by John McDonald
Hastings Regional Director, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
Everyone is called to love. Everyone is called to give time, talent and treasure to benefit others. On May 4, Hastings is celebrating and encouraging this call to charity through its annual “Give Hastings Day,” a community event sponsored by the Hastings Community Foundation to encourage financial support of local nonprofits to enhance the quality of life in Adams County.
Catholic Social Services in Hastings is one of the 108 organizations and projects participating in this marathon of giving that culminates in a community-wide celebration at The Lark in downtown.
I liken CSS Hastings to a hidden gem, and by no means is it a small gem. CSS Hastings employs four full-time and 10 part-time staff and has more than 100 volunteers putting in more than 10,000 hours per year to help operate eight major programs. Those include:
n Our Family Support Services Program, which last year provided $115,000 in monetary assistance, 400 food boxes and other in-kind items to 1,500 clients.
- Our Open Table program (an ecumenical program staffed by volunteers) distributed 34,000 sandwiches from our front door.
- Our Food Recovery & Distribution Program redistributed 175 tons of food.
- Our recycling program recycled 60 tons of clothing.
- The St. Joseph Gift and Thrift Store surpassed 20,000 encounters.
- Our furniture pickup and delivery program assisted 62 households and made more than 200 trips.
- Our St. Gianna’s program assisted women escaping domestic violence.
These statistics, however, are mere straw compared with the relationships our staff and volunteers build with those we encounter. Our caseworkers routinely pay our clients’ bills and provide food and clothing, necessary and noble tasks that bring hope to our clients. But the real hope is the spiritual hope that only Christ can bring through the sacraments.
Recently, a caseworker has been walking with one of our St. Gianna clients in her journey to health and happiness after a long history of abuse. The caseworker spent a recent Sunday evening accompanying our client to Mass – she had not been to Mass in months because of a fear of judgment.
I could not have been more proud. This is what Catholic Social Services is all about. This is the type of love that Catholic Social Services brings to the Hastings area. We bring Christ to the community, one sandwich at a time, one meeting at a time, one delivery at a time, one relationship at a time.
We hope you can help us by donating now through May 4 at www.givehastings.org/catholicsocialservices or dropping off a check made out to “Hastings Community Foundation” at our office located at 333 W. Second St., Hastings.
