Catholic Charities of Oregon provides legal services for immigrant community
As a result of the recent wildfires in Southern Oregon, Catholic Charities of Oregon has learned that one of our parish communities — Sacred Heart in Medford – reports that more than 150 parish families have lost their homes and thousands more are currently displaced. Most of those affected are Latino, and the biggest concern they have is the loss of their immigration documentation. This documentation can include: court documents showing that someone is in process of obtaining citizenship, green cards, employment authorizations, U.S. passports as a result of recent citizenship, etc. Our Immigration Legal Services team is on the ground conducting legal clinics, assessing other legal needs of migrants, and assisting with the reissuing of lost documents. In addition, emergency assistance dollars are being used to pay for this documentation, as the reissuing of these documents by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can cost as much as $700 per document. Read more about Catholic Charities of Oregon’s response to wildfires and the Covid-19 pandemic here.
J. Scott Wilfong to lead major Catholic Charities’ fundraising effort
Retired SunTrust Bank Mid-Atlantic Region Chairman, President and CEO J. Scott Wilfong has been tapped to serve as chair of Catholic Charities’ Annual Leadership Breakfast Campaign.
Wilfong, who has been on the Catholic Charities board for several years, will serve a one-year term as the committee chair. He said the organization’s dedication to cherishing the divine within each person has taken on a higher value and meaning due to the national pandemic.
“Catholic Charities’ mission is to improve the lives of Marylanders in need,” Wilfong said. “COVID-19 has tested the resources of Catholic Charities as we strive to meet an ever-increasing number of community members who are challenged. We are determined to never be in a position to turn away someone who is struggling in life and that takes resources, specifically financial. This campaign takes on an even more significant role this year as we are committed to meet the increasing needs of our community.”
This year, the special campaign’s goal is $5 million in unrestricted support for the 80+ programs in 200 locations across the state, including Our Daily Bread Employment Center, My Sister’s Place Women’s Center, Anna’s House, Sarah’s House, and St. Vincent’s Villa.
Catholic Charities is the largest private provider of human services in Maryland, and 100 percent of donations stay within the nonprofit to serve individuals and families in need. The Annual Leadership Breakfast Campaign is the single largest source of private support for the nonprofit’s mission and work across Maryland. Services include behavioral and mental health, workforce development, homelessness and poverty prevention, senior care, immigration concerns, and support for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
For some programs, unrestricted support allows payment for expenses not covered by governmental funding. In others, unrestricted support is the sole means of operating. Unrestricted support also offsets the matched funds needed by the programs’ governmental grants. Participation at the leadership level in this annual campaign not only sustains their works, but allows Catholic Charities the flexibility to innovate, evolve and quickly respond to new and changing needs within communities.
Wilfong, a 43-year veteran of the banking industry, serves as a board member of Catholic Charities’ executive committee. He is also on the boards for Living Classrooms Foundation, Greater Washington Board of Trade, and the Forest Country Club. He has previously served on the boards of the Greater Baltimore Committee, Baltimore Development Corp., Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Mercy Health Services, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Mount Saint Mary’s University, Notre Dame Prep, Loyola Sellinger School of Business, Maryland Bankers Association, Smithsonian National Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, George Mason University Foundation, United Way Central Maryland, Operation Hope, and the Consortium of Catholic Academies.
“We are grateful to the individuals who support this Leadership Breakfast Campaign, and especially to Scott for chairing this effort,” said Catholic Charities Executive Director Bill McCarthy. “These are community and business leaders who are committed to their communities and to understanding need and supporting our neighbors in their work toward self-sufficiency. We need them more now than ever.”
To make a gift or learn more about the Leadership Breakfast Campaign, go to catholiccharities-md.org/donate or contact Erin Bolles, ebolles@cc-md.org, 667-600-2012.
