By Katie Patrick
If you have never attended Catholic Social Services’ Celebration of Hope banquet, I urge you to join us this year. With the primary goal of sharing our mission and celebrating the impact our donors have made this past year, we are adding several new elements to the evening of Saturday, March 15.
The first is that we have moved our annual silent auction from our usual summertime Memorial Golf Classic to this year’s banquet, which means you will have the opportunity to bid on items ranging from faraway trips to local adventures; gourmet dinners to handcrafted artwork, and quite possibly a vehicle. Because each item has been donated, every dollar of the proceeds generated will support our many programs, one of which includes Family Support Services, providing critical financial assistance to individuals and families in need of rent and utilities, as well as diapers for little ones, and blankets, hand warmers, soap, and socks for our homeless clients.
We would all be remiss to admit that we never needed help from anyone at some point in our lives. Help comes in different ways, whether it’s financial, material, spiritual or psychological. We all need help sometimes – and this brings me to another element we will add to the evening. My team and I will host an exploratory conversation with you as we share the stories of several families we have helped over the past year. Our clients’ willingness to be part of the event in this way speaks to the core of our mission, where we perform the Works of Mercy through a culture of encounter.
Every day, our CSS team, which includes dozens of volunteers, helps the poor and vulnerable in a manner that recognizes and promotes their human dignity as well as their identity as a beloved child of God, and it is in doing so that we build lasting friendships with those we serve. In other words, when you support CSS, your donations don’t stop at the material goods we provide. They continue well into uplifting those we serve. For it is through our conversations, prayers, and hope for those we see and serve, day in and day out, that make the greatest impact.
The $80 ticket covers the full cost of the venue and the rest goes directly into supporting our programs and services across southern Nebraska. I hope you will join us!
I personally look forward to attending a handful of annual banquets celebrating both the work of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln as well as a number of other community events in and around Lincoln. They are of course a good time to gather with family and friends (and if you’re a young parent like me, – a fun night out!). But more importantly they inspire me with the variety of passion, experience, and hope for the future.
It’s a true blessing to witness the love others have for the work that they do and to be part of the mission that helps make it happen. And that is how we at CSS feel about all of you. You are an important part of the work that we do each and every day and this banquet is our opportunity to celebrate with you and invite you in to have a glimpse of the tremendous difference you make in the lives of others. Will we see you there? RSVP today at csshope.org.
P.S. If you can’t join us that night, you can still bid remotely on the many auction items or make a donation direct to one of our program – at csshope.org. Thank you and may God bless you!
