Catholic Charities USA Presents First Centennial Recognition Awards Anonymous Donor Grant Underwrites Awards as Part of Organization’s 2010 Centennial Milestone Portland, OR—Four innovative programs from the Northwest region have won the distinct honor of receiving the first set of Centennial Recognition Program awards, established by Catholic Charities USA with the help of an anonymous donor as part of the organization’s 2010 Centennial. Catholic Charities Housing Transitions in Portland, OR; Pathways to Economic Stability of Catholic Charities of Idaho; Phoenix Housing Network of Catholic Charities of Western Washington; and Tepeyac Haven, developed and sponsored by Catholic Charities of Spokane, each received a $25,000 award to invest in their programs. The awards were presented at the Centennial Leadership Summit at Catholic Charities USA’s 2009 Annual Gathering. The winning programs exhibit best practices in Catholic Charities USA's poverty issue areas: health, housing, hunger, economic security, education/job training. They demonstrate strong work and focused efforts that will inspire other service providers as they continue to enhance and improve their own programs and work to reduce poverty in America. Catholic Charities Housing Transitions provides permanent housing to homeless and chronically homeless women in the Portland area. The program serves women with multiple barriers to housing and provides varying amounts of financial support while women acquire income to maintain housing on their own. Pathways to Economic Stability provides a range of services to improve a family’s economic position and increase stability: resume/interview workshops, computer training, and financial education. The program helps individuals gain skills and confidence to build assets and break out of the cycle of poverty. In addition to financial training, the program offers supportive services such as counseling, parenting education, and citizenship/immigration guidance. Phoenix Housing Network provides a broad continuum of services to homeless families with children under the age of 18 and to households at risk of becoming homeless. Their programs encourage change toward self-sufficiency by having participants develop a Family Transition Plan based on their unique family needs and strengths. On-going case management ensures participants progress with their plans. Tepeyac Haven is a 45-unit affordable housing complex that serves migrant farm laborers. The program helps workers settle into housing, become stable in the community, and begin to build assets. “We salute the tireless work and incredible commitment of these first-ever winners of our prestigious Centennial Recognition Awards, said Rev. Larry Snyder, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA. “It is an honor and pleasure to recognize them. We are so grateful for what they mean day-in and day-out to the delivery of our services for those members of society most in need. This is what Catholic Charities is all about and we thank you and congratulate you from the bottom of our hearts.” In 2010, Catholic Charities USA will celebrate its centennial. The Centennial Leadership Summits are an opportunity for civic leaders, elected officials, philanthropists, service providers, and interested citizens to take part in a conversation that will identify ways to reduce poverty by 50 percent by the year 2020. Seven summits, bookended by two Annual Gatherings, have been scheduled for 2009-2010. -30- |