Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Annual Appeal 2018

Meet some people who have been helped by Catholic Charities

Saint Joseph’s Counseling
 

As a dedicated wife of 11 years and mother of three children under age 10, Bethany was happy with her life. As a stay-at-home mom, she dedicated herself to raising her children and being involved with every aspect of their lives. Then, one day, a life-altering decision was made. Her husband wanted a divorce. Bethany was shocked and devastated. Her once steady and loving life was now broken and full of uncertainty.
 

Bethany was experiencing a great amount of loss and guilt and was struggling with learning to be a single parent while trying to understand the process of divorce to help her kids cope with the transition. Fortunately, she found Catholic Charities Saint Joseph’s Counseling Center.

Through counseling, Bethany has been supported as she has redefined herself as a soon-to-be graduate and a strong, independent single mother who is on her way to finding a full-time job and gaining financial stability. By not being afraid to ask for help, Bethany has secured a better future for her and her children.

Adoption
 

When Brett and Erin were ready to start a family, the process was not as easy as they had expected. Through the span of a couple of years, Erin experienced two miscarriages and two ectopic pregnancies.

After their first miscarriage, Brett and Erin briefly thought about adopting, but wanted to try to conceive one more time. They understood God’s plan more clearly after they were unsuccessful at the second attempt to expand their family.

There is one thing they knew for sure; they wanted a child to laugh with, to hold and to love. While researching local adoption agencies, Brett and Erin became more familiar with Catholic Charities and put their faith in our staff and the process of adoption. After the initial meeting, they felt confident they were where they were intended to be.

A few months later, Brett and Erin were picked by a birth mother to be Henry’s parents.

“We were so excited. And, while the process was very up and down emotionally, from birth forward it was all positive,” Brett said.

Catholic Charities’ adoption program is unique in that it requires a fostering process to ensure the birth mother truly understands the process and the adoptive parents are a good fit for the baby.

“The day we met our son, Henry, we loved him and couldn’t wait to bring him home,” Brett continued. 

They were able to visit Henry twice a week for an hour or two each time, until they were approved to take Henry home. Brett and Erin write letters to Henry’s birth mother each quarter to give updates of what is changing in Henry’s life. Since completing the adoption process, Brett and Erin have noticed just how many people are touched by adoption and feel very blessed to be a part of that community now.

“Henry’s birth mother made that choice to entrust us with Henry and make those life decisions for Henry and we couldn’t be happier or feel more humbled,” Brett said.

The Family Hope Network - Ardmore

The mission of Catholic Charities is to provide help and hope in 46 counties of central and western Oklahoma. Our regional offices play a large part in reaching as many clients as possible by offering counseling outreach and case management in cities across the state.

The Family Hope program is available at the regional locations. The program exists to empower clients to gain independence through classes and case management.
 

Adam enrolled in Family HOPE in April 2017 at the Ardmore office. Through the program, he consolidated his $1,800 in loans with 2 percent interest and plans to have it paid off by November. He has been working with a local housing agency to obtain his own home, and his credit score has been steadily rising. It already has increased from the low 500s to the low 600s.

Jessie enrolled in the program in February. She was fleeing an abusive relationship, so she began counseling and has opened a savings account. She is learning how to budget with the help of financial literacy classes and is on a waitlist to move into a new apartment complex.

Adam and Jessie benefited from their individualized case management services and are on their way to self-sufficiency with the guidance of the Ardmore regional office.

Enid counseling successes

Many of our clients find themselves facing anxiety and depression, and without help and support these conditions can negatively impact their lives.

This was the case for Theresa who was battling extreme anxiety that affected all areas of her life. Despite earning a degree and obtaining a professional career, her disorder became so advanced she ended up losing her job. She was left unemployed, hopeless and afraid.

Fortunately, she discovered Saint Joseph’s Counseling Center in Enid where she found a team of counseling professionals who provide opportunities for change and growth in an environment of love and acceptance. After working through some of her problems, she reached a milestone by being able to gain a temporary contract position.

After continued counseling, Theresa obtained the skills to successfully manage her anxiety, and she thrives in a full-time job in her chosen field.

Sanctuary Women’s Development Center - OKC
 

A few years ago, Cindy fled from her home in another state to Oklahoma. She was a victim of gang violence, abused drugs for more than 10 years, faced a serious addiction and was in a life-threatening situation. Her husband was newly incarcerated, and her children were at risk of being homeless and subjected to drugs.

When Cindy arrived in Oklahoma, she was homeless. She knew she wanted more for herself and for her children, so Cindy contacted Catholic Charities and checked herself into a sober living program. Her family members took her children into their care while their mother regained strength and stability.

Now, after two years of working with her case manager and going through sober living programs and transitional living, she is close to being reunited with her children. She has a new job with great benefits and is working toward a management position. Her journey is a testament to her strong will to get her children back.

"Ten years of my life working so hard to get a drug fix,” Cindy said. “I figured that I can work just as hard to get my kids back."

Sanctuary Women’s Development Center – Norman

If there is one thing we have learned since opening the Sanctuary Women’s Development Center in 2014, it is that homelessness can affect anyone. Ordinary people can be faced with extraordinary circumstances that leave them with nowhere else to turn.

Jeanette was living between streets and shelters for four years. She moved from county to county with the availability of shelter openings, and while in Norman she stumbled upon Sanctuary.

After getting to know Jeanette, our case manager discovered she had limited work experience since she was primarily a housewife prior to homelessness. With her case manager’s help, Jeanette was able to find employment. Shortly after, Norman housing officials approved her case to receive a homeless voucher. Jeanette moved into her apartment in May 2018 – her first home in four years.

 
Norman Sanctuary helped her discover her value and helped build her confidence by helping her find reputable resources and walking with her on her journey. 

Holy Family Home Hero

Through a referral from the Oklahoma Department of Health Services, Amy came to Holy Family Home battling depression, substance abuse and domestic violence. She recently lost the roof over her head and the custody of her children.

Luckily, Holy Family Home was there to help. Through housing and counseling, Amy gained the skills and confidence she needed to secure employment and visitation privileges with her kids. Amy has been sober for 10 months and has gained public housing. Holy Family Home helped her receive furniture, and rental and utility deposits to set up her new home.

She maintains all of her counseling, parenting and substance abuse classes and has gained higher paying employment.
 
Best of all, Amy recently received approval for weekend visitation with her children at her new home. Catholic Charities Holy Family Home works diligently to help our clients reach self-sufficiency by providing a supportive and positive culture to come home to everyday.

Immigration Legal Services

Our Immigration Legal Services Department often works with clients as soon as they arrive in the United States, but sometimes our clients already have been in the country for years.

Sofia was faced with a dilemma, as immigration lawyer, Janie Tapia recalled.
 

“[Sofia] will always be remembered for the type of case it was,” she said. “She had been brought to the United States when she was a child, spoke perfect English, graduated from high school and had a great job.”
 

However, Sofia did not have a green card, which would allow her to live and work permanently in the United States. Married to an active service member, Sofia was eligible to apply for her green card and Catholic Charities was there to help with the application process.
 

“Once she obtained her green card, we requested an expedited naturalization,” Tapia said.
 

With help from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Military Hotline and a congressional liaison, we were able to help the client obtain her expedited naturalization. Soon after, Sofia and her newborn son joined her husband overseas.

The Immigration Legal Services Program at Catholic Charities exists to provide information and legal services to lower-income individuals and families who face obstacles to family unity and/or diminished personal, social and economic opportunities as a result of their immigration status.

The bond of brothers

Our Refugee Resettlement Department works tirelessly to provide guidance to those entering our country, and we are so proud of our clients who are thriving in their new lives.
 

Two such clients are brothers, Juan and Carlos, who arrived from Honduras in February to join their parents in Oklahoma City. Their father had left Honduras when they were only children.

Many years later, he was able to apply for his kids through the U.S. Department of State’s Central American Minors refugee program, and their case was approved.

Now young adults, the brothers have reunited with their parents in America, and have been diligently attending English classes. The brothers recently passed their driver’s license exam and have started full-time employment.
 

Dreamer to doer
  
One of our clients had a dream, and she was willing to work for it. When Maria Martinez came to Catholic Charities, she was frustrated and discouraged. She went through nursing school in her native Guatemala, but her skills and knowledge could not be used in the United States due to her lack of American credentials. She was stuck working a few hours a week for a home health company, and she felt underutilized and unfulfilled.

Martinez joined our case management program and sat down with her case manager to come up with a step-by-step education plan to further her chance of self-sufficiency. A few years later she arrived at our office with an invitation to her graduation.

“Before sitting down with my case manager, I thought it would be very difficult to accomplish part of my dream,” Martinez said. “I realized the only one stopping me from working on my education was myself. I would like for other clients to see that anything can be accomplished when you set your mind to it.”

Martinez has set her mind to continuing her education – this time at a college level. We are looking forward to attending her next graduation.

Go confidently

Sometimes all it takes for a client to break out of poverty is a little bit of confidence.

This was the case for Jessica who went through our Family HOPE program at our Guymon office. When she began the program, she had been living on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits since age 16. After learning some budgeting skills, Jessica decided she wanted more from life than living check to check.

With the help of her case manager, she began to apply for jobs around the area. After some searching, she eased into a part-time position and soon was promoted to a full-time employee.

She continued to manage her monthly expenses and expressed gratitude to her case manager for being there every step of the way.

After two years of case management, Jessica is working full time and is no longer receiving SSI benefits. Jessica is confident in her abilities and looks forward to her future.

Disaster recovery

What would you grab if a tornado were headed straight for your home? Many people would save photos or family heirlooms, but one client forgot to grab something a little different – their teeth.
 

In a rush to seek shelter from a spring 2015 tornado, Joseph forgot to grab his dentures from the restroom counter. Joseph’s dentures were destroyed in the storm, and he did not have the resources to replace them. Additionally, he was concerned about the possible pain of the denture fitting process.

With the help of Catholic Charities, Joseph found a local dentist and was able to get an estimate to his case manager. Catholic Charities partnered with a local church to split the cost of the dentures, and he was fitted – without any pain.
 
Now Joseph is able to easily eat and, as he put it, “able to smile again.”

Family support services

Not long ago, Laurie was homeless, pregnant, addicted to drugs and living in a sober living house. She was referred to us from a partner agency and was seeking housing and employment. What she discovered was the Family HOPE case management program.

Since joining, she has diligently attended N.A. and A.A. meetings, maintained custody of her baby boy, and secured and retained employment.

The transformation began by just staying sober for 24 hours. Those hours became days, which increased to weeks, which led to months of sobriety.

“My journey has been one of recovery,” Laurie said. “I got sober for myself, and now I’m trying to learn to live again and be OK with myself. I am always in recovery, and as long as I keep that in my head, I’m OK.”

However, she is not stopping at her own recovery; Laurie has already begun to share the knowledge she has learned through Family HOPE.

“My goal is to keep using the tools I’ve gained to help me along my recovery journey, so that I can be more involved with others who are struggling with addiction.”

Catholic Charities
1232 North Classen Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
(405) 523-3000
(800) 375-8514
www.ccaokc.org