April 2016 - Catholic Charities West Michigan

Volunteer Voice
Updates of the Community Outreach Programs of Catholic Charities West Michigan
April 2016
10 Ways We are Catholic
Inside this issue:
Catholic Charities USA
1: Our ministry is rooted in the Scriptures.
Community Supported Agriculture
C4 Young Professionals
2
God’s Kitchen
Food and Pantry Programs
3
Employment
3
Faith In Action/
Volunteer Services
4
Sponsored Sites
4
Honor St Patrick Success
5
IMPORTANT DATES

2
1st Friday of Every Month: God’s
Kitchen (Grand Rapids) is closed.
by Rev. Fred Kammer, SJ
The work we do has its roots deep
in the Scriptures. In the Jewish
Scriptures, at the heart of the biblical concept of justice was the care
of the widow, orphan, and
stranger. Responding to their
needs was a special responsibility
of the Jewish people, and this justice was the gauge of whether
they understood their relationship
to God and to one another.
Ironically, the contemporary work
of Catholic Charities worldwide
continues to be primarily these
same groups: women who are
poor; children who are poor; and
individuals who are marginalized
because, literally, they are foreign
workers, immigrants and refugees,
they are racially different, or they
have a disability, HIV/AIDS, or
some other condition that sets
them apart. How these people are
treated tests our society’s justice,
and whether or not we understand that we are children of one
God who is passionately concerned for the least among us.
This was the teaching of Jesus as
well. In the famous judgment scene in Matthew 25, Jesus tells his
followers that the world will be
judged by how they treat him,
found among the hungry,
homeless, sick, imprisoned, and
poor. This teaching is reinforced
in the great scene in the 13th
chapter of the Gospel of John
when Jesus washes the feet of
his disciples and charges them
to do so for others. It is an expression of the servant model of
the Church underscored in the
teaching of the Second Vatican
Council.
Next Issue:
2: The ministry has been an
integral part of the Catholic
Church for 2,000 years.
Page 2
Volunteer Voice
Grow and Donate: Community Supported Agriculture
Spring is upon us; it’s time to grow!
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares are a
community-based model of local agriculture and food
distribution. One pays a seasonal fee for a “share”—
upon harvest, the shareholder receives an array of
vegetables that vary each
Farms vary in location, and produce from these shares
can be utilized with God’s Kitchen Food and Pantry
programming agency-wide.
Search for the CSA nearest you today!
“The earth, in fact, can produce enough to nourish all its inhabitants, on the condition that the rich countries do not
keep for themselves what belongs to all.”
Benedict XVI
Young Professionals: Join us for Happy Hour!
Join C4 Young Professionals at our FIRST happy hour event! This is a great opportunity to network with
other young professionals to learn about the opportunities and benefits of C4 membership and volunteering with CCWM.
Come check out the newest hotspot in town and network with new friends.
Thursday, April 7, 5:30PM
The Waldron Public House (Formerly McFaddens)
58 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/
events/1720099221571424/
Volunteer Voice
Page 3
Employment Opportunities with CCWM
As a volunteer, we value your participation as
we provide help and create hope.
Have you considered working with us? Check
out our career page for open positions:
ccwestmi.org/about-us/careers
Bowl Painting Parties
Host a bowl painting party for Catholic
Charities West
Michigan! Painted bowls are sold at our
Soup’s On! Events in Grand Rapids and
on the Lakeshore, benefiting our God’s
Kitchen Food and Pantry Programming.
We provide all supplies, you provide the
creativity!
Contact Jeff Hoyh
616-454-4110 or [email protected]
for more information.
Bowls featured at Soup’s On For All! 2016
Helpful Ways to Donate to God’s Kitchen

Hosting a "Pennies for Pounds" drive (Just $1 can provide 10 pounds of fresh food that we purchase from
local pantries at a discounted rate)

Research CSAs near you, and consider donating a share to God's Kitchen

Growing a garden at your church, club, organization, and donating the fresh produce

Buy a cow from an approved meat producer (a great need that we have is the purchase of protein-chicken, turkey, or beef-- and is our greatest expense aside from fresh or frozen produce.
Page 4
Volunteer Voice
Have you subscribed to the Faith In Action Newsletter?
Faith In Action is FREE and provides essential information
regarding the social justice activities of Catholic Charities
West Michigan and the Church as a whole. This includes:

Local Social Justice Events

Catholic Relief Services Updates

Catholic Campaign for Human Development Updates
Email Annie Rzepecki ([email protected]) and request to be added to the Faith In Action email newsletter
list!
Volunteer Services
Muskegon Food Pantry Volunteers, March 2016
Sponsored Sites
Our Lady of Consolation, Rockford
God's Kitchen is committed to
eliminating food insecurity
throughout the
Diocese of Grand Rapids by
partnering with these local
parishes
to provide local food options:
St. Charles Borromeo, Greenville
St. Joseph's, Belding
St. Michael, Remus
St. Mary's & St. Paul, Big Rapids
St. Thomas the Apostle, Muskegon
Food Pantry at St. Joseph's, Belding
Volunteer Voice
Page 5
Honor St. Patrick Success
$12,781.51 is headed to our Muskegon
Baby Pantry, courtesy of Fr. Matthew
Barnum and his “Honor Saint Patrick”
Fundraiser!
Fr. Matt with Tiffany Page, CCWM
Director of Community Outreach
Thank you to Fr. Matt and all who came to support!
“Do not abandon yourselves to
despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”
Saint John Paul II
On behalf of Catholic Charities
West Michigan, we wish you
and your families a blessed
Easter season!
Community Outreach Programs
Catholic Charities West Michigan
Mission Statement
Jeff Hoyh [email protected]
In the spirit of our Catholic tradition, we
lead our diverse communities with hope
and compassion by offering innovative,
collaborative programs.
Program Supervisor, God’s Kitchen Food
and Pantry Programs, Grand Rapids
Diana Musk [email protected]
Through our team of highly trained
employees, dedicated volunteers and
generous community, we deliver the
highest quality social services.
Program Manager, God’s Kitchen Food
and Pantry Programs, Lakeshore
Maggie Walsh [email protected]
Diocesan Director, CCHD / Program Coordinator, Project Rachel
Nicole D’Arcy [email protected]
Director, Foster Grandparents and Senior
Companion Program
Rebecca Ryan [email protected]
Volunteer and Donor Relations Specialist,
Catholic Charities West Michigan
Tiffany Page [email protected]
Director, Community Outreach Programs
of Catholic Charities West Michigan
Program Locations
Administration
God’s Kitchen
Lakeshore
Social Justice
Food & Pantry Programs
Food and Pantry Programs
Senior Corps
Project Rachel
We’re on the web!
ccwestmi.org
360 Division Ave S.
303 Division Ave S
1095 Third Street
Suite 3A
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Muskegon, MI 49441
Grand Rapids, MI 49503