Catholic Charities Atlanta

CCA Hosts Refugee Summer Camp
Catholic Charities Atlanta hosted a summer camp for refugee children at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Stone Mountain this summer. The children experienced a wide array of summer enrichment activities including academic support, field trips to Zoo Atlanta and an ice-skating rink, as well as visits from Sign Language students, local police officers, and the Center for Puppetry Arts.

Kate Walker, LMSW, Refugee Parenting Services Coordinator for CCA’s Family Stabilization Program said of her work with the camp this summer, “it is a joy to work with these children each summer. One student, a 5 year old Burmese child, had only been to “school” in a refugee camp in Thailand. Without any English, he was unable to even ask to use the restroom. No one else spoke his native-language, but the other children quickly adopted him as their “kaka,” which means brother in Swahili. Not only did his vocabulary improve, but he also learned how to operate in an American classroom. He practiced holding a pencil, sitting at a desk, joining in group projects, and interacting with new people. To see the impact our Camp made on this one student in particular was incredible, but for all of these children, our Camp makes a difference.”

Governor Nathan Deal Sends Letter of Praise to Catholic Charities Atlanta Staff for their Work with the Spring Tornado Victims
Ethel Higgins, Catholic Charities staff and volunteers were busy this Spring, providing help to victims of the Spring tornadoes (in Spaulding County, in particular). Services provided included financial assistance for utilities, rent, household appliances, food and gas, as well as much needed guidance in filing for earned benefits and federal assistance. We received a $10,000 grant from Catholic Charities USA to help with funding this emergency effort. Additionally, we collected over $4,000 in online donations. CCA collaborated with many community organizations including FEMA, Red Cross, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Lutheran Ministries, GOVOAD, Southern Baptist to provide assistance to the counties impacted. Catholic Charities Atlanta is now entering into the “long-term recovery” stage. We will continue to work with the LTRC (long-term recover Committee’s) to review cases and begin to provide assistance around housing, utilities, transportation/moving expenses and materials.

CCA Received a Score of 100%
The Georgia Department of Human Services recently conducted a site visit. A site visit by grant funders involves interviewing clients and staff, reviewing client records and personnel files, and reviewing administrative policies and documents to insurance compliance with grant expectations. CCA receives funding through DHS for our Cuban/Haitian Grant and is administered by three of our programs including Immigration Legal Services, Refugee Resettlement Services and Family Stabilization Services. The department received a 100% score on the visit which is a great example of how two or more of our programs can work together to effectively administer a single grant. The agency scored 100% on the case file record review and 100% on compliance with administrative/program monitoring.

Holy Spirit Catholic Church Vacation Bible School Children Raised Over $600.00 for CCA
Children who attended Holy Spirit Catholic Church’s Vacation Bible School this summer collected loose change and dollars for the benefit of Catholic Charities Atlanta. What an accomplishment by CCA’s youngest donors!

Catholic Foundation of North Georgia Awarded Two Grants to Catholic Charities Atlanta

The Catholic Foundation of North Georgia recently awarded two grants to the agency. Refugee Resettlement Services received a $5,000 grant from the Nellie Dodd McAdams Fund for use in Social Adjustment and for the elderly. Additionally, the Foundation awarded a $12,500 grant which will provide partial funding for a part-time case manager to work out of Catholic Charities’ Northeast Regional Office in Lilburn.

Krygiel Selected for 2012 Leadership Atlanta Class
Joe Krygiel, CEO of Catholic Charities Atlanta was recently selected as part of the 2012 Leadership Atlanta Class. The core of Leadership Atlanta’s programming is a signature nine-month, executive-level series. Seventy-five established leaders are chosen each year to represent a broad cross-section of metro Atlanta. Through retreats, full-day seminars, service projects, discussion groups and community tours, members explore critical community issues, examine themselves as leaders and build relationships of trust and mutual understanding. Krygiel said of his participation “I believe that as a member of Leadership Atlanta that I will benefit greatly by this opportunity to learn new leadership skills and Catholic Charities will benefit from this new network of community partners that will offer better collaboration opportunities to respond to the many economic challenges in the Atlanta area.”

Cindy Nofi, CCA Leadership Committee Chair, was recently recognized for her service with the MS Society
Cindy Nofi, Private Wealth Manager for Wells Fargo and CCA Board Member and Leadership Class Committee Co-Chair was recently recognized for her service with the MS Society. Cindy and Mark Nofi, are long-time supporters of CCA . Cindy, a true community philanthropist is very involved with the Georgia Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society—a cause close to her heart as Mark has been diagnosed with the disease. She recently chaired the MS Women on the Move Luncheon which raised funds and awareness for the MS Society.

Frances McBrayer, Program Director for Refugee Resettlement Services Selected to be the Co-Chair of the Georgia Coalition of Refugee Stakeholders
Frances McBrayer was selected to be the Co-Chair of the Georgia Coalition of Refugee Stakeholders which is a network group for any organization, volunteer, service provider or community member to share information, resources and build a supportive network.

Lina Rodriquez received her Housing Counseling Management Certification
Family Stabilization Program Director, Lina Rodriquez, received her Housing Counseling Management Certification from the National Council of LaRaza Homeownership Network and the Learning Alliance. “The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is the largest national Hispanic constituency-based civil rights organization in the U.S. As an organization committed to reducing poverty and improving life opportunities for the nation’s more than 40 million Hispanics, NCLR pursues research, advocacy, and programmatic initiatives aimed at increasing and maintaining Hispanic homeownership.”

Rosa De’Kelly Granted Full BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) Accreditation
Rosa’s new accreditation allows her to represent clients before the Executive Office for Immigration Review. A fully accredited representative can represent clients in removal, summary removal, rescission and other proceedings in immigration court. This an important recognition of Rosa’s many years of important work with CCA.
Rosa also recently celebrated becoming an American citizen. After the celebration, Rosa shared the following sentiment with our staff: “I thank each of you for teaching me every day about this great nation and for sharing the true meaning of what is to be an American. I am thankful for the choices and the opportunities I have in my life, and I kindly thank you for being a great addition to it. Peruvian by birth, British by heritage and American by choice!