Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri announces Cristal Backer as director of development, outreach
Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri (CCCNMO) has announced that Cristal Backer serves as their new director of development and outreach.
Her responsibilities include overseeing development and communication efforts to support the work at Catholic Charities of “Providing Care and Creating Hope.”
With over a decade of experience in nonprofit work, Mrs. Backer spoke about how much she values the connection to the local faith community as a Cathedral of St. Joseph parishioner and St. Joseph Cathedral School advisory board member.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to serve Catholic Charities and our community,” she said.
“This is truly a special time to be involved with the work of Catholic Charites, as it renovates the former chapel and gymnasium of the La Salette seminary in Jefferson City and transforms it to become a multi-service health and social welfare space to serve central and northern Missourians.”
Plans for the space include a food pantry, universal exam rooms for healthcare providers to utilize for screenings and other basic health services, classroom space for various programs, and the inclusion of Catholic Charities current services, including disaster recovery, housing and financial counseling, and immigration services.
CCCNMO Executive Director Dan Lester said that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the desperate need for the services to be provided there was evident.
“But now as we see the influx of people, including those who lost their job and have never needed assistance before, we strive to be up and running as soon as possible,” he stated.
“We look forward to Cristal helping in these critical efforts through her understanding of God’s intention for us all to be good stewards of His gifts to us of time, talent, and treasure as they are given in His service” he said.
“We are glad to have Cristal join our staff to assist in our work to provide compassionate care for those most vulnerable in our region,” he said.
CCCNMO is the charitable services arm of the Diocese of Jefferson City, providing a range of programs and services to those in need to a 38-county service area regardless of faith, culture or situation.
CCCNMO is committed to assisting the most basic and immediate needs of the poor and vulnerable by giving them the help and resources needed for long-term change.
Anyone interested in joining Catholic Charities’ building renovation efforts can donate at:
