By Mario Racicot
Director of E-commerce Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
Recently, our sustainability team at Catholic Social Services had the opportunity to attend the Catholic Charities USA annual conference in Richmond, Va. It was a splendid gathering of more than 600 members of the Catholic Charities network from across the country, from Puerto Rico to Alaska. It was an incredible conference for us to network, learn, reflect, and pray.
The conference’s theme this year was “The Bridges we Build.” There were many chances—breakout sessions, tabling, keynotes—to reflect on the ways that our agency can be a bridge to hope for our community as we strive to bring hope to the Good Life.
We also had one very unique opportunity to build a bridge at this year’s conference, a bridge between our agency and supporting others across the country. We were highlighted this year for our e-commerce program. I was selected to be one of three presentations about top innovation initiatives across the Country. I was invited to share how e-commerce has innovated our agency and how others can learn to do the same.
We had a film crew sent to our agency a few weeks before the conference. They made an incredible video highlighting our e-commerce program, which was then shared at the conference. I was also invited to speak in order to inspire other agencies to learn how they could create a new and sustainable source of funding for their many incredible missions and clients. Agencies are constantly facing the loss of government, state, or local funding for their programs, often leaving them uncertain how to financially support their programs and clients. I was able to share how eCommerce has created an incredible opportunity to generate a new source of unrestricted funding to use that best supports Nebraskans.
In a press release about the conference, Charities USA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson, said, “I see a network that, over the past year, has been defined not by struggling but by building — by building new programs, forging new solutions, establishing new partnerships, creating new pathways out of poverty for your clients. This isn’t to say that the challenges we’ve faced are gone. It’s a realization and appreciation that so many of you have confronted them, have found your bearings and have moved forward with determination and joy to carry out your mission in new and enhanced ways.”
We see ourselves in that reflection by Robinson. We see e-commerce as a program born out of a desire to face challenges with our eyes on our mission and with our hearts set with determination to keep serving.
This determination led to innovation and the creation of our e-commerce program in 2023. Since its creation we have seen tremendous growth, and it has become a significant source of funding for our clients and the programs that serve them.
As I went through this entire process, from preparations to the actual presentation and networking, I was reminded again and again how incredible our community of donors is in southern Nebraska. None of this would be possible without your consistent generosity, day in and day out. YOU have helped us create a new program, bringing in important funding, that has truly helped us to do more good for our clients. YOUR charity has helped us love Jesus Christ present in the poor of our community. Thank you for joining us in our mission and enabling us to not only continue to serve but also to innovate and to build up a program worthy of sharing with other agencies across the country. Together, we bring Hope to the Good Life and beyond!
