Catholic Charities of Albany Diocese honored with Excellence in Local Impact award

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany was recently honored with the Nonprofit Excellence in Local Impact Award by the Capital Region Chamber. 

The award was presented at the Capital Region Chamber’s Nonprofit Business Awards ceremony on Nov. 20. The ceremony recognizes Capital Region nonprofit organizations for their influence on the quality of life for local residents and economic impact. 

The Excellence in Local Impact award recognizes a high-performing local chapter of a national nonprofit organization whose programs and services set a high standard of quality in creating meaningful social change. 

The award was accepted by Eileen Spath, marketing & communications manager at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, on behalf of the organization and CEO, Vincent Colonno.

Said Spath, “Our work does not happen in a vacuum. It is a collaboration of community partners, leaders, fellow nonprofits, volunteers and staff who work every day to provide services to our communities so that our neighbors don't have to worry about how to pay their rent, or whether they'll have housing in the winter months or where their next meal will come from.” 

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany has served the Greater Capital Region and surrounding counties for more than a century. A member organization of Catholic Charities USA, the nonprofit has 12 distinct agencies across the 14-county Diocese. Each one addresses a certain service area – housing, substance abuse, disabilities services to name a few – or provides basic needs to a specific geographic region. Leaders at each agency work within their own community to recognize and respond to local needs or gaps in services. This unique structure allows Catholic Charities to provide local solutions to local problems.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic Charities has adapted its service delivery model to better meet emergent needs in the area. Take-out meals are being offered at soup kitchens and seniors are receiving wellness calls and meal deliveries. Vital programs, such as Housing and Domestic Violence Services, have continued uninterrupted with appropriate safeguards in place. 

Last year, Catholic Charities’ food distributions served a total of 5,366 people. In 2020, that number has surpassed 50,000, accounting for over one million pounds of food for people in need.

"Whether it's in-person or the notes that we get, that's what helps when your head hits the pillow and you think, okay, you know, we didn't do too bad,” said Colonno.