SALINA — For 60 years, Catholic Charities has been serving the people of Salina and the surrounding area.
To recognize the milestone, an open house/reception was held Tuesday evening in the Salina facility of what is now Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas. The facility is located at 1500 S. Ninth.
“People love Catholic Charities. They love what Catholic Charities does for the community, for people,” Bishop Gerald Vincke of the Salina Roman Catholic Diocese said as he recognized all those in attendance who serve or who have served Catholic Charities in some capacity, either as an employee or volunteer.
“We feel so blessed to have you all here,” Michelle Martin, Catholic Charities executive director, told the crowd.
Martin talked about the history of Catholic Charities and noted that without the past, Catholic Charities wouldn’t be where it is today. Martin shared with the group a quote from Melody Beattie that she said encapsulates that concept:
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
Martin attributed the success of Catholic Charities to all of the employees and volunteers who have helped the organization help others.
Martin also shared the organization’s vision for the future. Joking that she can talk a lot, Martin said she would limit her comments about the future to three items.
First, she said the organization’s offices in Manhattan were moving to a new location by April 1.
“I think great things are going to happen there,” she said.
She also talked about a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation that will allow employees to use tablets to gather more data more efficiently and do what she called social services triage. Martin said that the organization is hoping to get an app of its own to help in the process.
Finally, Martin talked about the organization’s mobile outreach program.
Martin explained that 24/7 Travel Stores has agreed to help with the mobile outreach by sponsoring the gasoline for the program. She also said that Long McArthur is giving the program new minivans.
“We’re super excited about this,” she said.
She said it was important to make sure people in rural areas have access to services.
“I think it is really important not only that we don’t neglect those people in those rural areas and so I am so happy that 24/7 and Long McArthur share that vision of reaching out to those rural communities,” Martin said.
Martin also revealed that a donor had agreed to do a fundraising match for the organization.
“We had a very generous donor come forward and agree to do a match for us. $60,000. $60,000 dollars in 60 days,” she said.
Martin said the organization was already about halfway to its goal for the match funding.
When the Catholic Charities opened in 1959, they offered assistance to pregnant women in crisis, counseling, adoption services and operated a receiving home for neglected children out of the former Mowery Clinic at 425 W. Iron Street in Salina.
Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas now has offices in Salina, Hays and Manhattan and serves 31 Kansas counties. In addition to counseling and pregnancy and adoption services, Catholic Charities offers emergency rent and utility assistance, relief from predatory lending, homeless prevention programs, legal immigration services and partners with Salina Adult Education Center to offer a 6-week employment boot camp, Partners 4 Success, and ESL Classes.
In 2015, Catholic Charities started a Mobile Outreach Program to assist the under-served rural communities by providing food, clothing, blankets and hygiene items. Each month, Catholic Charities Mobile Outreach vans travel to Ellsworth, Lincoln, Wilson, Sylvan Grove, Minneapolis, Concordia, Osborne, Beloit, Russell, WaKeeney, Norton, Colby, Junction City, Ogden, Clay Center, Herington and Abilene.
Catholic Charities doors are open to all people living in poverty and crisis, regardless of religion.
“We do not just serve Catholics, we are here to serve anyone who asks. We don’t serve Catholics. We serve because we are Catholics,” Martin said.