by Katie Patrick
In the Congo with my nonprofit organization, Totonga Bomoi, a passion project other than my full-time work at CSS, we teach a lesson to our aspiring female entrepreneurs about dreaming big.
In this two-hour lesson, we talk about how the world would be incomplete if we were all the same and that for the world to work well, we all need to be working toward different goals and contributing different talents to our communities.
For this lesson, we read 1 Corinthians 12:14-20: “Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
While it is simple, this is an incredibly valuable lesson for all businesses, organizations, and for families, too. Recently, I’ve been thinking about how it translates to our work at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska.
Here is some of what I came up with.
Bill, Barry, and Neil drive the trucks that deliver food and furniture to hundreds of clients each week. Drew and Karla research and prepare immigration documents and applications for our clients pursuing residency and citizenship. Marilu, Mike, April, Anne and Tonya meet with clients who need our help financially to pay for rent and utilities. Alexis, Mary, and Susan welcome the homeless to our offices offering them breakfast, lunch, blankets, personal care items, and sometimes a gift card to our gift and thrift stores where they can buy clothing.
Seth welcomes clients and is the first point of contact for services at our clinical office. Doris manages our food choice market in Lincoln that offers healthy options to our clients living on limited resources. Jacklyn and Jonie accompany the hundreds of volunteers who help make our work possible every year. And Mark, Mike, Julie and Bill monitor sales and support Bonnie, Kathleen, Halie, Starla, Colleen, Sandy, Susan M., Susan Mc., Eileen, Marie, Martha, Jodi, Muntaha, Marcia, Will and Deb, who keep our Gift and Thrift stores in Lincoln, Hastings, Auburn and Imperial running well.
Mario and John M. support their staff in Lincoln and Hastings, jumping in whenever staff, clients, or volunteers need them. Jeremy, Raul and Martin keep all of our facilities operating efficiently while John and Tom oversee our recycling and warehouse operations.
Dr. Miller and Dr. Martin lead in the formation of our interns, Omar and Fr. Conor, who along with Dr. Brei, Ann, Jillian, Miriam, and Becky counsel hundreds of individuals and families, and serve St. Gregory the Great Seminary, UNL Newman Center, St. Gianna's Women's Home, Pius X High School and St. Teresa Elementary School in Lincoln. Bobbi assists with our Adoption Search program.
Veronica, Sr. Bernadette, Sr. Karen, and Sr. Carol meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our residents at St. Gianna Women’s Homes in Lincoln. John M. coordinates events and publishes our print newsletters while Paula engages the community on social media. John S. builds relationships with our donors and community partners. and Patty helps with donor communications.
Nancy processes payroll. Bill keeps us compliant and on budget. Mary processes check requests for clients and staff. Albert hears the needs of our refugee clients and helps them find employment while Poe Dee, Nyabuoy, Elham, Sebit, Will and Katie B. are often working evenings and weekends making sure that our newest neighbors: refugees from Afghanistan, Sudan, the Congo, and the Ukraine feel at home in Nebraska.
Without one of these roles and responsibilities, the work would collapse. What we do would not get done. Every role is important and necessary, such that they each contribute to the whole in a way that we would not be CSS without any one of them. Moreover, without the contributions of our donors, none of our efforts would be possible. Accomplishing our mission, which is to perform the Works of Mercy in response to the call of God, is only possible when each and every one of us is doing our part.
So you see, “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I do not need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are un-presentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:21-27)
Thank you for being part of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska!
