"Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me."
At the very core of what it means to be a Catholic Christian is the concern for others and care for His creation.
You are invited to join in this effort by sharing your own time and God-given talents.
We are called to live out the SEVEN THEMES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING. Our Human Concerns committees and activities exist to live out these principles. Perhaps you, like many of us, have been life-long Catholics, but have not heard of these key seven principles. Do yourself a favor by exploring them. By clicking below, you will find a summary, and links to learning even more in depth.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching.
First Fruits grants are a result of the cluster giving the first 1.5% of what we collect on weekly basis into a restricted account. The funds are disbursed to local, regional and international 501c3 charities. The amount of the grant varies depending on the charities ability to garner funds from other resources and the funds we have available.
Human Concerns Outreach Grant Proposals June 2019
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Humanitarian Respite Center 700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd. San Juan, TX 78589 956-7024088
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley helps immigrants that have just been released from a detention center and are traveling to family in the United States. It is a welcoming place for them while they await confirmation of their asylum request. The center provides food, clothing medical help before they travel to their families.
Repairers of the Breach 1335 W. Vliet St. Milwaukee, WI 53205 414-342-9323
Their mission is to assist and empower homeless people. They provide a resource center, medical services on site, art therapy, clothing a warming room and food for at risk men and women.
UCC Congregational Church Whitewater Unites Lives Mission 133 S. Franklin St. Whitewater, WI 5319
Mary Sue Reutebuch is a volunteer with this organization that will provide 1,015 lunches to 145 needy children this summer in the Whitewater area.
Charity: Water 40 Worth Street Suite 330 New York, New York 10013
663 million people live without clean water. Many live in isolated rual areas and spend hours walking to collect water for their families keeping kids out of school and taking time parents could use to earn money, but the water often carries diseases that make them sick. This charity works with local experts and community members to find the best sustainable solution in each place they work determining if a well, a piped system a BioSand Filter or a system for harvesting rainwater is the best option. The coordinate sanitation and hygiene training as well to make sure everything is sustainable for years to come.
SVDP of St. Joan of Arc/St. Catherine’s
Human Concerns Outreach Grant Report January 2019
Works of Mercy Ministry
This ministry is the continuation of the Archdiocesan efforts to provide summer camp opportunities for those with special needs. This ministry group has expanded their outreach to this population of people through collaborating with the Carmelite Sisters in Wauwatosa. Plans are to to build a community where 15 women who are independent and ambulatory will live and grow to their potential. In addition, a Formation Center is being designed to serve hundreds of men and women with special needs to enrich their intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual lives. This summer they will hold the 51st Summer Camp for those with special needs. Frs. Don Thimm and Al Veik are the co-directors of this ministry.
Delafield Presbyterian Church
Delafield Presbyterian will hold a Soul Shop Conference on March 28, 2019 to train ordained and lay ministers as well as anyone else interested in working with those who are suicidal and the aftermath of death by suicide. This is an ecumenical effort with Christ the King Lutheran, Delafield Presbyterian and St. Joan of Arc. The purpose of this conference is to equip congregations to minister to those impacted by suicidal desperation and their families and friends. These funds will be used to help defray the costs of this timely conference.
Lake Area Free Clinic
LAFC is located in Oconomowoc and serves those who are uninsured low-income residents of Waukesha County with dental care. They rely on funds given through donations and grants to provide this service. Since opening in 2018, they have over 8,000 clients.
Kayla Billington
Kayla is a 28-year-old registered nurse at Children’s Hospital. She regularly travels to Uganda where she volunteers in a local nonprofit hospital providing medical care for children. She works tirelessly to provide any kind of medical treatment for those in need using her own funds. Her efforts extend beyond medical needs and is now trying to raise funds in the States in order to build a home for a family. Kayla spoke to the parents in our Family Program, to our Youth and to parishioners at large. No one walked away without being touched by her story of serving the least of God’s children in Uganda.
Coming Together to Get Ahead
Coming Together to Get Ahead initiatives seek to reduce poverty. The program guides individuals to financially self-sustaining lifestyles. It also seeks to garner support for community-wide efforts to remove barriers that burden individuals' efforts to move from poverty. Seminars, workshops and mentoring are the tools used to create this change. The funds requested will go towards the first Spanish-speaking program. Gene and Carol Mauer have been instrumental in the creation and implementation of this vital piece of helping those in need become self-sustaining members of society.
Hometown Heroes Camp Reunited
Approximately 88,000 children in Wisconsin have at least one incarcerated parent. Many of those children never get to visit their parents. Hometown Heroes Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization started by leaders at Grafton-based Kapco Metal Stamping, has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to host Camp Reunite, a weeklong summer camp for children of women incarcerated at Taycheedah Correctional Institution in Fond Du Lac. Similar to its flagship program Camp Hometown Heroes, which is tailored to children who have had a parent die in the military, Camp Reunite incorporates a trauma-informed approach. In June 2018, Camp Reunite hosted 38 kids from around the state. In addition to traditional summer camp activities like swimming, dance, arts and crafts, archery, drama, canoeing and fishing, the children are given many opportunities to talk and bond with other children with incarcerated parents.
We Got This –Milwaukee
We Got This” is a program based out of Milwaukee, WI, but can be replicated anywhere there is a need to restore. According to Andre Ellis, the founder/mentor, “our mission is to incorporate the “neighbor” back into our “hoods” and recreate a real sense of neighborhood. One action at a time we believe that we can restore our neighborhoods to what they should be. Started on 9th and Ring, this program began with a crew of young boys cleaning up their neighborhood and learning about gardening. The program grew each Saturday as boys came out to assist in duties and were each subsequently paid 20 dollars for their efforts. The program has continued to grow and each week during the summer young boys continue to make their way to 9th and Ring for cleanup and gardening. Upon arrival, the boys are met by positive role models from the community to assist with their efforts. Andre Ellis began this grass root effort to change the lives of the young men living in the “worst zip code” in the Milwaukee area.
Garden of Eat’n
In the fall of 2016, the Human Concerns Commission provided an outreach of $600 to support
fresh produce purchases during the winter months, to accompany the monthly collections
at both parishes for local food pantries. Those funds supported purchases from November
2016 through December 2018.We are in need of funds to continue the program. A grant of $400 would support the program 2019.
Wisconsin Troopers Benevolent Foundation
The Wisconsin Troopers Benevolent Foundation This is a 501.c3 nonprofit organization was established to encourage and support community outreach by members of the Wisconsin State Patrol. This program encourages troopers in their off time to join and support community programs. This year are effort is to provide state- of- the- art bullet vests for all our Sate Troopers.