Together We Serve to Alleviate Poverty
For a little while longer, it is the beginning of a new year. We look ahead and make plans, set goals, and can begin anew as we leave the past year behind us. This time of year is also designated for Poverty Awareness. This is the time when we can reflect on the teachings of our Church regarding service to the least among us. The Bishops, in their pastoral letter, A Place at the Table, remind us that as Catholics we must come together with a common conviction that we can no longer tolerate the moral scandal of poverty in our land and so much hunger and deprivation in our world (A Place at the Table, pg. 1). Jesus shows us that we are to act with love and compassion, as in Matthew 25:40 Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, and the stranger, insisting that when we serve them we serve him (Mt 25:40).
As a Church family we do reach out to make a difference. Here are just a few outreach ministries that extend Christ’s healing ministry to the poor and vulnerable in our Diocese:
|
Agency |
Mission |
Phone Number |
Website |
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Catholic Charities |
Inspired by God’s love, Catholic Charities alleviates poverty and builds strong families in the Diocese of Wichita. |
316-264-8344
Southeast Kansas Office 620-235-0633
|
www.CatholicCharitiesWichita.org
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Center of Hope |
Unexpected crises – an auto accident, loss of a job, health problems – all examples that daily bring clients to the door of Center of Hope. Through the compassionate service of staff and volunteers, clients receive a variety of services. |
(316) 267-0222 |
|
|
Dear Neighbor Ministries |
Through Sisters of St. Joseph Dear Neighbor Ministries, the sisters, staff and volunteers work to transform the lives of poor, abused and neglected of our community. We provide transitional housing, support services, and direct assistance to help people master the skills to become self-sufficient. |
(316) 684-5120 |
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Guadalupe Clinic |
The mission of Guadalupe Clinic is to provide access to necessary health care for those in need, work for social justice in health care, and call upon the entire Church and other people of goodwill to join in these efforts” |
316) 682-0588 |
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Office of Respect Life and Social Justice |
The Respect Life & Social Justice Office assists the bishop in proclaiming the dignity of human life—created in the Image of God—as the basis for the fundamental human right to life; and applying the Church’s social doctrine to local situations.
|
(316) 269-3935 |
www.respectlifesocialjustice.org
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St. Vincent de Paul Councils |
Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul. |
(316) 682-1415 or (316) 269-3935 |
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The Lord’s Diner |
“To recognize Christ, to love one another, to share life, in the breaking of the bread.” |
(316) 266-4966 |
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Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) |
Women’s Initiative Network is a nonprofit community partnership that provides survivors of abuse with educational and employment opportunities to foster healing and self-sufficiency. |
(316) 262-3960 |
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Of course there are other ways we serve the poor and vulnerable in our Diocese, as in parishes and individuals we reach out daily to fellow parishioners and local community members, responding to needs in informal and formal ways. We pray, volunteer and donate our time, talents and resources.
Now that the Together Vision has concluded the fundraising part of the campaign, we are still encouraged to implement the three pillars of the campaign – Together we gather, we learn, we serve. With the challenges of today’s economy, with the uncertainty of public funding for programs, we, as Catholics must remember that together, we are one human family, that we must see each other as “neighbor” and, as the Bishops teach us, that in solidarity we are called to care for our neighbors in need and to see all those who suffer as our brothers and sisters.
For more information on getting help or getting involved, visit the website or call one of the agencies or ministries listed above.
