Catholic Charities becomes a partner agency with United Way of Central Missouri
Will bring additional funding to Catholic Charities Food Pantry in Jefferson City, open doors to more collaboration among member agencies
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Beginning next year, Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri will join an impressive array of local service providers as a partner agency with the United Way of Central Missouri.
The partnership will bring additional funding for the Catholic Charities Food Pantry in Jefferson City, along with avenues for deeper collaboration among fellow service agencies in the area.
Catholic Charities (cccnmo.diojeffcity.org) is the charitable arm of the Diocese of Jefferson City.
The United Way of Central Missouri (unitedwaycemo.org) is a local, volunteer-driven organization that works with local agencies to improve life for people in its nine-county service area.
Most of its funding comes from local businesses and the employees of those businesses.
“This partnership marks a remarkable step forward in our ongoing commitment to creating positive change within our local community,” stated Sister Kathleen Wegman of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, interim executive director of Catholic Charities.
She said the partnership with United Way will do more than deepen Catholic Charities’ ability to serve.
“We see it as a commitment to creating change and to making a lasting difference in the lives of others,” she stated.
Also announced as new United Way partner agencies were Common Ground Community Building and the UCP Heartland-Gibbs Center for Independence, bringing the total number of partner agencies to 29.
United Way representatives joined staff, board members and volunteers of the three new partner agencies Aug. 29 for the announcement in the Catholic Charities Food Pantry in Jefferson City.
United Way of Central Missouri President and CPO Lee Knernschield pointed out that 1 in 2 people in the United Way’s service area receive help from an affiliated agency.
“Over 128,000 people were touched by the work of one of our agency partners in 2022,” she noted.
“With the addition of these three new member agencies, we will be able to provide a more complete continuum of care for those with disabilities, further address food insecurity in our community, and have more resources to assist individuals and families who are working toward self-sufficiency,” she said.
She noted that difficult life situations are rarely resolved by meeting a single need.
“No two people, families or neighborhoods are alike, and the issues are complex,” she said. “That’s why the United Way continues to build a network of local agencies to help people get the in-depth services that provide holistic support for their unique needs.”
United Way Board Chair Sharon Campbell noted that the agency’s partnership with Catholic Charities began in the aftermath of the EF-3 tornado and local flooding that affected Cole, Miller and the surrounding counties in 2019.
United Way provided a Disaster Grant to Catholic Charities at that time.
Sr. Kathleen called this new partnership a defining moment in the history of Catholic Charities.
“This collaboration exemplifies the power of unity, and we truly are better together,” she said.
She noted that the United Way’s dedication to improving lives resonates deeply with the vision and mission of Catholic Charities.
“We’re honored to align our efforts with an organization that shares our passion for making a lasting impact,” she said.
“As a partner agency,” she continued, “we envision a future where our combined strengths allow us to embrace challenges head-on, address critical issues, especially those related to food scarcity, and bring about transformative outcomes for those we serve.”
Located at 1015 Edmonds St. in Jefferson City, the Catholic Charities Food Pantry is open every Monday and Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. and every Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Anyone who needs it can start a membership at the pantry with just a photo I.D.
The client-choice pantry allows members to choose foods that are familiar, fresh and culturally appropriate in a grocery-store setting that honors the dignity of each client, encourages healthy food choices, reduces food waste and provides learning opportunities and community-building experiences.
It distributed more than $500,000 worth of food in 2022 and is well on its way to surpassing that amount this year.
Sr. Kathleen emphasized that the food pantry was designed and built on the foundational principle of Catholic social teaching: the life and dignity of the human person.
“That’s the way it functions, and it reflects that principle in every encounter we have here,” she said.
Many people who live nearby and shop for food at the client-choice pantry have taken time to share what they appreciate most about it.
Plaudits range from the availability of the hours, to the selection of fresh foods, dairy products and protein choices.
“But, more than any other piece of feedback they share with us — the care they feel as they shop here is of utmost importance to them,” said Sr. Kathleen.
“Whether our neighbors need to utilize this pantry for a week, a month or a while longer, we are here to serve them and await them with open arms,” she said.
United Way’s Strategic Funding Committee oversaw the application and interview process for new partners this year.
After three rounds of interviews, the three final agencies were selected and approved by United Way’s Board of Directors.
Sr. Kathleen thanked the United Way for extending this invitation “and believing in our shared potential.”
She said that she, Catholic Charities Food Programs Coordinator Lori Stoll and Senior Communication Director Ashley Wiskirchen all found the application process invigorating.
She noted that as the charitable arm of the Catholic Church, Catholic Charities is entrusted in a special way with responding to the needs of the poor.
Sr. Kathleen was quick to thank the dedicated team of Catholic Charities employees and hundreds of volunteers, whose collective passion helped lead to this moment.
“In the coming months, we look forward to working closely with United Way and their proud partner agencies, collaborating in a way that creates a more equitable future for each community that we touch,” she said.
Mrs. Wiskirchen lauded the passion and dedication of the board members and volunteers of the 29 local United Way partner agencies.
“The additional funding we’ll receive is great and will definitely advance our mission,” she noted.
“But what I’m really looking forward to is that community support from the people of the multiple agencies that we’re partnering with,” she said.
“That’s going to be really good for us and for everybody.”
