Women's Giving Circle funds youth development

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

The Women’s Giving Circle of the archdiocesan Catholic Community Foundation celebrated its fifth anniversary June 24 with a socially distanced, in-person Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church in Metairie and its presentation of $173,000 in grants to various, mostly Catholic entities. 

The coronavirus pandemic forced the Women’s Giving Circle to conduct its major events online this year. Rather than canceling their giving program this year, members realized any delay in making the funds available would impact the organizations they help.

At the first Zoom event on June 3, keynote speaker Anne Trufant reflected on new and creative ways to give during turbulent times. Originally from Louisiana, Trufant and her husband David are co-founders of the nonprofit Change Lives Now, Inc., and own and direct faith-based Camp Kahdalea for girls and Camp Chosatonga for boys in North Carolina.

Through these experiences, Trufant shared the struggles children face, including fears of hopelessness and anxiety, Callie Kamath, marketing and communications officer of the Catholic Community Foundation, said. Trufant said the Women’s Giving Circle makes an impact that members may not even realize.

The Zoom conference kicked off voting on how Women’s Giving Circle members would distribute their annual dues this year.

The group’s annual sip-and-learn June 17 became a “learning event” where Jill Cabes, vice president of Dominican Catholic Identity at St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans, discussed the importance of the 2020 focus area of youth and young adult development. After her talk, members accessed information on eligible organizations in advance of voting through June 21.

$173,000 in grants this year

The awards presentation at St. Francis culminated this season’s campaign and was live-streamed on the Catholic Community Foundation’s Facebook page. This year alone, 176 members distributed $173,000 in grants to 18 organizations. 

Over the past five years, the Women’s Giving Circle has awarded $711,500 in grants. 

This year’s recipients were Hotel Hope, $25,000; Woman’s New Life Clinic, $25,000; Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater New Orleans, $15,000; Covenant House, $15,000; Archdiocese of New Orleans Retreat Center, $10,000; Café Reconcile, $10,000; Camp Abbey, $10,000; Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), $10,000; Dumb Ox Ministries, $10,000; Faith & Marriage Ministry of Willwoods Community, $10,000; PLEASE Foundation, $10,000; Son of a Saint, $10,000; Mercy Family Center, $5,000; Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), $5,000; Catholic Charities Immigration, Refugee and ESL Services, $1,000; Dominican Peace Center, $1,000; CYO/Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, $500; and Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) Conference, $500.

“This year, more than ever, their needs are so great,” said co-chair Diana Stieffel about the organizations. “We are able to impact a diverse range of communities – young adult missionaries, fatherless young men, newly married couples, children who have been taken in off the streets and those young people in need of mental health services.

“Young people are not only the future of our families, our church and our community at large, but they are an important and beautiful part of our present.”

Christine Bordelon can be reached at cbordelon@clarionherald.org.