Awarding Volunteers for
Service, Dedication, and Inspiration
Each year, over 260,000 individuals lend their hearts and hands at local Catholic Charities agencies. Volunteers are the backbone of the Catholic Charities network, providing critical support to agencies on the forefront of human need.
The spirit of compassion, fellowship, and dedication shines brightly in the remarkable men and women who have been named finalists for the Catholic Charities USA 2011 National Volunteer of the Year Award.
Volunteering at their local Catholic Charities agencies, these committed servants have secured housing for the homeless and working poor, assisted refugees in adjusting to their new lives in the United States, provided meals for the hungry, advocated on behalf of the poor and vulnerable, and done so much more.
In honor of National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011, Catholic Charities USA acknowledges the inspiration that each volunteer provides to the Catholic Charities network. Here are their stories:
Nancy Zabawa
Poverty & Racism Community Organizer
 Bridges out of Poverty - Commission of Summit County, Diocese of Cleveland
Nancy Zabawa of Doylestown, OH, exemplifies all that Catholic Charities stands for in empowering people to move out of poverty and advocating for the most vulnerable in our society. Nancy not only volunteers with the Catholic Commission of Summit County, in the Diocese of Cleveland, but personally mentors people in poverty, doing what is needed to help them help themselves. After studying the CCUSA document, Poverty and Racism, she put together a committee to study these issues and worked with the Diocesan African American Ministry Office to look at the particulars of racism and the way it keeps people in poverty. Out of that first year, a retreat was developed. She not only brought that retreat to reality, but developed a detailed manual that can be used in parishes or with other groups to conduct that same retreat. Continuing on with the work, she has studied, with her committee, many programs, making connections with parishes and in the larger community to bring together people of interest in doing. As a result, the agency now has mentors in the Bridges Out of Poverty Program and more people aware of the need for mentoring. Visit the Catholic Charities Cleveland Web site for more information about programs and services offered by Catholic Charities Cleveland.
Donna Uselding
Refugee Advocate and Case Manager
 Catholic Charities Refugee Services
Catholic Charities of Fort Worth
In the four years she has been volunteering at Catholic Charities in Ft. Worth, TX, Donna Uselding has become a dedicated advocate for the refugee community. At first, she worked with a Burmese family, then befriended another refugee family, and soon became the go-to person for needs in the refugee community. Donna has gone from serving a couple of refugee families to an entire apartment complex of refugee families. In addition, she teaches weekly ESL classes, tutors kids with homework, helps families complete Food Stamp and Medicaid applications, brings people to Catholic Charities Immigration Services, helps people find employment, helps individuals get a driver’s license, provides transportation to doctor’s appointments, and so much more. In addition, Donna lives out the mission of Catholic Charities by advocating and working closely with agency staff and other service providers in the area to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community. Most recently, Donna involved elderly refugee women in Catholic Charities’ new business venture, WORN, which hires women to knit scarves, pays them a living wage, and sells the scarves to local boutiques to bring awareness to refugees in the community. When asked what her husband thinks of her volunteerism, he says “You’re doing God’s work.” This sums up the attitude and service of Donna Uselding. Visit the Catholic Charities of Fort Worth Web site to learn more about the programs and services they offer.
Marion Slack
Director Mary's Cupboard & Volunteer Coordinator
 Mary's Cupboard
Catholic Social Services, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Meeting Mother Teresa of Calcutta when she visited Marion Slack’s hometown of Levittown, PA, 35 years ago had a life-changing impact on Marion. It resulted in her founding of a food assistance ministry called Mary’s Cupboard, a ministry that has worked in collaboration with Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for 25 years. What began small in her own parish blossomed to involve ten Catholic parishes and local churches which donate food or funds monthly. Marion began with her husband Donald, but now has 61 active volunteers whom she coordinates, most serving a few times each month. They pick up and deliver donated groceries from churches or supermarkets; receive, sort and stock food items; and prepare individual boxes of food to provide families in need enough meals and supplies for a week. Mary’s Cupboard provides meal packages to over 1500 family households per year, totaling an estimated 78,000 meals annually. In these difficult times, more families are in need of this vital food assistance than ever. Visit the Catholic Social Services of Philadelphia Web site for more information.
Michael Schuette - Volunteer of the Year Award Winner
Literacy Advocate & Program Director
 Inmates Helping Inmates
Catholic Charities of Southern Illinois
For more than 15 years, Mike Schuette, of Breese, IL, has supported the work of Catholic Charities of Southern Illinois. During the last ten years, he served as chair of the CCSIL Board and for the last fifteen years as the chair of Poverty Services, a volunteer-run agency of CCSIL which addresses the root causes of poverty by helping people overcome barriers to gainful employment. When Mike came to Poverty Services, he brought with him 30 years of volunteer literacy efforts for prison inmates and partnered Poverty Services with a statewide group to lobby state representatives for legislation that required inmate literacy classes. Then with the help of legislators and Kaskaskia College, Mike established an incentive paid inmate tutoring position at Illinois Correctional Centers. In Mike’s “Inmates Helping Inmates” program, prison authorities select the inmates to be trained by the community college as peer to peer reading tutors/teacher aides of illiterate inmate students. The program has been a phenomenal success, with reading improvement greatly increased among thousands of inmates. Mike has also worked to develop a program to extend “Inmates Helping Inmates” participants literacy classes towards GED and college as inmates re-enter society. Visit the Prison Ministry Web site for more information.
Jody O'Connor
After Supper: Visions of My Life Director & Board of Advisors Member
 After Supper: Visions of My Life
Catholic Charities Chicago
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Chicago, hosts a nightly supper five days a week for 130 hungry and homeless clients. Jody O’Connor of Wilmette, IL, owner of Jody O’Connor Photography and Board of Advisors member, has been coming to the supper on Tuesday nights for nine years. During that time, she has been working on a unique idea called “After Supper: Visions of My Life,” a photo project that allows the dinner guests an opportunity to express themselves creatively from behind the camera lens. The project combines art with social services to give the clients a sense of normalcy, a means of expression, a development of talent and skills, and a much needed source of income. Clients are given disposable cameras to take photos with, and after several months of training, preparation, and narrowing of photographic choices, St. Vincent Hall is transformed into a glamorous photo gallery where their art is exhibited and sold. The proceeds generated from the sales go directly to the artists. Jody has six children, but still carves out a great deal of time for this meaningful program. On the rare occasion that she doesn’t attend a Tuesday supper, many of the guests ask, “Where is Jody? Is Jody coming?” Visit the After Supper Web site for more information about the event.
Theresa Meurs
Volunteer Coordinator & Fundraiser
 Hope House Street Outreach Program
Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
Theresa Meurs of Bellingham, WA, is dedicated to the homeless. Eight years ago, she joined another volunteer to wander amidst the homeless in her community and offer sandwiches and warm gloves. That ministry has grown into the Hope House Street Outreach, a homeless feeding program of Catholic Community Services Northwest (CCSNW), a regional agency of Catholic Community Services of Western Washington. Theresa is now the volunteer coordinator of the Hope House Street Outreach Program, and every Thursday evening, she and two vans of volunteers depart from Hope House loaded with homemade lunches, warm clothing, blankets, and a lot of love! Theresa truly sees the face of Christ in each person she ministers to. With love, she offers them a voice and a friend to talk to. She has been responsible for several homeless addicts getting off the streets and getting clean. Theresa is also the coordinator of the CCSNW’s annual fundraiser for Hope House, the Spirit of Hope Treasure Sale, which brings in $10,000 to $12,000 each year for Hope House. Visit the Hope House Web site for more information.
Libba Claude
Family Strengthening Advocate & Fundraiser
 The Children's Center at the Bedford Hills Correction Facility
Catholic Charities Brooklyn Queens
Libba Claude of North Salem, NY, volunteers her time and resources to the hundreds of families who benefit from The Children’s Center, operated by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York. The Children’s Center is a unique model program that unites children with their incarcerated mothers. Libba’s service to The Children’s Center began more than fifteen years ago, when she first volunteered as a driver for the Center’s visitation programs. Traveling across the state, she brought children back and forth to the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility so that they could enjoy visits with their mothers, who were often serving long sentences. Soon after she became a Children’s Advocate, acting as a liaison between an incarcerated mother and the various entities that impact her child, such as guardians, schools, hospitals, social workers, social service agencies and the family court system. Through the years Mrs. Claude has kept children and their incarcerated mothers closely connected, despite the physical separation imposed by their circumstance. In 2005, hoping to create a more normal environment for children to visit with their incarcerated mothers, Mrs. Claude tirelessly raised funds for a playground and garden to be constructed adjacent to the Facility’s Visiting Room. Thanks to Mrs. Claude’s dedication The Children’s Center “Patio” is a beautiful and welcoming site that hosts joyful reunions and sun-filled visits for mothers and their families. Visit the Catholic Charities Brooklyn Queens Web site for more information and programs and services.
Honorable Mention
Bill Ruth
 V.I.P. Center in Lynbrook
Catholic Charities Rockville Centre
A man never stands so tall as when he stoops to help a friend. William Ruth, a 27 year volunteer at Catholic Charities; V.I.P. Center in Lynbrook, certainly exemplifies that quote. Bill became a vital addition to the 30 volunteers who weekly provide programs and a hot lunch for the members. He provides transportation for members assigned to him whose only access to the Center is through the kindness of volunteer drivers. Helping with the coffee service each morning, Bill works in the kitchen during meal service and quietly helps with the clean-up after lunch. At the Center, the Discussion Group has been moderated by Bill, where members give voice and opinions to current news of the day. Bill's life is one of commitment and dedication to helping those in need and our Center is deeply grateful to him for sharing his gifts with the men and women we serve.
Martha Zaidel
 Catholic Charities Adult Day Center Program
Catholic Charities Milwaukee
Martha started out as a lunch-time companion where she assisted with set-up and clean-up of lunch, and spent time visiting and chatting with clients. She took a more hands-on role and assisted some clients who had trouble eating. Martha’s responsibilities soon evolved as she noticed a need for a physical activity to allow for movement and stimulation. Exercise activity was always popular and helped elongate mobility for the clients. She also started reading reminiscence stories to the group- ones that would help them remember moments of their past and encourage conversation amongst the group. Martha noticed that most clients did very well with repetition of words or phrases, especially ones from their younger years, so she decided to start a rosary reading group. These rosary readings always provided a sense of calm for the clients.
Rafael Pagan
 Loaves and Fishes
Catholic Charities Nashville
Rafael has been coming to Loaves and Fishes as a volunteer for the last four years. Wednesdays, Rafael participates as a member of the cooking team. He arrives at 9:00am and spends his time assisting with preparing and serving the meal. Saturdays, Rafael arrives at Loaves and Fishes around 11:00am as the doors are opening to the guests. He greets the guests with a nod and waits patiently as the time approaches to clean up. His gift to the staff and guests is the time he takes to care for the building. He cleans the 17 tables and the 136 chairs. He dust mops and wet mops the dining hall. All this... and Mr. Pagan is 84 years young?! Rafael’s work with homeless and hungry folks started many years ago in his home state of New York when he gave his lunch to a homeless gentleman he met on the way to work. Rafael has passed along this compassion to his grandchildren – his granddaughter has been to Loaves and Fishes with him on more than one occasion when she has been in town.
Harold (Tam) & Julie Tamblin
 Soup's On!
Catholic Charities West Michigan
Julie and Tam Tamblin have taken ownership and full responsibility of Soup's On! a fundraising bowl painting project. With their leadership and vision, CCWM has been able to significantly increase the revenue raised by the Soup’s On fundraisers. Julie’s vision for the program and persistence in its ability to work enabled us to have two kilns donated to the agency on site. The program has grown so it now includes the firing of local parish’s First Communion plates and other opportunities that keep us busy year-round. The Tamblins' dedication help us provide help and create hope for those we serve through our food programs. Their commitment to this project include such responsibilities as advertising for painting parties, communication with the parish and community members who choose to paint the bowls, creating custom painting kits for each group, hand delivering the bowls and kits to the painters, picking them back up, and firing the painted bowls in our kiln. After the bowls have been glazed and fired, the Tamblins take a photo of each individual bowl and post it on the www.soupsonforall.org website for everyone to see.
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