by Katie Patrick
Last Saturday, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska held its 35th Celebration of Hope banquet, formerly known as Celebration of Caring. We honored Shirley Lang with the Heart of Christ award and enjoyed a panel discussion on the Catholic response to the global refugee crisis.
Best of all, we were together, in person, giving thanks to our donors for their prayers and financial support, glorifying God by all the good works that we accomplished this past year in His Name. We, at Catholic Social Services, want to thank all those who attended both in person and in spirit.
During the panel, Faheem Rashidi, having lost his father in Afghanistan when he was a young boy, talked about how important personal relationships were when he first arrived. He was mentored by a family from the Lincoln Diocese, who, as time went on, continued to support and guide him in his new life here in Nebraska. After high school, Rashidi went on to college and received his Doctor of Pharmacy. Today, he is the owner of the Lincoln Pharmacy. Rashidi said, “In all of my big decisions, I went to my mentor for advice. He is like a big brother to me and I’m very grateful for that.”
Oleg Stepanyuk shared with us his role in helping Ukrainian newcomers, as he came with an earlier wave of Ukrainian immigrants. He is now in a position to be able to help others, and he does so with great humility.
The theme of personal relationships carried over in what Shirley Lang had to share with us. She talked about the many speaking engagements in the early days after Roe v. Wade and about the March for Life, but what she emphasized were the conversations and the personal relationships she built with women who either had an abortion or were considering an abortion. Meeting people where they are and loving them for who they are is so important if we are going to make a difference.
If you are interested in connecting with the people we serve or the work that we do, please complete a volunteer application on our website, www.csshope.org. Volunteering is a great way to get involved. You can also pray and donate. Pray for all those we serve, in each of our program areas, including: Food Market & Meal Services, St. Gianna Program, Emergency Services, Immigration Legal Services, and Refugee Resettlement. We’re humbled to be the hands and feet of Christ, but we can do so only with your prayers and financial support. You can make a donation on our website or by contacting our Marketing and Development office at (402) 327-6235. Thank you and may God bless you!
