Donors honor Glick’s Legacy of Love

More than 200 donors responded to Catholic Charities’ Legacy of Love appeal to honor former executive director Wendy Glick’s retirement earlier this year. Together, the donors surpassed the $100,000 match fund established by friends of Glick, helping both her and Catholic Charities feel the love of the community.

Honoring someone who served for 25 years

“Catholic Charities has two reasons to be grateful for the community’s generous response to our Legacy of Love appeal,” says Traci Kennedy, new executive director. “First, the inflow of contributions towards the end of our fiscal year is essential to our ability to continue providing services to those most in need as schools let out and summer begins. Many families in our community are struggling with food and housing insecurity as inflation raises the costs of food, rent and utilities.

“Second, we are grateful that so many people recognized Wendy and her service to the community,” Traci says.

“The generous response to the Legacy of Love appeal was a beautiful way to honor someone who for 25 years showed our community how to serve others with dignity and grace.”

“I know that Wendy is humbled by the outpouring of generosity in her honor,” Traci says.

Funds will impact thousands

With the matching funds, the Legacy of Love appeal raised more than $221,000 for Catholic Charities’ Faithful Servant Fund. Catholic Charities can use those funds to have the following impact on its clients and operations:

• Provide one month of shelter, food and supplies for 15 homeless families at St. Anthony Family Shelter.
• Help Our Daily Bread Food Pantry purchase the food needed during one month to give 500 families 2-3 days’ worth of food.
• Provide six weeks of safe shelter, food and supplies to 13 survivors and their children at Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter.
• Allow 200 people to pay discounted rates for the services they receive at either Cana Counseling, Immigration Services and Adult Day Services thanks to income-based sliding fee scales.
• Fund approximately two months of utilities at all Catholic Charities buildings in Wichita.