #HopeintheGoodLife to share for just one newsletter issue. Read our October updates from across 24,000 square miles of southern Nebraska in our digital-only October edition.
By Naomi Beauclair
Immigration Legal Services Program Manager, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
“Welcome the stranger.”
This is our missional focus among the works of mercy for the immigration legal services team at CSS. While the immigration legal assistance we provide to the community could look like the social service rendered by any other local non-profit that is also certified by the Department of Justice to practice immigration law, welcoming the stranger “as Christ” calls the team to serve both the practical and spiritual needs of immigrants. It is simply not enough to file various applications successfully (like green cards and citizenship) to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
It’s coming back! After a year’s break, the Catholic Social Services Trivia Night in Imperial will be up for another night of fun and competition this fall. This year’s event is set for Friday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. MT, said Bill Sullivan, manager of the St. Isidore’s Gift & Thrift, a CSS outreach.
By Miranda Schumacher
Development Officer at CSS Hastings
It’s that time of year again—the air is cooling, leaves are beginning to change, and farmers are preparing for harvest. Harvest is a season of gratitude, when labor bears fruit and abundance is shared with family, friends, and neighbors. That same spirit of harvest is what we look forward to celebrating at our annual banquet, Bountiful Harvest.
By Ryan Patrick
CSS volunteer
I volunteered the other day at St. Louise Gift & Thrift in Lincoln. By that, I mean I told Katie I had some free time and she said “You should come to CSS, because I have things you can do!”
I wasn’t able to stay long, but I spent some time in the store room, helping to organize and put out some product, but I was easily distracted, walking around and looking at the shelves and stacks of goods waiting their turn for placement out front. I’m a nerd for history and nostalgia anyway, but I marveled at the books and games, glassware and furniture. The history these items have seen, and the love and enjoyment provided by their previous owners. Now, here they are waiting for their chance at a second life.
By Sr. Melissa Moxley
Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln
Advocate, St. Gianna Women’s Home
It has been a joy for us to be welcomed to the Catholic Social Services family as we begin our work for Jesus at St. Gianna Women’s Home. We have deep gratitude in our hearts for Sisters Bernadette, Karen, and Carol for paving the way for us here. We are grateful to Sister Bernadette and Sister Karen for helping the program to get started and for their many years of service to make this all possible. They truly are trail blazers! As we join Sister Carol in this mission, she has proved invaluable in leading us forward in this new apostolate and teaching us the ropes.
Welcome to our NEW(ish) Newsletter! We've expanded Hope in the Good Life to six pages of uplifting updates based on your valued feedback. Enjoy our first issue, and thanks for supporting HOPE IN THE GOOD LIFE!
In this episode, we sit down with the new leadership team at CSS Hastings—Jonathan, CSS Hastings Regional Director; his wife, Teresa, CSS Hastings St. Joseph Gift & Thrift Store Manager; and Miranda, our CSS Hastings Development Officer. Together, they share their passion for serving the community, the exciting transition into a new building that will expand CSS’s outreach, and what’s ahead for the annual Bountiful Harvest Celebration dinner this October. It’s a conversation full of hope, fresh beginnings, and a look at how CSS continues to bring Hope in the Good Life to southcentral Nebraska.
By John McDermott
Vice President, Marketing & Development
Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
One of the many things I love about working at Catholic Social Services is the opportunity to put a “Catholic take” on our fundraising and marketing efforts. For example, for years we have included an image of St. Anthony of Padua holding the child Jesus and the letters “S.A.G.” on the mailing panel of our newsletters. This practice dates back centuries, when Catholics would write “S.A.G.”—short for St. Anthony Guide—on the back of letters sent to loved ones, imploring the aid of St. Anthony to ensure they receive the correspondence. (Heads up: you can read more about the origins of this devotion in our newly redesigned newsletter “Hope in the Good Life” coming soon to a mailbox or inbox near you!)
