Grab Your Running Shoes and Get Ready

Believe it or not, spring is on it’s way . . . and race season is starting.  We have a great way for you to get outdoors, get some exercise, and help two great causes at the same time.  

Saturday March 24th will be the 5th Annual Running of The Shamrock, one of the first 5K races of the season.  The event, which benefits both The Ark and Hackett Catholic Central, is a fun way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with your family.  According to Race Director Steve Clark,

 ”We are excited to support The Ark — it’s a natural partner for us and has a common mission to Hackett.  Both organizations are dedicated to developing strong kids and we are pleased to work together.” 

So what can you expect if you decide to “do” The Shamrock?  Not only can you wear green and all of your Irish accessories, but the luck of the Irish will bring a great award for the top three finishers.  The race starts at Hackett Catholic Central High School (1000 West Kilgore) at 9 AM and, if you register before the race, you are guaranteed a stylish T-shirt (see above).  The event is also part of the Kalamazoo Area Runners Race Series and all KAR members are eligible for a discount when registering.

Not a runner?  Not a problem!  You can run, walk, or jog . . . this is truly an every that everyone can start and finish, and have a great time while doing so.  It’s also a great way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with your family . . . either by doing the 5 K or the special Fun Run on Friday night (March 23).   This one-mile run begins at 6 PM and all participants get both a T-shirt and a ribbon.  It’s a great first step toward fitness for a great cause!

If you are interested . . .  we invite you to check out this link to register and get more information.  If you want to participate but not as a runner/walker, you can sign up to volunteer instead.  You can also e-mail the Race Director, Steve Clark, at shamrockrun@csgk.org to learn more.  We hope to see you on March 24th, getting fit and having fun for a great cause!

“Little” Things Make a Huge Difference

It’s been another week full of blessings here at Catholic Family Services, with caring members of our community coming up with creative ways to help our clients on their journey toward self-sufficiency and positive change.  We wanted to take a moment and thank them for their unique ways of helping — many of which may seem “little” or “insignificant” at the time.  Out of every act of generosity comes an impact that you may never know . . . and each is greatly appreciated!

This past Sunday was Superbowl Sunday.  More than a game, the Superbowl is synonymous with great food and celebrations.  St Thomas More and St Joseph’s youth groups were getting together to do just that — eat some great food and hang out.  Yet, in the midst of their fun, they chose to remember the youth staying at The Ark.  They prepared extra food — delicious Mexican food — and made sure that Ark residents had something yummy to gnosh on during the game. 

It may seem like a small thing, but it was a touch of normalcy in the midst of chaos and life-changing work for Ark Residents and every delicious bite was appreciated!  Shown here are two youth group members making the delicious food and youth group leaders Molly and Jerry Mechtenberg.

St. Monica students from Mrs. Martin’s second grade class also did their part to make the lives of our clients a bit more comfortable and healthy.  They collected personal care items during Catholic Schools week.  Below, Anthony Signorello, Ethan Warren, Joseph Clark, and Connor Meadmore pose with just some of the many items given to help Caring Network, Ark Services for Youth, and Baraga Manor residents.

“Personal care items can be expensive to buy.  We’re to thankful to schools like St. Monica who support our mission of helping those in need,” said Jeannine Boehm, Volunteer Coordinator at Caring Network.  Mrs Martin’s class also collected socks which will be donated to the Gospel Mission.

 

In both of these projects, normal people decided to go above and beyond, sharing from their bounty to make the lives of others better.  Neither project may seem huge, but the way they will impact our clients lives — just by showing them that there is someone out there who cares enough about them to make this effort — is huge.  If you would like to reach out and change a life, we would be more than happy to work with you . . . and you can be creative in the process!  Just give Jeannine a call at 269-381-1234.

The Power to Change A Life

There are so many wonderful things to say about those who give of their time and talents to support Catholic Family Services. Indeed, it’s only the beginning of February and we have dozens of people to thank for their support this year – and through that support, we are blessed to watch lives change. We’d like to highlight the dedication and support of a few of those volunteers here. Perhaps their stories will inspire you to make a difference for, as Thoreau so eloquently put it:

“One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.”

Last week (and again this week) an unlikely group of volunteers came together to make The Ark Cottages ready for its new tenants. The Ark Cottages will be the first safe and stable housing these homeless youth have experienced in a long time (perhaps in their entire lives). These volunteers wanted to make sure these homes were as comfortable as possible. They moved furniture, organized the units, assembled furniture and cleaned. This week the same group is coming together to assemble the last furnishings — dinettes and chairs — so that youth have a nice place to eat and work when they move in next week. Three of the volunteers, Louis Boehm, Dan Bannigan, and Sean Wilson, are seniors at Hackett Catholic High School.  Ron Williams and his children, Turner and Caelyn, have known about the project and generously supported it since its inception. Each saw a specific need and gave a few hours to make this happen; the impact will be lifelong!

This week is Catholic Schools Week and three area schools have been generous supporters of Catholic Family Services for many years. Students make baby blankets, adopt clients and their families for the holidays, help with landscaping and The Ark Garden, and reach out to meet our clients’ needs in so many ways. We chose to attend these schools and present their staff and students with a certificate recognizing their ongoing support, a humble way to say thanks for their commitment and engagement with our agency. On Monday, staff travelled to Hackett Catholic High School, St Monica’s School, and St Augustine’s school. We were able to meet with school administrators and students and let them know how much we appreciate what they do for our agency. These photos capture just a portion of our gratitude for this service!

Perhaps you have considered volunteering for Catholic Family Services or at another location in the community. You may feel inadequate, wondering what you can offer and what you can do. These amazing volunteers are proof that every single person has something to offer and can be a contributing member of their community, working for positive change.  According to Dr Martin Luther King Junior,

“Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering opportunities at Catholic Family Services, please contact Jeannine Boehm at 269-381-1234. Our clients and our community would love to meet you!

Get Cooking With The Ark

Ark your kitchen items getting a little old? 

Do you need some new tools to help you be a culinary artist? 

We have a great opportunity for you to help The Ark stock its kitchen while getting yourself the latest gadgets and tools to make delectable cuisine:

The Ark is having a Pampered Chef Party!

Time:  7:oo PM    

Date:  February 7, 2012

Location:  Van Domelen Center (1441 South Westnedge, Kalamazoo MI 49008)

You can come to the party, enjoy delicious snacks and get great ideas to take home and use in your own kitchen.  Every order you place for your own amazing kitchen gadgets will also benefit The Ark as 20% of your total purchase will be credited to The Ark for staff to use to purchase supplies for The Ark’s kitchen. 

If you are able to attend the Pampered Chef Party, staff will have a “Wish List” of needed items that you can select from and purchase for The Ark as well.

If you can’t attend the party, you can always order online before the event (see instructions below) and 20% of your purchase will still benefit The Ark.

If you have any questions, please call Melinda Andrews, Ark Senior Case Manager, at   269-720-3716.

To order online:

• Go to www.pamperedchef.biz/bethericksen
• Click “shop online” in the upper right corner.
• Enter “the ark” or “melinda andrews” in the fields under the first options (shop under a show/host).
• Orders of $60.00-$99.99 will qualify for one free gift (from a choice of two).
• Orders of $100.00 or more qualify for one free gift    (from a choice of four).
• If you qualify for a free gift, click on “guest special” on the left of the shopping page for details and to select the gift.

Check out our January eNewsletter!!!

Wisdom of The Ages

The new year is exactly that — still new — and there are dozens of opportunities to make positive and intentional changes in your life.  So what tried and true pieces of advice can help you navigate the new year?  While this list is far from comprehensive, we have some excellent tips that have survived the tests of time.  Gathered from diverse sources, these tips can help make you the kind of person you want to be:

• Don’t be afraid of the phrase “I don’t know.”  If you don’t know the answer, don’t try to bluff.  If you’re at fault, take the blame.  If you’re wrong, apologize.  A wise person once said, “If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember anything.”
• Never gossip.  If some wants to gossip with you, politely say that you’re not interested.  When someone gossips, two lives are hurt — the person being talked about and the person doing the talking.
• No task is beneath you.  Don’t think you are above anything.  Be the good example and pitch in — especially if the job is one that nobody wants to do.
• Share the credit whenever possible.  People who spread credit around look much stronger than those who take all the credit themselves.
• Ask for help.  If you think you’re in over your head, you are.  Before it gets out of hand, ask someone for help.  Most people enjoy giving a hand.  Besides saving yourself from embarrassment, you’ll make a friend and an ally.
• When you don’t like someone, don’t let it show.  Never burn bridges or offend others as you move through life.  What good does it do you to have them know you don’t like them?
• Let it go.  What shouldn’t happen often does: you didn’t get what you wanted.  Be gracious and diplomatic and move on.  Harboring a grudge over something you can’t change will never get you anywhere.
• When you’re right, don’t gloat.  The only time you should ever use the phrase “I told you so” is if someone says to you, “You were right.  I really could do that well.”

If you would like some personalized help — some one-on-one support as you commit to change — call our Bridges Outpatient Mental Health Program and schedule an appointment.   Our experienced staff can be the support you need to be the person you want to be.  We can be reached at 269-381-1234.

Starting Off the New Year Right: Building Awareness

You may or may not know it . . . but Catholic Family Services is an agency that provides diverse services to diverse people across a large (nine county) area.  We are a lot of difference things to a lot of different people, depending on how they interface with our agency.  Yet most would benefit from knowing all (or more) of the things we do and how they can become involved.  This is the perfect opportunity for a New Year’s Resolution — or a goal — for Catholic Family Services for 2012.

2012 will be our year of AWARENESS . . . seeking to reach out to our community — not just to tell them about us, but also to learn about you and how we can best meet your needs and partner with you for the good of the community.  Look for some innovative marketing strategies, using new tools to reach out to you in new ways.  We also realize that your feedback in this process is crucial to its success . . . and to that end, we are asking a few questions:

• What do you know about Catholic Family Services and the work we do?

• How do you “interact” with Catholic Family Services?  Do you follow us on Facebook?  Check out our website periodically?  Stop by or meet with our staff?

• How would you LIKE to interact with us?  How can we provide you with information and resources in a better manner?  What would you like to see us do differently in this area in 2012?

Thanks so much for your time, thoughts, and responses and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you from Catholic Family Services.

New Year with New Opportunities — Young Ladies of Worth Groups

It’s new year and a time for positive changes.  We’re offering an opportunity tailor-made for young ladies who want to have help making important changes in their lives.  Check out this information and contact Jennie at the Van Domelen Center (269-381-1234) to learn more.  If you’d like individualized counseling or supports as you make plans for 2012, we can help you with personalized and goal-oriented counseling.  Give us a call and let us help you!  Happy New Year!

Fire Trucks, Cookies, and Supporters . . . Oh My!

Catholic Family Services hosted its Christmas Open House on December 20th at the Van Domelen center, bringing clients, donors, volunteers, and staff together to celebrate this amazing season.  We were so happy that so many people came out! 

Like every event this Season, we have been overwhelmed by the amazing support of our community.  Our clients have been showered with blessings and joy — at it has been a Merry (pre) Christmas!  A few highlights and photos from the open house are below: 

The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety surprised and delighted attendees by sending one of their fire trucks to the event.  Clients and staff alike were given a chance tour the truck and ask questions.  As you can see from the photo, Executive Director Fran Denny enjoyed the occasion almost as much as the kids who got a chance to sit in the driver’s seat.  A special thanks to Mike Schulte (husband of CFS staffer Laurie Schulte) for arranging the surprise.

A family decided to honor a beloved family member with a generous donation to Catholic Family Services.  This amazing man had literally met individuals released from jail at midnight to assist them with whatever they needed to make a positive choice — transportation, clothes, etc.  The donation will be used to celebrate his spirit by setting up a fund for youth in crisis, impacting dozens of youth in meaningful ways for years to come.  His family was in attendance at the Christmas Open House and were presented with a special plaque to commemorate their donation.  Catholic Family Services Board and Staff are so grateful for this generous gift and look forward to witnessing its impact for years to come.

It was a wonderful event and a wonderful way to cap off an amazing season:

• More than 60 families and individuals were adopted by the community, who showered them with personalized gifts chosen with love.
• Lori Moore and her “Potluck Pals” selected The Ark as a partner this year — and more than 300 cookbooks were sold with 100% of proceeds going to benefit the shelter.
• Amazing volunteers and donors came together to provide and move furnishings into The Ark Cottages and the Caring Network Apartments, making warm and cozy homes for clients this Christmas and in years to come.
• We have been generously supported by our community through donations in a time of economic challenge, and we are so thankful for that support!
• Every day we hear marvelous stories of client successes — all of them a result of community support, personal commitment to change, and the caring work of our case managers and front line staff.  It’s why we do what we do!

Merry Christmas!  We wish you much joy and many blessings! 

The best is yet to come . . . 

                                   

Houses Become Homes

Yesterday was a busy day at Catholic Family Services thanks to a very generous donation and some amazing volunteers from Art Van.  We were given 15 complete hotel rooms — with beautiful furniture — to complete the Ark Cottages units and update the Kalamazoo Caring Network apartments.  The day required a lot of flexibility, patience, and physical strength and our volunteers had all three.  As a result, the Ark Cottages are now homes — ready to receive youth and provide them with safe and stable housing.

The generous donation allowed us to equip each unit with a bed, side table, desk, armoire and television, two lounge chairs and a side table, as well as mirrors and other items.  The volunteers helped us to get the items in the unit and more volunteers came back today to add the finishing touches — assembling items, organizing, unpacking dishes and towels, and making the units ready for “move in.”  It was quite the Christmas blessing and we are so thankful for everyone who came together to make it happen.  Check out these pictures and let us know what you think!