Mission: Catholic charities stabilizes families in crisis by providing food at no cost at our daily bread food pantry. The agency operates two 24/7 shelters, one for the victims of domestic violence and one for homeless families. Also provided is utility assitance for low income families. Catholic charities strengthens families by providing counseling services at reduced fees, by providing day services for individuals who suffer from intellectual and developmental disabilities allowing them to stay in their family homes, by providing classes in healthy relationships, by providing foster grandparents who work in the school districts mentoring children, by providing the mount, a transitional housing for homeless families and survivors of domestic violence and in immigration services helping documented individuals and families.
Programs: Counseling - provide low-income individual family and marital counseling.
adult day services program - provide daily care and supervision for adults with intellectural and developmental disabilities; offer daily living, recreation, health counseling, and transportation to the center.
harbor house - provide temporary shelter, counseling, education, outreach and advocacy to women and children who are victims of domestic violence; outreach services extend to the district attorney's office, municipal court, and the wichita and el dorado, kansas, department of children and families.
other program services: foster grandparents, immigration services, the anthony family shelter, wellington services (in sumner county), the mount, and the help center and southeast kansas social services.
I have worked on the Advisory Board for the Shelters - St. Anthony Family Shelter and Harbor House (for domestic violence victims) for the past 7 years. The services provided by both shelters astound me in the way that they give tools to people in dire circumstances to overcome their circumstances and establish building blocks to attain a safe and better life for themselves and their families. They truly are an asset in sharing God's Love to the people in Kansas to make a better society for us all.
I am on the Advisory Council for the St. Anthony Family Shelter and the work that is done there is truly God's work and an inspiring way to help people get back on their feet.
One year ago my 3 year old son and I began serving meals at the St. Anthony's Family Shelter. We went two Tuesday's every month and assisted the kitchen cook. My son was 8 wks old when his father was in a tragic accident leaving us as a single parent family. We were blessed to be provided all of our needs over the next few years and I wanted to teach my son what it meant to give back. Our experience serving at the Shelter far exceeded what I ever imagined. We were a testimony to other single mom's there and gained so much personally by sharing the experience together as a mother and son. My son is 4 now and still recalls serving at the shelter. When I asked him the other day what serving meant to him, he responded, " I like serving at the shelter to help others." It's an experience to reach out to others in ways we may never fully realize the impact it will leave. Catholic Charities provides resources to families and individuals that need hope, love and grace.
I began serving on the advisory board for St Anthony Family Shelter, a Catholic Charities of Wichita supported organization, about 2 years ago. I have served on numerous civic and charitable organization boards over the years. I can honestly say that my experience with SAFS/CC has been the best of all. SAFS provides not only a temporary home for displaced families, it provides education and referrals to help families break out of the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. I feel very strongly that time, talent or money invested in SAFS/CC is an investment in helping families grow out of poverty.
