Patrick McPartland/Staff Photographer - Dennis Walczyk, CEO of Catholic Charities of Buffalo, announces this year's goal of $10.6 million for the 2012 Catholic Charities Appeal.

After last year’s successful appeal, the people at Catholic Charities are ready to raise their game by $100,000 by announcing a $10.6 million campaign goal during a press conference at the South Buffalo Food Pantry Wednesday morning.

The annual campaign is highlighted by “Appeal Week,” which runs March 25 to April 1 and will feature parish collections throughout the diocese, and concludes June 30. 

“As followers of Christ, we are all challenged to support the poor and most vulnerable in our community,” Bishop Edward U. Kmiec said in announcing the 2012 campaign.

As they have in recent years, Catholic Charities officials announced the goal at one of its service sites – this time, at the South Buffalo Food Pantry on Tifft Street in the former Holy Family School building, now known as the Holy Family Senior Apartments. The pantry operation recently moved back from Lackawanna, as the apartment building was being renovated. The South Buffalo location serves about 154 people every week and distributed more than 8,200 pounds of food to 396 households in December 2011. Catholic Charities operates a total of four pantries in the City of Buffalo.

“Catholic Charities protects children from hunger through basic need programs like the South Buffalo pantry,” said Sister Mary McCarrick, OSF, diocesan director of Catholic Charities. She noted they also offer after school, GED and nutrition assistance programs to young families. “When any of us give from our heart, we become a refuge to those who are poor and in distress, and we provide shelter and much-needed relief.”

This year’s advertising campaign is also personally tied to the mission of Catholic Charities, as the people seen on promotional material have been personally helped by the social service agency. One young boy, named Curtis, receives assistance through the Fulton Street and St. Brigid Outreach and Pantry, while a woman named Khameela earned her GED through Catholic Charities and is now studying to become a physician.

The press conference also highlighted Mrs. David Davis, a woman who has volunteered for Catholic Charities since 1956. Now working at the South Buffalo pantry, she said she was grateful for the opportunity to help.

This year’s campaign theme is “protect, strengthen, empower” and features Blessed John Paul II as the patron saint. Bishop Kmiec believes the patron is fitting.

“John Paul II was deeply concerned about the inequalities between the rich and poor,” he said. “He called on us to consider the social message of the Gospel. He also said serving the message of the Church by means of charity is the commitment and responsibility of everyone.”

Officials also announced the 2012 appeal chairman – David Nasca, president and chief executive officer of Evans Bancorp, Inc. Nasca is a member of the Catholic Charities board of trustees and has served in various campaign roles in the past.

“Through the hard work of our staff and volunteers, we are well positioned to attain our (financial) goal,” he said. “Together, we will overcome these difficult economic times because it is critical we succeed.”

In the 2009-10 fiscal year, about $16.1 million of Catholic Charities budget came from government contracts and assistance. With both the state and federal government warning of budget cuts, officials expect to lose some of that funding, but they are trying to prepare for that by adjusting the services they provide now and leveraging their donations for additional funds.

“The amount of the goal is a serious conversation,” Sister Mary said. 

Those who spoke at Wednesday’s press conference continued to thank the Western New York community for their support of the Catholic Charities campaign.

“I humbly ask for your continued contributions of time, energy and financial assistance as we embark on Appeal 2012,” Bishop Kmiec said. “May we bring to our mission in Western New York the same energy and compassion that Pope John Paul II brought to his mission in serving the universal Church.”

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