FINALISTS
Catholic Charities USA's
2007 Family Strengthening Awards
- Catholic Charities Budget Counseling, Catholic Charities of Green Bay
- The Day Labor & Resource Center, Catholic Charities of Palm Beach, FL
- The Education Center, Catholic Charities of Boston, MA
- Financial Education Cluster, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, CA
- The Jamaica HomeBase Program, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, NY
- The Kinship Care Resource Network, Catholic Family Center, Rochester, NY
Catholic Charities Budget Counseling
Catholic Charities of Green Bay
By providing budget counseling, debt management, and financial literacy, the Catholic Charities Budget Counseling (CCBC) works to move families from volatile economic situations to more stable, improved financial standings. Before each pay period, Catholic Charities staff work one on one with clients to develop a spending plan for that duration. During these appointments, staff help clients address their financial roadblocks and identify potential solutions by helping them establish short-term and long-term goals, and develop personal assets as well as financial assets. CCBC is also helps clients develop debt management plans to repay debt at an affordable rate. Typically, CCBC returns $350,000-$800,000 annually to creditors. As clients pay down their debt, through on-time monthly payments, their credit histories tend to improve. CCBC also offers a variety of classes or workshops to help participants to increase their financial literacy skills. Many of these courses are also offered at local shelters and transitional living programs to better the success of residents once they leave the shelter. Read Application.
The Day Labor & Resource Center
Catholic Charities of Palm Beach, FL
Catholic Charities of Palm Beach’s Day Labor & Resource Center promotes economic independence for immigrants and their families by providing employment-related education and skills training that help them earn a living wage, build their assets, and become more engaged in the community. The Day Labor & Resource Center creates an environment where immigrants have opportunities to contribute as soon and as fully as possible in the community, to experience success, and to be empowered to develop prospects for leadership and civic participation. In addition, the program provides training and support services in areas such as money and resource management, health literacy, stress management, parenting skills, and how to interact with law enforcement. Read Application.
The Education Center
Catholic Charities of Boston, MA
With a goal of increasing self-sufficiency through skill building and helping clients achieve sustainable employment, the Education Center empowers and strengthens families by providing them a seamless transition and access to needed education and/or employment programs in the Greater Lynn area. The Education Center offers a range of education and employment services, including ESL and GED instruction, employment preparation, and computer skills training for those leaving welfare for work. Rooted in its mission to serve those most in need, the Center’s programs combine case management, education, job training, and on-going support to aid the families in becoming self-sufficient. They also serve to motivate the individuals as well as help them to identify the obstacles that might inhibit their success.” Read Application.
Financial Education Cluster
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, CA
The financial education program cluster of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County helps low-income families move to self sufficiency by building up their assets by providing free tax preparation, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), and financial education classes to more than 1,800 individuals and families annually. IDA—a matched savings program—encourages asset accumulation for those who have been traditionally viewed as incapable of saving as a result of their low-income status. In addition to a 2:1 savings match, the program provides 15 hours of money management classes taught in three languages—English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. With the help of over 50 volunteers, TaxEZ, the agency’s tax preparation service last year helped more than 1,090 low-income Vietnamese- and Spanish-speaking families in San Jose receive tax refunds totaling more than $1,25,000; $628,000 of which were EITC refunds. Read Application.
The Jamaica HomeBase Program
Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, NY
The Jamaica HomeBase program has been very effective in its first three years, saving families from disintegration not only by keeping them housed, but by helping address many of the issues that they may be struggling with. Though trends exist, the staff at Jamaica HomeBase knows that each case is individual and takes into account cultural concerns, health, and the individual experience and personal history of every client. Each client is assigned a personal caseworker who designs a plan of service specific to his or her needs. Services fall into categories that respond to the greatest needs of families in Queens: financial challenges, threats to health, lack of education and skill development, and management of the needs of young children. In addition to immediate homeless prevention services, Jamaica HomeBase links those in need to services provided by Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens programs and other community resources in order to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Read Application.
The Kinship Care Resource Network
Catholic Family Center, Rochester, NY
With a growing number of children in the United States being raised by kinship caregivers, the Kinship Care Resource Network—a collaborative effort between the Catholic Family Center and four other local agencies—works to support the needs of families in which a child is being raised by a relative other than the biological parent, such as a grandparents or siblings. The staff work with families to encourage self-sufficiency and resiliency so that they benefit from short-term intervention and are then able to take with them necessary skills to continue working toward family stability and permanency. To achieve that stability, Kinship Care Resource Network staff members work with families to ensure caregivers and their families have access to the financial benefits and other supports to meet their basic needs; increase kinship caregivers’ knowledge of their rights, responsibilities, and available services; provide parenting skills for the kinship caregivers; and improve the physical and emotional well-being of caregivers and the children in their care. Read Application.
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