by Mike Melara, Executive Director
This verse, commonly known as “The Fisherman’s Prayer,” finds its way into my thoughts on a regular basis these days. If Catholic Charities is a boat, then the sea is this pandemic we are all trying to navigate. There is no chartered course for us to take. We yield to the winds and rain and search for a path, a true north from which we can set our course.
As an organization, we have made a number of changes over the last week to ensure the safety of our staff while also attending to the most vulnerable members of our community. Essential services like our homeless shelter, pantry, and emergency services are still open and available to people in need. With few exceptions, all of our other services are still operational, with staff connecting with the people they serve by phone, email, text, and other devices while working from home. We have implemented protocols and agency guidelines for every aspect of our operation, consistent with regulatory guidance and local requirements. As a Senior Management Team, we meet daily, hourly, minute-by-minute, to address emerging needs. Still, the “sea” is large and raging.
The boat, while small, is intact and filled with excellent people: our wonderful and caring staff, a devoted Board of Directors, donors, and friends who care very much about us and the people we serve. In the end, it is always about them – the people in need who need us even more right now.
We will move through the seas, buoyed by your support and guided by God’s love and presence. We must simply point ourselves in His direction and know that He will lead the way.