Spring 2019 - In This Issue:
CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC
Fort Myers-- AFCAAM of Catholic Charities held the 15th Annual Charity Golf Classic with more than 190 golfers participating at the Forest Golf and Country Club.  Proceeds from the tournament benefited the programs and services available at the center for disadvantaged youth in the community.  They include the After-School Reading Program, which provides intensive, high-quality after school reading and tutoring for over 100 elementary students, and Youth Mentoring Programs, which provide individual and group mentoring for over 50 at-risk teens. 

AFCAAM Youth Mentoring students Michael Velasquez (photo above left) and Audrey Rivera played in the tournament. Michael returned for his fifth year as a youth golfer, while his teammate Audrey enjoyed an exciting first year introduction to the world of golf.  Initially, she thought the game to be boring, but as an athlete found the skill set to be a challenge she could not resist. After learning the rules of the game and months of practicing, Audrey eventually tagged golf as being a lot of fun, especially during the tournament!

AFCAAM of Catholic Charities is committed to educating youth by encouraging and inspiring them to be life-long learners, community builders and people of service.The fundraiser also featured a raffle, prizes and dinner. A total of 67 sponsors ensured the event was a success. Everyone enjoyed a great day of golf while helping valuable programs that assist students in need. Thank you to all the golfers who participated! For more information contact Catholic Charities at 239-461-0233 or r.albertario@afcaam.com.


MOTHER'S DAY APPEAL
Our Mother's House 

Venice--Give the gift of a mother's love! Honor your mother this Mother's Day with a gift that will help homeless mothers and their children. Our Mother's House of Catholic Charities provides transitional housing and guidance in a safe environment for residents to achieve increased self-sufficiency through education, vocational training and personal growth. A mother's love can change the world. You can help a mother in need succeed! For more information contact Catholic Charities at 941-485-6264 or jscott@ccdis1.org.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

VENICE YACHT CLUB
Family Haven

North Port-- Thank you to Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation for a donation of $5,000 to the Catholic Charities Family Haven.  Foundation members and Catholic Charities staff gathered for a check presentation at the program that offers short-term and transitional housing to homeless families. They included (photo left to right) Bob Scholten, Joan Bowen, Catholic Charities CEO Philomema Pereira, Michael Nemser, Catholic Charities Program Director Roseann Albertario, and Don Healy.  The Family Haven provides short-term housing, transitional housing and case management to homeless families who reside in Sarasota County, which includes: Nokomis, Venice, Englewood and North Port. All families receive case management services to assist with the goal of securing a permanent residence.  For more information contact the Catholic Charities Family Haven at 941-564-8367 or ralbertario@ccdis1.org.

SHOW OF SHOWS
Bradenton--The rock and roll harmonies of the Atlantic City Boys entertained the crowd of over 500 people at the 2019 Sugar Bowl Show of Shows Sarasota-Bradenton. The fundraising event was held at the Neel Performing Arts Center on the campus of State College of Florida. 

Hosted by the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Charities, all proceeds go to the Sugar Bowl Fund for families in the community who are experiencing a financial hardship.  In 2018, the fund provided $40,995 to help to 36 families with 70 children. 

The Sugar Bowl Fund provides emergency financial assistance for low-income families with children 18-years-old and younger living in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Families are provided financial help for unexpected car repair, medical and utility bills and rent or mortgage payments, as well as relocation fees. The fund also assists families who have successfully completed the programs at Our Mother's House of Catholic Charities and New Paradigm of Catholic Charities to relocate into a permanent residence. To everyone who attended the show, thank you for your support !  For more information contact Catholic Charities at 941-244-9490 or rdbuzzi@ccdis1.org.


EASTER MEAL 
Holiday Food Programs

Collier and Lee Counties--U.S. Sugar donated food to three Catholic Charities locations for needy families to enjoy on Easter Sunday. The company delivered approximately 480 pounds of fresh meat, 230 pounds of green beans and 470 pounds of sweet corn to the Judy Sullivan Family Resource Center of Catholic Charities in Naples, the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen at Guadalupe Social Services of Catholic Charities in Immokalee and the Elizabeth Kay Galeana Center of Catholic Charities in Fort Myers. U.S. Sugar has been feeding American families since 1931 and both their farmland and headquarters are located in Clewiston. Thank you to Erica Ritter for coordinating these efforts and to U.S. Sugar for providing a special meal to deserving families! F or more information contact Catholic Charities at 941-488-5581 or rombalski@dioceseofvenice.org.

HUGS FOR HOMELESS
Human Trafficking Victim Assistance 

Venice--The Florida Council of Catholic Women (CCW) held the annual Hugs for Homeless fundraiser and the Venice Diocesan CCW allocated their portion of funds to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. A check for $8,276 was presented at the CCW Annual Conference at Epiphany Cathedral to Catholic Charities CEO Philomena Pereira (photo left) by Venice Diocesan CCW President Brenda Dolan. The funds will be  used to serve homeless clients in the Catholic Charities Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program. The program offers intensive case management services and transitional housing to survivors of human trafficking.  Catholic Charities appreciates the generous gift from the CCW!  For more information contact Catholic Charities at  239-390-2928 or epineros@ccslee.org. 

AFCAAM ANGELS
Fort Myers--AFCAAM of Catholic Charities After-School Reading Program and Youth Mentoring Programs are fortunate to have many supporters that help the center. Several "AFCAAM Angels" have provided assistance to the programs that serve at-risk students in the community. 

Carolyn and Don Creech (photo left) donated $19,600 to refurbish the AFCAAM of Catholic Charities student computer lab. Throughout the school year, both the elementary students in the After-School Reading Program and the middle and high school students in the Youth Mentoring Programs use the computer lab. A Digital U Summer Camp is offered during the summer and also uses the facility. This gift will make a positive impact on the students who attend AFCAAM programs!

Representatives from the local FOX News television station and the Scripps Howard Foundation visited the After-School Reading Program (photo below left) on National Reading Day and donated 100 books to the elementary students. "The donated  books included both Spanish and English versions of children's stories which are a wonderful addition to our reading center," said Program Director Pam Malafronte. "We are so grateful for the gift of these books."

The Lee County Book Mobile (photo below right) provides a Literacy and Mobile Community Outreach Program that stopped by AFCAAM of Catholic Charities to offer the kindergarten and first-grade students with a program called OSMO which operates on an iPad. " The children learn phonics through the manipulation of letter tiles. They are rewarded when the letter tile correlates with the picture produced on the screen. This was a very engaging activity and a fun time was had by all," said Malafronte. 

Catholic Charities is grateful to all the AFCAAM Angels! For more information contact Catholic Charities at 239-461-0233 or r.albertario@afcaam.com.


BACKPACK DRIVE
Human Trafficking
Victim Assistance 

Cape Coral--The Order of Malta collected personal care items and filled 22 backpacks for the clients of the Catholic Charities Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program. The group provides the backpacks for the program both in the Spring and Fall seasons. The Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program has a long-standing commitment to the plight of human trafficking in Southwest Florida by providing intensive case management and mental health counseling to all individuals who are the victims of the crime as they attempt to integrate into society after being rescued. The program provides and coordinates an expansive array of services for survivors from basic human needs to legal representation. Catholic Charities is grateful to the Order of Malta for their generosity! For more information contact Catholic Charities at 239-390-2928 or epineros@ccslee.org. 

SUPPORT FOR MIGRANTS
Guadalupe Social Services

Immokalee--Guadalupe Social Services of Catholic Charities was the recipient of three generous donations recently. The St. Agnes Knights of Columbus in Naples (photo) presented the program with a contribution of $2,000. The Niners Ladies Golf Association at Heritage Bay in Naples also gifted a check for $1,000. And, the Foundation for the Care of the Migrant Poor of the Diocese of Venice granted $15,000 to Guadalupe Social Services. The foundation thanked the program for the great work they do for the poor of the diocese. The Catholic Charities office has served the rural community of Immokalee for more than 35 years. Immokalee has long been a region of poor migrant workers. Half of the population lives at or below the poverty level. Guadalupe Social Services aims to alleviate the suffering in Immokalee with compassion, integrity and empathy. By empowering people through assistance provided to them, the main goals are to ensure human dignity and enhance the quality of life with basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, and household items, along with stability and education. Thank you for your donations! For more information contact Catholic Charities at 239-657-6242 or peggy@catholiccharitiescc.org. 

FREE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Catholic Charities, Dioceses of Venice, Inc. is offering free mental health counseling services for adults, children and families who lived in Florida during Hurricane Irma. These services are made possible through a grant from the American Red Cross.

Counselors can help resolve a variety of issues such as stress, anger, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma, depression, low self-esteem and grief. Services are available in English and Spanish.

Mental Health Services are available throughout the 10-county region of Southwest Florida. Please contact the Catholic Charities office nearest you to learn about all our service locations.

Sarasota
Catholic Charities
5055 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234
Call Joan at 941-355-4680, ext. 311

Bonita Springs
Catholic Charities 
28360 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Call Hilda at 239-390-2928

Fort Myers
Catholic Charities
5597 Sunrise Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33919
Call Beth at 239-337-4193 or 239-334-2234

Naples
Catholic Charities 
2210 Santa Barbara Boulevard, Naples, FL 34116
Call Nancy at 239-455-2655


SIP AND SHOP
Bethesda House

Sarasota--Volunteers and friends of Bethesda House of Catholic Charities spent an evening sipping wine and shopping for clothes to benefit the program. Scout and Molly's, a local boutique with designer brands for women, hosted the event providing the guests with beverages and snacks while they looked for merchandise to their liking. The store gave back 10 percent of the sales to Bethesda House. The Catholic Charities program is a drop-in community center that provides compassionate support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. Services include a nutritional center, clothing closet, laundry and shower facilities, along with support groups, individual and family counseling, case management, transportation assistance, job referral and linking to medical services.  For more information contact Catholic Charities at 941-366-1886  or cmcmenamin@ccdis1.org.

LEAGUE CLUB 
Community Outreach 

Naples--The League Club awarded the Judy Sullivan Family Resource Center of Catholic Charities a 2019 grant for $10,000 from their Community Trust Fund to help fund the Community Outreach Program. League Club President Charlene Barnette (photo right) presented a check to Catholic Charities Program Director Allegra Belliard along with 34 other non-profit organizations totaling $343,743 to support education, hunger relief and healthcare in the community. "Our Family Outreach Program will distribute food and baby items to under-served neighborhoods in Naples," said Belliard. "These are low-income families that do not have access to our services. We will deliver these items every month to hundreds of needy individuals. Our goal is to ensure that no one goes hungry because of their inability to purchase food or come to our food pantry," she said. For more information contact Catholic Charities at 239-793-0059 or allegra@catholiccharitiescc.org.