Parish Involvement Makes Meaningful Impact
For more than 10 years, parishioners at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carlisle, IA, have provided meals twice a month for guests at the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter. Organized through the parish’s Social Concerns Committee, this small act of love makes a meaningful impact for families working to rebuild their lives.
Sue and Steve Miller were among the first to get involved. They volunteered to be a meal provider after learning about the opportunity in the parish bulletin. After visiting the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter, meeting with shelter guests and seeing the need for these meals, they felt called to continue.
“Steve and I were on the Social Concerns Committee at St. Elizabeth, and I told the group about what we were already doing,” said Sue. “Then the whole parish got involved.”
The Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter is the largest family-oriented shelter in the Des Moines area. This 10-bedroom facility supports families experiencing homelessness by keeping them together and providing the resources and support they need to move forward. Meal providers help create a sense of normalcy and nourishment for families on their journey back to self-sufficiency.
“Supporting families is very important,” said Cathy Smith, a parishioner of St. Elizabeth. “It’s such an important thing to help feed our brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s just like feeding your own family.”
Cathy organizes the monthly meals donated to the shelter. Other parish groups, including the parish’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus, Ladies Guild and Faith Formation program, donate meals to the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter.
“All ages are involved,” said Cathy.
St. Elizabeth is a shining example of the impact parish involvement can make on those in need. Cathy encourages other parishes to reach out and get involved with Catholic Charities.
If you are interested in getting involved at Catholic Charities, contact Catholic Charities Community Relations Manager, Rebecca Kannegiesser, at rkannegiesser@catholiccharitiesdm.org or 515-237-5078.
