BY ANDY BARTON A 2022 study by the Colorado Health Institute (CHI) illuminated sobering data on the correlation between poverty and mental health.  According to their research, 8.1% of Coloradans […] The post Caritas Corner | Come To Me All Who Are Weary first appeared on Catholic Charities of Central Colorado ..read more

BY ANDY BARTON In 2005, the singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier released her fourth solo album, Mercy Now. The title song is a somber plea for mercy in our families, church, and nation. If you don’t know this song, you should stop reading and go find it on whichever music service you use and give it a listen. In the last line, Gauthier sings, “Every single one of us could use some mercy now.”  The sentiment seems especially appropriate these days as we approach another election cycle and a season in which the pervasive ease with which we embrace anger toward one another is on full display. O ..read more

BY DOUG ROUSE Catholic Charities held its annual Volunteer Appreciation event on April 20 at First Lutheran’s Peel House. One hundred and twenty volunteers gathered for pizza, salad, and cake allowing us to celebrate their dedication to volunteerism during National Volunteer Week. We thank our volunteers for working with us and walking with our neighbors in need, providing hope, help, and love. Our volunteers bring so many gifts and unique contributions to the work of helping people through some of the worst times of their lives. You lift our staff, support the people we serve, and you make a ..read more

BY DOUG ROUSE Catholic Charities held its annual Volunteer Appreciation event on April 20 at First Lutheran’s Peel House. One hundred and twenty volunteers gathered for pizza, salad, and cake allowing us to celebrate their dedication to volunteerism during National Volunteer Week. We thank our volunteers for working with us and walking with our neighbors in need, providing hope, help, and love. Our volunteers bring so many gifts and unique contributions to the work of helping people through some of the worst times of their lives. You lift our staff, support the people we serve, and you make a ..read more

BY ANDY BARTON “We are in this together.”That is an overarching sentiment you will hear when you ask a Catholic Charities staff or volunteer how they would characterize working with our poor and vulnerable. It reflects a dedication to solidarity and the common good – fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church characterizes solidarity in this way: “It is a virtue directed par excellence to the common good, and is found in a commitment to the good of one’s neighbor with the readiness, in the Gospel, to ‘lose oneself for the sake of th ..read more

By ANDY BARTON We live in an emotional time.  Our culture is increasingly shaped by those whose voices are the loudest and whose emotions are the strongest.  Loud voices and strong emotions are fine, but only if they are governed by reason and truth. Immigration is a topic that triggers a strong emotional response for many people. Previously, Bishop Golka addressed “The Both/And of Immigration.”  In the March 1, 2024 issue of the Colorado Catholic Herald, he writes about the Church’s take on the common good. I’d like to share how Catholic Charities of Central Colorado works tow ..read more

“Jesus’ command to his disciples… means working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of the poor as well as small daily acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs which we encounter.” – Pope Francis BY ANDY BARTON Merriam-Webster defines poverty as, “the state of being poor; lack of money or possession.” That seems easy enough to identify but understanding the specific causes of poverty is far more complicated. Poverty is nuanced and systemic, different for every individual experiencing it, and perpetuated by breakdowns in society’s infrastru ..read more

BY LAURA P. My family and I served at Marian House on 11/11/23. The lead volunteer for the day, Jeff, asked if anyone would be willing to work the “Sugar Shack.” I thought, “That sounds fun; they must have a new way of doing desserts,” so I volunteered. Boy, was I surprised when I was led outside to the tiny shack by the front door! I was going to be front and center of the action. I was shown how to scan our guests’ cards or enter them manually if necessary; being fairly computer-literate I wasn’t too worried. If anyone didn’t have a card, then just write their name down in th ..read more

BY ANDY BARTON At the end of the new Ridley Scott biopic Napoleon, the director lists the total number of French soldiers killed under Napoleon’s command.  As if the three hours of 19th-century warfare were not enough to remind you of the brutality of war, Scott drives it home as a last indictment of Napolean.  The numbers are sobering but the disregard for human life seems to be his message.  Such is the reality of war, as we are reminded these days in the stories of Russian military leaders marching untrained soldiers across battlefields in Ukraine as fodder to overwhelm oppo ..read more

Wayne has volunteered with Catholic Charities for over five years in our Employment and Life Skills programs. He has helped countless people in their quest to find better employment, learn new skills, or simply have a friendly person to listen and offer guidance. Wayne then matches the client’s needs to Catholic Charities and partner resources. Wayne says, “One of my favorite times at Catholic Charities is when someone gets a job, particularly when it is a hard placement.” He believes that a good volunteer is someone who really wants to give back to the community, can commit the appropriate a ..read more