by Katie Patrick
In a few short hours—from the time I am writing this article—our CSS Hastings staff will gather at Chautauqua Park to celebrate our amazing volunteers. Joining us will be the many volunteers with OpenTable, an ecumenical organization of which CSS is a part, that provides more than 26,000 sack lunches every year to the homeless and low-income in Hastings. This picnic will be the cherry on top to a week packed with a focus on our food market and meal services programming!
It all started in May 2020, when Catholic Social Services was selected by the Food Bank of Lincoln as the agency partner for their annual Empty Bowls fundraiser. Now fast forward to 2022 because like many nonprofit fundraisers—including our very own Celebration of Hope—the event went virtual for a couple of years due to the coronavirus. On May 31, Empty Bowls returned in-person and CSS prepared and served 15 gallons of red lentil soup, a recipe by our very own Albert Maribaga, refugee employment specialist. We were honored to be invited and serve alongside other notable and local favorites!
Now, what about everyone outside of Lincoln and southeast Nebraska?
As many of you know, our food recovery and redistribution program serves thousands of families across central and southwest Nebraska. Through our partnership with Food Bank for the Heartland, CSS recovers produce, meat, and bread from big box stores in Hastings and Grand Island, then we return to our offices on West 2nd Street in Hastings and our staff and volunteers load up and travel from Aurora to Benkleman and Imperial to Superior distributing to churches, local food pantries, and community centers.
Last Friday, several of our staff went to Omaha to spend the morning with the Food Bank for the Heartland. We enjoyed meeting our regional field representatives and learning more about the wonderful work they accomplish across Nebraska and western Iowa.
So you see, just like our pathway to heaven, we don’t stand a chance of getting there on our own. The people we encounter, the trials we face, the experiences we have, and the ah-ha moments of our faith are what brings us closer to Jesus. Right?
Now if we take that and bring it down a few notches to our various professional and vocational paths, we know that we do not achieve success on our own. At CSS, our mission is to perform the Works of Mercy in response to the Call of God and we rely on our donors, volunteers, and community partners to help us achieve it. Just like our staff relies on partnerships in the community to accomplish our mission, so too, do we rely on you for your prayers and donations. Without you, our staff wouldn’t have these life-changing—and life-saving—programs to run and we wouldn’t be able to serve. Thank you for enabling us to serve the poor and vulnerable across the state. Thank you for joining us as together we strive for heaven. May God Bless You!
