Partnering with Horizons Community Funds of Northern Kentucky, we’re offering a series of stories about the region’s nonprofits.
By Tess Brown
Horizon Community Funds
On a quiet street in Latonia, one organization sets out day after day in pursuit of its mission to promote healing, restore hope, and affirm human potential among more than 10,000 of our neighbors in Northern Kentucky.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Covington approaches this task through more than a dozen services and programs for Northern Kentucky families.
To break it down, Catholic Charities provides child and family services, counseling services, housing services, and community outreach services.
Originally established to provide child welfare and adoption placement services, Catholic Charities soon broadened its scope to incorporate services for the entire family, and to meet needs that directly affect the health and self-sufficiency of the family unit, such as housing, counseling, parenting education and more.
As they have shown throughout their 85+ year history, Catholic Charities remains proactive and responsive to the changing needs of the Northern Kentucky community.
For example, they introduced a new weekly, peer-led support group for parents of addicted loved-ones (“PAL”) two years ago to address an unmet need for family members of people struggling with addictions. More recently, they started a monthly support group meeting for children of incarcerated parents and loved ones, inviting the children to participate in supportive conversations and relaxing activities. Another programs takes aim at human trafficking through education, outreach, and victim services. And last summer, Catholic Charities hosted a community “baby shower,” providing basic necessities for babies and critical resources to more than 100 families.
One need that has always been there, though, is the need for a warm meal.
For more than 42 years, Parish Kitchen, a ministry of Catholic Charities, has been serving meals to anyone who comes through their door in Covington – no questions asked. Stay tuned for our spotlight on Parish Kitchen and their story of serving over 55,000 meals every year.
Given the scope of their mission, it has been a natural strategy for Catholic Charities to collaborate and align with other local nonprofits. And as each person who walks through their doors has a different story, Catholic Charities is able to quickly determine what other resources can be connected with them.
There is much to explore about Catholic Charities, Diocese of Covington at their website, and be sure to tune in for their inspirational posts on Facebook and Twitter.
