Columbia/Greene Catholic Charities celebrates 25 years of helping

The staff of Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties works in offices in Hudson and Catskill, in schools in five districts, and in county agencies.

"We go where the action is," explained Tom Gillespie, assistant director.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the agency has a history of being in unique settings in order to be available to and immersed in the community.

History

A quarter of a century ago, the agency began as two separate offices: Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS) of Columbia County, and CFCS of Greene County. The first Columbia County "office" was located in the gatehouse of two local residents, Katie and Barney Brennan. In Greene County, it was in a storefront in Cairo.

At those sites, the first teams strove to understand the needs of the communities and to develop responses to them.

"The agency had a typical '60s social work outreach model -- going to the homes of the poor, door to door," said Agnes Donlon, executive director. That led to strong connections between the agency and the communities it serves.

In-home service

From the start, flexibility has been a key component in the agency's response to needs.

"A lot of the families I worked with were so poor they had absolutely no transportation," said Mr. Gillespie, "so I'd go to see families in their homes."

He told about a mother and three children in Philmont who needed counseling. He worked with them for over a year, eventually helping them relocate to find employment.

"There was a small fee for service," he said, which some could not afford, so the family often paid with radishes and tomatoes. "They felt happy to make a contribution."

Expansion

While the agency's first decade focused heavily on outreach in underserved areas, the 1980s and early '90s brought new needs -- as well as additional funding for substance abuse treatment, prevention programs, and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. Catholic Charities took the lead in providing such services in the region.

In the mid-'90s, the two agencies united. As a result, "we were able to be more effective in negotiating new contracts with county agencies and able to apply for a richer stream of revenue for the two counties," said Ms. Donlon.

Last spring, the agency began a new initiative that places chemical dependency staff in the Greene County Mental Health office as well as the Columbia County Department of Social Services. That allows for early screening and prompt referral for clients suffering from addiction problems.

Twenty-five years after the initial effort to bring Catholic Charities' services to Columbia and Greene Counties, the agency's presence in a variety of locations demonstrates a commitment to bring service where it is most needed.

(8/5/04)