The Gift of Thoughtfulness

“If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. Even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.” — A.A. Milne (Author and Creator of Winnie-the-Pooh)

Dear Friends of St. Vincent Catholic Charities,

It feels good to be welcoming Spring and looking forward to exciting new activities here at St. Vincent Catholic Charities. Yet, I don’t want to forget the gift of thoughtfulness and introspection that this past season of Lent made possible. Our selected quote from A.A. Milne reflects on the lasting and immeasurable impact provided by our programs and services.

In this edition of our newsletter we draw your attention to the work of the foster care program. In the business of human services delivery there is a unique challenge in measuring outcomes for our services. Yes, we can quantify the numbers we serve and even the hours and hours of service we provide. Yet, we cannot put a number to the terrible, awful things that could have happened had we (our agency and the foster families) not been there for the clients we serve, especially the children.

I am extremely proud of the leadership, innovation and insight that our Child Welfare staff continue to demonstrate in their work. To that end, I have asked them to share their new and inclusive guiding principles. You will see it next to the infographic which demonstrates the power of the safety net that foster care provides, and many of the negative outcomes which foster care can prevent.

May is Foster Care Awareness month. Be sure to visit our website for more information on local awareness activities, and information on how you can support this very important work. There, you will also find more information on our newest Child Welfare initiative– Therapeutic Foster Care.

Remember, we simply couldn’t do this work without you.

Faithfully yours,

Andrea E. Seyka
Chief Executive Officer