Dear Friends:

The month of June offers many opportunities for families to gather together. It is the beginning of summer break for students, a time to enjoy family vacations and reunions, and to engage in warm-weather activities. On June 18, we celebrate Father’s Day and extend appreciation to all who guide and build affirming relationships to those in their care. We also recognize World Refugee Day on June 20 as featured in this month’s issue.

The prayer intention in June from Pope Francis focuses on ending torture in the world, with this message, “It is essential to put the dignity of the person above all else.” Pope Francis further states that torture comes in many forms and we must commit to, “…guaranteeing support to victims and their families.” At Catholic Charities, we live this message to help. We are committed to removing such treatment through our varied programs. Our ministry welcomes new refugees, feeds the hungry, supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, secures housing when families are in crisis, and offers counseling to those experiencing emotional health needs.

As we conclude our fiscal year, it is fitting we convey our sincere gratitude to staff, volunteers, donors, funders, and friends for their many contributions of time, talent, and treasure. All provide meaningful impact and direct service to those we serve.

With Blessings,

With good wishes,

Barbara Q. Decker

Catholic Charities Executive Director

World Refugee Day

Each year on June 20th World Refugee Day celebrates refugees worldwide. It is meant to shine light on the needs, rights and hopes of refugees and mobilize resources.

In case you missed it...

If you’ve not seen our social media posts or been by the Food Pantry at 1815 Hubbell Avenue in the past couple of weeks, we encourage you to plan a route that includes the corner of University and Hubbell! You may also check out the Des Moines Register article online here or the We Are Iowa story online here.

Some super fun 5^th graders from a local school designed this mural for the Catholic Charities Food Pantry. The mural depicts fruits and veggies being grown, transported and made available for our neighbors in need. A couple of local artists at Crooked Street Studios traced the design on the front right side of the building and the kids painted it on April 29^th!

Congrats to Catholic Charities Executive Director!

Catholic Charities of Des Moines is pleased to announce that Barbara Quijano Decker has been selected as a 2023 Woman of Influence! For 24 years, the Business Record has recognized women who have made outstanding contributions to the community in a variety of areas with the Women of Influence awards. Honorees have devoted their lives to doing things most wouldn’t. They have spent countless hours on various boards and are role models with impeccable ethics. They have blazed a trail personally and professionally for other women to follow. These characteristics are among the many reasons Barbara has led our organization with tireless enthusiasm since 2018 and we couldn’t be more proud of this most recent public recognition!

Barbara’s distinguished career in higher education, health care, and social services most certainly played a role in her selection for this honor. Before coming to Catholic Charities, she served as President of Mercy College of Health Sciences and Vice Provost of Human Resources at Drake University.

No stranger to prestigious recognition, Barbara has received various professional awards, including the Distinguished Drake Master of Public Administration Alumnus Award, the Robert D. Ray Ambassador Award, and the Eugene J. Paul Excellence in Human Resources Award. She was recognized as a recipient into the Iowa Women’s Foundation. She received a papal recognition, Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice, conferred to lay people for distinguished service to the Catholic Church.

Please join us in expressing our deepest congratulations to Barbara! We are forever grateful for her ongoing leadership and cannot wait to celebrate her at the awards ceremony on August 3!

Staff Spotlight

Emergency Family Shelter names Kelli Novak Shelter Coordinator

Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter is pleased to announce that Kelli Novak was named Shelter Coordinator. Kelli has been with the shelter for 15 months. Her favorite part about working at the shelter is watching the families grow and succeed. In her spare time, she loves playing with her two Australian Shepard puppies.

Did You Know?

Catholic Charities Counseling Program is seeking licensed therapists and licensed bilingual therapists (Spanish/English) to see clients in our Des Moines office. School based counseling positions available too. Check out the job opportunity here.

Donors Like You..

Barbara and Skip Braak first learned about Catholic Charities through their parish, Holy Trinity, in Des Moines. The couple knew they wanted to make a difference for those who had been impacted by some unfortunate life circumstances and Catholic Charities offered programs that served individuals and families in those ways. Barbara was specifically drawn to supporting the Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking Program. “I can’t think of anything more horrible than human trafficking, so we are grateful to know we are supporting a program that helps people overcome those terrible situations” said Barbara. The Braaks give a modest gift every month that is automatically processed with just one annual authorization. Those monthly gifts are easy to manage from Barbara and Skip’s perspective and really add up to a great impact for the program. Barbara appreciates that they can “set it up according to our budget and don’t have to remember to write a check or make a phone call. If our circumstances change, it is easy to increase or decrease our giving.” The Braaks are humble and grateful to be able to support programs that make such a difference in peoples’ lives.

To learn more about giving through monthly pledge payments like the Braaks, contact Bobbi Smith at bsmith@catholiccharitiesdm.org.

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Your Support Serves Thousands in Central and Southwest Iowa

Catholic Charities Annual Appeal is the primary funding source for Catholic Charities along with government and private grant funding. Donors who commit to an annual gift help strengthen and empower individuals and families through some of the most difficult times in their lives. Consider an annual gift that will help all year!

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Serving those in need within the Diocese of Des Moines

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Des Moines serves those in need within the 23 counties of the Diocese of Des Moines in southwest Iowa. Our mission to empower individuals and strengthen families applies to anyone in need in the area, regardless of demographic. Our mission is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. Our programs and services include refugee resettlement, professional counseling, food pantry, domestic violence and sexual assault shelter and services, emergency family shelter and more. We impact over 30,000 individuals each year.

Find more information about Catholic Charities here.

Contact Us

Phone: 515-244-3761

Email: charities@catholiccharitiesdm.org

Mail: 601 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309

Visit our Website: catholiccharitiesdm.org