Annual Report 2008 contents Our Mission and Vision 1 Letters from His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan and 2 the Most Reverend Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan A Message from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees 3 A Report to the Community from the Executive Director 4 Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth 6 Catholic Charities Philanthropy 8 Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless 10 Friends and Funders 12 Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises 18 Catholic Charities Federation of Agencies 20 Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged 26 Fiscal Report 28 Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees 30 Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Journey of Hope 32 Board of Trustees and Senior Management 33 With your help, Catholic Charities creates hope for New Yorkers in need. our mission The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York seeks to uphold the dignity of each person as made in the image of God by serving the basic needs of the poor, troubled, frail and oppressed of all religions. We collaborate with parishes, as well as non-Catholic and Catholic partners, to build a compassionate and just society. Through a network of administered, sponsored and affiliated agencies, Catholic Charities delivers, coordinates, and advocates for quality human services and programs touching almost every human need. our vision Catholic Charities helps solve the problems of New Yorkers in need—non-Catholics and Catholics alike. The neglected child, the homeless family, and the hungry senior are among those for whom we provide help and create hope. We rebuild lives and touch almost every human need promptly, locally, day in and day out, always with compassion and dignity. We help your neighbors as you would like to be helped if your family were in need. To conserve maximum funding for those in need, this annual report was produced in a two-colorwww.catholiccharitiesny.org design. 1 A Letter from His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan A Letter from Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan Dear Friends in the Lord: My Dear New Friends in Christ: It is with deep gratitude that I look back on my With humble gratitude, I thank Pope Benedict nine years as Archbishop of New York. Permit XVI for my appointment as Archbishop of New me to ask you to join me in welcoming His York. To all of you throughout this magnificent Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy M. archdiocese, I pledge to you my love, my life, Dolan, as our new Archbishop. and my heart. For nearly a century, Catholic Charities has It is with a sense of amazement and appreciation provided assistance and given hope to so many, that I am beginning to learn of the magnitude of including individuals and families; the hungry, the work of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese the homeless, the disabled, and the newcomers of New York. Catholic Charities demonstrates so to our shores. How proud I am of all that Catholic well the love of Jesus Christ for those in need of Charities has accomplished. all religions. As one can imagine, more people than ever have I look forward to visiting Catholic Charities turned to Catholic Charities this past year as a programs in New York City and the Hudson result of the extraordinarily difficult economic Valley, and meeting the dedicated staff and challenges that we as a city, state and nation are volunteers who truly make Catholic Charities the facing. In the midst of all this, Catholic Charities backbone of New York. I pledge to do my part has remained a bastion of support and inspiration to continue and enhance the compassionate even to many who in the past had given care that Catholic Charities provides each year to generously to its various appeals and now hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in need. find themselves in need. Where we would be without Catholic Charities is something that I Be assured of my prayers and my thanks for hope we never have to consider. your support. This annual report presents lives that have been Gratefully in Christ, changed by Catholic Charities throughout the New York City boroughs of Staten Island, Manhattan, and the Bronx, as well as the Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan counties of the Hudson Valley. Permit me to Archbishop of New York invite and even encourage you to learn more about and become more involved with the crucially important activities and undertakings of Catholic Charities. You will be doing the work of the Lord, and in doing so receive His choicest blessings. With prayerful best wishes, may I remain. Very truly yours in Christ, Edward Cardinal Egan 2 Annual Report 2008 A Message from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, John J. Phelan, Jr. Dear Friends: efforts throughout the year. I would also like to stress the importance of and my appreciation to I feel privileged to work with Catholic Charities. all who give generously of their time, talents and It’s as simple as that. In these challenging resources to enable Catholic Charities to provide economic times, Catholic Charities responds as help and create hope. More than 1,000 volunteer it has for nearly a century with determination and directors and trustees guide this federation of dedication, reaching out to provide a vast array nearly 100 Catholic Charities agencies throughout of services for those in need. the New York metropolitan area. Their expertise and oversight prove critical to the integrity, high Permit me to express my deep appreciation quality and success of our agencies. Under the to His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan for his dedicated leadership of Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, generous support to Catholic Charities during his committed staff and volunteers help solve the service as Archbishop of New York. And allow me problems of New Yorkers in need—non-Catholics to welcome the Most Reverend Timothy Dolan and Catholics alike. as our new archbishop. My long association with Catholic Charities has I want to thank my fellow trustees and members only deepened my respect for all it does. This of the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity who make annual report provides an opportunity to extol Catholic Charities a priority in their philanthropic the agency’s work in transforming lives thanks to supporters like you. It describes needs as well as responses. It describes hardship as well as help, and anguish, as well as hope. It describes Catholic Charities, now more than ever, as an essential part of New York. With warmest regards, John J. Phelan, Jr. Chairman, Board of Trustees www.catholiccharitiesny.org 3 A Report to the Community from the Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan his past year, Catholic Charities poverty level. The New York State Feeding the Hungry and Tconfronted the onslaught of Child Abuse hotline received more Sheltering the Homeless economic and fiscal disasters: fear than 51,000 reports of abuse or Catholic Charities stands in the and foreclosures, evictions and neglect last year. One in three forefront serving the swelling hunger, swelling unemployment children grows up in a single parent numbers of the newly poor. and shrinking retirement funds. household and about the same Foreclosure and eviction notices Through it all, Catholic Charities number live as “latchkey” children. climbed by twenty percent last maintained its commitment to year. The homeless searching for Catholic Charities responds to poor and vulnerable New Yorkers. food, shelter and work rose by these sometimes overwhelming another twenty percent. Hungry More people than ever ask circumstances. More than one- persons turning to food pantries how Catholic Charities helps third of New York City children surged by thirty percent. Some who and why they should support us. in foster care live in safe homes previously donated now ask for a Paradoxically, the answer to what under the auspices of Catholic bag of food to tide them over. we do also answers why we need Charities agencies. More than and merit support. 3,000 families receive our support Catholic Charities responded. so their children can remain at Our extensive community-based In this report, I highlight how home with their parents. Catholic network of fifty-three affiliated Catholic Charities strengthens Charities’ safe day care and after- programs distributed more than individuals and families and resolves school programs nurture children 5,300,000 meals last year. Drawing crises. This is the answer to why while parents struggle at work to on donor dollars and partnerships your support is more vital than ever. provide for their families. Catholic with other agencies, Catholic Youth Organization, CYO, engages Charities prevented homelessness Protecting and Nurturing more than 20,000 youth in for 2,300 families before it occurred Children and Youth athletic, educational and spiritual and worked tirelessly to ensure Poverty, hunger, neglect and abuse opportunities that foster healthy those families stayed housed. darken the lives of far too many growth. The skillful combination New York children. Over 875,000 of volunteers, private contributions Strengthening Families children in New York grow up in and public funding makes this and Resolving Crises families with incomes below the extensive range of services one of Catholic Charities’ uniqueness is that the most cost-effective in New York. we go far beyond merely giving food. 4 Annual Report 2008 When an emergency strikes a family, programs that nurture children to their deportation to face probable we provide training, find jobs and develop. We help the physically and torture and death in their own housing and much more. As I write emotionally disabled, sometimes countries. this, the number of unemployed for a lifetime. We provide decent jumped to nearly nine percent, housing and compassionate care Stewarding the Mission triggering homelessness and family when aging parents and caregivers of Providing Help and instability.