One of the perks of my position as executive director of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska is traveling the 24,000 square miles that is the Diocese of Lincoln and thanking our many generous benefactors (without whom there would not be a CSS). During my travels, I emphasize and stress that we truly help individuals and families across the entire diocese, not just where our offices are located.
Beginning in January 2000, Catholic Social Services began providing counseling services in Auburn at the Fr. James Halligan Parish Center. Four years later, CSS opened St. Francis Gift & Thrift Store in a rented building owned by Frank and Marge Engles. Soon afterward, Frank and Marge donated the building to CSS. Then in March 2011, Orscheln Farm and Home Store donated two buildings which housed their store adjacent to our thrift store. In addition to a needed roof, the building was renovated and our new center was named after St. Francis.
On Thursday, Oct. 4, on the feast day of St. Francis, this new center was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz. In addition, the altar in the St. Francis Chapel was consecrated. I am happy to announce we now have tripled our square footage to 12,000 square feet which includes new retail floor space, increased warehouse and sorting space, a new food pantry, a sorely needed conference room, a counseling office and waiting room with a separate entrance, a social service office and waiting room with a separate entrance and most importantly, a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament named after our patron, St. Francis. We will now be able to increase even further the assistance in the southeast sector of the diocese. That said, let me re-iterate that the profits from the St. Francis Gift & Thrift Store are used to provide social and clinical services for the entire southeast region of the diocese, hence a project not just for Auburn but for the entire southeast.
Since coming to Auburn, CSS has provided nearly $85,000 of cash assistance in emergency services; almost $100,000 of charity grants for counseling services for those who for some reason were unable to afford the total cost of the services on their own; 195,000 pounds of food from our St. Andrew Mobile Food Pantry at a value of more than $480,000; and 3,000 pounds of food valued at nearly $5,000 from our brand-new food pantry. In short over the past 12 years, CSS has been blessed to have provided nearly $700,000 in total assistance to more than 8,000 individuals and nearly 3,000 families in southeastern Nebraska.
I would like to thank Almighty God for his grace and Saints Mary, Joseph, and Francis for their powerful intercession. In addition, I would also like to thank Marge and Frank Engles for their generosity (please keep the happy repose of Frank in your prayers), the owners of Orscheln Farm and Home Store, the staff and volunteers of the St. Francis Center for their hard work, and Terry Fulton and his staff for their efforts in getting the center ready for Bishop Bruskewitz to bless. Please let me thank also anyone else whom I may have failed to mention. Please know that all of you are in our special prayers!
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