Good People...Good Work...Good News
Welcome to our eNewsletter
A monthly update about our programs
Home Donate
August 2011
Whoever wrote about the “lazy days of summer”
never spent a summer at Catholic Charities of
Southern Nevada. We have had one remarkable
month in August, as the pages of this newsletter
testify.
Perhaps what is most remarkable is the number
of people and organizations that gave up so many
of their summer days to work with us to help men,
women, and children in need. The need to give
help and hope to people never takes a vacation.
This is truer now than ever as our economy in
Southern Nevada continues to struggle and people
face an uncertain future. However, you can see
Monsignor Patrick R. Leary that there are many people who care and want to
Chief Executive Officer do something to help. In my way of thinking, that
makes every month remarkable.
Thank You for
Giving
Help and Hope
Thank you and God Bless,
Monsignor Pat
Family Services...Adoption Services...Women, Infants and Children...Senior Services...Foster Grandparent Program...
Respite Care and Supportive Services...Retired & Senior Volunteer Program...Senior Community Services Employ-
ment Program...Senior Companion Program...Telephone Reassurance Program...Senior Nutrition Meals on Wheels
Program...Medical Nutrition Therapy...Social Services...Tenant Based Rental Assistance...Immigration Services...
Migration and Refugee Services...English As A Second Language School...Food Services...St. Vincent Lied Dining
Facility...Meals On Wheels...Plaza Services...Crossroads Transitional Living for Senior Men...Emergency Shelter...
Marian Residence Transitional Living for Senior Women...Resident Empowerment Program...St. Vincent HELP
Apartments...Retail Services...Catholic Charities Thrift Stores...Free Donation Pick-up...Vehicle Donation Program...
Click here for more information.
Community Partners
Grand Opening
Catholic Charities Thrift Store
On August 4th Catholic Charities celebrated the grand
opening of its newest thrift store located at Rainbow
and Charleston Blvd. Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman and
Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian attended the celebration.
Nicki Coval, representing Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s office;
Shaundell Newsome, Catholic Charities Board of Trustees member;
Lois Tarkanian, City Councilwoman Ward 1; Monsignor Patrick Leary;
Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman; Jill Blanchette, Board of Trustees Mem-
ber and Marie Tomao, representing Congressman Joe Heck’s office.
Retail Services enables charitably minded citizens to
support our programs by donating gently used furni-
ture, clothing and household goods. Donated goods
help meet our clients’ needs, offer quality low-cost
goods to members of our community and revenues
help sustain our agency’s programs. We would like to
thank our community partners who made the grand
opening possible: City of Las Vegas, Las Vegas
Chamber of Commerce, Weingarten Realty, Sherwin
Williams, Border Construction, Cadeau Express and
Sign-A-Rama.
UNLV University Libraries
Preserving A Piece of History
While teaching men of our Resident
Empowerment Program how to sort through
donated books received at the Catholic
Charities Distribution Center, a treasure
was found! Diane Hutton, Director of Retail
Services, found a third edition leather bound
presentation script of the 1971 iconic movie
“The Godfather.” The Script was featured on
the hit show Pawn Stars and Fox 5 MORE.
Michael Frazier, Conservator for UNLV
University Libraries.
In support
of our Social Service Programs our hope is to
raise funds in a silent auction at our upcoming
2nd Annual Heart of Hope Awards Luncheon.
The UNLV University Libraries Preservation
Conservation Laboratory created and donated
a hand crafted preservation case for the script.
Us Bank
Summer Jeans Friday
The US Bank Development Network held
an employee engagement opportunity
benefiting Catholic Charities Community
Food Pantry during the months of July
and August. This creative fundraiser
encouraged employees to purchase
tickets for designated Fridays to wear
jeans to work! The team raised $1400
to help fill our food pantry shelves for
struggling families in our valley.
Thank you!
Jess Whisnand, VP, CTP Treasury Management Consultant and
Karal Presley VP for Deposit and Payment Solutions for US Bank.
Program Highlights
Back to School Fair
Social Services
Special thanks to St. Francis of Assisi,
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and our
community for supporting Catholic
Charities Social Services
Back-to-School Fair.
On August 20th, students from St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton volunteered
at the event by giving out back-
Students from St. Elizabeth Ann packs, lunch boxes and goodie
Seton donated their time and
assembled hundreds of back-
bags to our clients.
packs filled with school supplies.
Thank you for making
this a joyful day for
our clients!
Children preparing to go back
to school were able to pick out
their own back pack!
Stinky Boot drive
Resident Empowerment Program
American Worker and Boot Barn held their Annual
Stinky Boot Drive during the month of August.
Boots collected were donated to the men in our
Resident Empowerment Program. One client stated,
“I have a background in construction and have been
waiting for construction boots in my size,” Heriberto
entered the program about 6 months ago. “I am
very grateful for the boots, thank you!”
Men seek Spot Jobs while
looking for opportunities
for long term employment.
These boots help them
achieve these goals.
Thank you Boot Barn and
American Worker for
helping our clients work
Sabrina Tolson, Case Manager
for the Resident Empowerment
towards a better life!
Program and Heriberto Gomez.
Richard Harris Law Firm
Helping Those In Need
After seeing a client’s story in the newspaper,
Richard Harris Law Firm held a free seminar for
clients in need of help to file for Social Security
Disability benefits. Representatives gave an
informational seminar, answered questions and
helped clients fill out paperwork. Additional
sessions are scheduled for the fall.
On behalf of the clients we serve, thank you
for offering this valuable information and
helpful services!
Extra Extra
New Catholic Charities Thrift Store Opening
Catholic Charities Retail Services is opening another new location September 12th!
The new thrift store is located in the Tropicana East Plaza at the cross streets of
Eastern & Tropicana.
Catholic Charities
Eastern Thrift Store
4840 S. Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Phone: 385-1910
New Store Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Catholic Charities Senior Services
has moved! New offices are located at
the back of the store. Programs include:
the Foster Grandparent Program, Senior
Companion Program, Retired & Senior
Volunteer Program, Telephone Reassurance
Program and the Respite Care & Supportive
Services Program.
Senior Services Phone: 382-0721
Senior Services Hours of Operation 4840 S. Eastern Avenue
Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Las Vegas, NV 89119
caring Community
Community Food Pantry
Many southern Nevada residents rely
on the services of the Community Food
Pantry. Catholic Charities could not
provide all we do with out the help
of our caring community.
Thank you for your support!
Nevada Federal Credit Union
Food Drive
Notre Dame Alumni
Association held their
annual Student Send-off
Mass and Picnic August
6th. Alumni and friends
held a toiletry collection
Leading Ladies Inc. Food Collection for Catholic Charities
Social Services.
Special thanks to Albertsons for donating bag Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
racks and 4,000 bags to Social Services. Southeast Area Command National Night
Out Food Collection.
Client spotlight
Starting a New Life In the Land of the Free
Can you imagine what it would be like to be
forced to leave your homeland? This is a reality
for our clients of the Migration and Refugee
Services program at Catholic Charities. I recently
met Ameera. She is a 40 year old Iraqi woman
who came to live in the United States under
political asylum in January of 2010. Ameera has
her Masters in English and worked in Iraq as a
Lector at the University and later as a trainer for
the U.S. Government. As a trainer for a USAID
contractor, she trained local nationals to help
establish governance throughout Iraq. Because
of her skills and loyalty to the United States she
and her family were threatened. These threats
became severe, when her best friend, who
worked with her was killed. Her employer
relocated her to Kuwait. She lived there for six
years while applying with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for
protection. The Embassy of the United States in Baghdad helped her apply for
political asylum to eventually relocate to the United States. Once she arrived
Catholic Charities helped her resettle here in Las Vegas. She worked one on one
with her Case Manager, Daniela, and received support from her local sponsor who
was her supervisor in Iraq and Kuwait. Our Migration and Refugee Services
employment unit helped her complete employment applications, attend job fairs
and prepare for interviews, with the goal of becoming self-sufficient. Today she
works for the Cosmopolitan as a sales associate. She says she loves her job and
everyday has a story. Now, Ameera has her own apartment and vehicle to get to
work. In her free time she enjoys working out at her local gym, attending knitting
and crochet craft fairs and shopping at the Mediterranean market near her home.
She volunteers her time as an interpreter for an elderly couple she met when she
arrived, helping them read their mail and taking them to appointments. She
hopes to complete her studies at UNLV to become a teacher or maybe take classes
to become a physical therapist. I asked her what advice she would give to other
refugees coming to start a new life in America and she said, “It is very important
to learn the language and culture, be open minded and patient. “If you desire it
you can do it!” “We are blessed here.” Last week Ameera was granted permanent
residency and hopes one day to bring her parents here. Thank you Ameera for
sharing your story with us and I wish you much success and happiness!
Leslie Carmine
Recognition Catholic Charities of
ANGEL AWARDS
Southern Nevada was
Nonprofit of the Year selected as a VEGAS INC
2011 Angel Award recipient
for Nonprofit of the Year!
Honorees celebrated the
award presentations at the
Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip
on August 24th. Catholic
Charities is featured in
this year’s edition of
The Giving Guide.
Patricia Trent Morrissey, Board of Trustees President; Peggy
McKenzie, Executive Assistant; Monsignor Patrick Leary,
Chief Executive Officer; Patrick Raglow, Vice President of
Administration; Bruce Spotleson, Group Publisher Greenspun
Media Group; and Bishop Joseph A. Pepe, Diocese of Monsignor Patrick Leary, Chief
Las Vegas. Executive Officer and Patricia
Trent Morrissey, Board of
Trustees President.
Bishop Joseph A. Pepe, Diocese of Las Vegas; Bruce Spotle-
son, Group Publisher Greenspun Media Group and Monsignor
Patrick Leary, Chief Executive Officer.
Meet the Staff
Meet the caring staff of Social Services. This program was established in 1941
and since then has helped families face everything from minor stresses to
major disruptions by providing emergency food, clothing, diapers, school sup-
plies, counseling, rental assistance-utility payment assistance (when available)
and referrals to other community resources. Case managers meet with each
client individually to offer assistance. Some of the most rewarding moments of
their job is to see clients’ faces light up. Social Services has events throughout
the year to help ease the economic strain for families in our valley. With support
from our community, we are able to provide an Easter Party, Back-to-School Fair,
Thanksgiving Basket giveaway and Christmas Toy giveaway. Ellen Ramirez, Lead
Case Manager for Social Services and the Tenant Based Rental Assistance
program loves the joy she feels when she can make children happy.
Jesse, Social Services Coordina-
tor says his favorite part of his
job is to help families through
economic hardships. Mayra
stated, “Knowing that I make a
difference everyday is the best
part. The services we offer can
be the difference between
someone having food on their
table and not.”
“Serving my community is the
most rewarding part of my job,”
says Sharon Romero, Social
Services Case Manager of four
years. Our Social Services
team would like to say THANK Sharon Romero, Case Manager; Ellen Ramirez, Lead Case
YOU to our community for Manager; Mayra Del Real, Case Manager and Jesse
making their job easier, we Marquez, Social Services Coordinator.
could not do what we do
without your caring support!
Donate
Giving Help and Giving Hope
to people in need regardless of race, religion or creed.
Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada | 1501 Las Vegas Boulevard North | Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 | 702.385-2662 | Fax 702.384.0677
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