2022 Year in Review

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We look back and reflect on 2022. The impact of Catholic Charities has been immense, as we have continued to operate dozens of programs, assist tens of thousands of people, and have been there to respond to crises as they have emerged.

Bishop Sweeney and the Diocesan faithful, our board of trustees, employees, volunteers and benefactors have been beacons of hope through this incredible year.

It is always difficult to find the words to best express our gratitude for the truly humbling way you have supported Catholic Charities. We cannot thank you enough for your kindness during this unprecedented time. Together, we accomplished some amazing things:

• In 2020 our world changed abruptly as COVID-19 entered our country, state, and communities. Over two years later, this crisis continues to have an impact on the way we live, work, and serve those most in need. We continue to feel reverberations of the pandemic as inflation, supply chain issues, and additional challenges have affected us all, especially those who are most vulnerable.
  • We have worked diligently to keep our service recipients and employees safe at our residential programs and inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
  • We have hosted outreach, community health, and vaccination events.
  • Over the last two and a half years, we have helped more people than ever before in our 80-year history. We have pivoted many of our programs to provide help where it is needed most. We have never closed our doors.

• In addition to support from individual donors, kindness shown through the Diocesan Ministries Appeal, volunteer hours, corporate partnerships, and our fundraising events, several funders awarded us with grants to improve and expand our services. Grant funding we have received in 2022 included:
  • A family foundation who wishes to remain anonymous, provided us with a transformative gift to start 2 new programs at Straight and Narrow. In 2023, we will implement new services and enhance current services to provide a nutrition and wellness program and a career development program. These offerings will provide a higher level of support for the women and men we assist with addictive disorders.
  • The W. O’Neil Foundation awarded the Department for Persons with Disabilities with funding to purchase a new emergency generator.  
  • Catholic Charities USA provided us with funding to hire a new SNAP Benefits Coordinator for all of the 3 counties in which we provide services.
  • The We Care We Share Program at the Church of Christ the King, New Vernon, provided grants to purchase new furniture for two of our group homes and to purchase a new generator for our Partnership for Social Services program in Franklin.
  • The Catholic Human Services Foundation provided funding to purchase new cleaning equipment for our Fr. English Food Pantry and throughout Catholic Family and Community Services.
  • The Walmart Foundation, through several of their regional stores, awarded our agencies with unrestricted funding to better assist those most in need.
  • A funder who wishes to remain anonymous provided us with a grant to reinvigorate our Fixit Program and start a Chore Program at Hope House in Dover. These programs provide help and create hope for seniors throughout Morris County.
  • We also received funding to install new flooring at Hope House and a new HVAC system at DPD from a foundation who wishes to remain anonymous.

• We are proud to be part of the Diocese of Paterson Family. On Jan. 9th, the Diocese of Paterson inaugurated a Year of the Eucharist. The purpose of this year is to promote a renewed appreciation, understanding, and devotion of the Eucharist.  Representatives from Catholic Charities were also invited to participate in the Synod on Synodality, a journey and process of listening to one another to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit. Catholic Social Teaching is at the core of all we do and we are proud to provide support and individualized spiritual services to those we serve, regardless of religious belief.

• In early January, Catholic Charities CFO, Rocco Zappile retired after 30 years of service to our organization. In February, Mukesh Saxena was named our new CFO. Mukesh has brought a wealth of experience from both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.

• On January 18th, we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, with volunteers from St. Joseph's Health and Montclair State University visiting and assisting at our Fr. English Food Pantry. Congratulations to our own Archie Burrell who was recognized by St. Joseph's Health as their Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2022 Community Health Award. Archie is our lead case manager and a dedicated advocate for those most in need.

• We appreciate the support of our local and regional media partners.  In February, Jenna DeAngelis of CBS New York visited our Fr. English Food Pantry to highlight the impact of inflation on those who need help the most.

• In February, we assisted with the Point in Time Homeless Count in Paterson. Each day we provide help and create hope for hundreds of individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The people we reached out to were referred to charitable organizations, such as ours, for support.

• In February, we joined Bishop Sweeney and Pope Francis in prayer for our sisters and brothers in Ukraine and visited St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Passaic to show solidarity with our friends there. As relief efforts continue to evolve, we will continue to offer our support to those impacted by this crisis settling in our local communities.

• On St. Patrick’s Day, we held our 52nd Annual Murray House Dinner Dance virtually. This event honored and celebrated individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those who make a difference in their lives. For the first time in 3 years, we will be bringing this event back to a live format.  Please save the date: February 19th, 2023 at the Brownstone in Paterson.

• Catholic Charities continues to support and advocate for veterans in need. In March, Catholic Charities Veterans Services partnered with the VA NJ Health Care System, Bergen County Veterans Services, and the Bergen County Rise Suicide Prevention Coalition to distribute gun locks as part of the VA's ongoing Suicide Prevention 2.0. In August, we were part of an inspiring event in Wanaque, unveiling fully furnished apartment housing for veterans. In the fall, we held our very first Interfaith Suicide Awareness Seminar. This is in addition to so much more we have done and continue to do for those who have served our country.

• Over the past two years dear friend Fr. John Catoir established the St. Jude Fund for the Children of the Poor within Catholic Charities. This fund has supported children and families in crisis who are not eligible for any other sort of funding.  In April, Fr. Catoir went  home to live in eternal joy with the Lord, but his legacy will live on through our St. Jude Fund.

• We are a proud Catholic Charities USA Member Agency.  In March, we nominated volunteers Jennifer Minervino (DPD), Deacon Eric Kispert (Straight and Narrow), and Peyton Triano (CFCS) as our representatives for the CCUSA Volunteer of the Year Award. Peyton was chosen by CCUSA as one of 6 finalists for the entire country. At only 13 years old, Peyton has been an inspiration. Later in the year, Peyton and the Father English Food Pantry were featured on the nationally syndicated George to the Rescue. Her segment can be viewed here: George to the Rescuse, Peyton Triano.

• June marked our return to full, live fundraising events. On June 12th, alongside the Knights of Columbus, we hosted the NJ Army Tank Pull to benefit veterans in need. This event welcomed a record 45 teams, and over 1,000 guests. On June 20th we held our Wiegand Farm Golf Classic, in memory of event founder Jack Kelly, welcoming a record 400 golfers to Crystal Springs Resort. Also in June, Diocese of Paterson parishes participated in the Corpus Christi Food Drive, the first live, diocesan wide drive since 2019.

• In June, our beloved Executive Director of Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS), Buby "Bob" Jacob, died suddenly and tragically. Bob was a loving, kind-hearted and beautiful man. He was a central part of our ministry at Catholic Charities for 40 years. Bob devoted his life to helping the poor, marginalized and underserved. In September, Joseph Murray was appointed new CFCS Executive Director on the 21st anniversary of his original hire. Bob’s legacy will live on through the good works of Catholic Charities and the Bob Jacob Unmet Needs Fund which was recently founded by his adoring family.

• On July 1st Bishop Kevin Sweeney celebrated his 2-year anniversary, as Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson. We thank our Shepherd for his leadership, selflessness, and dedication to helping those most in need!

• As a nonprofit organization helping the most vulnerable, we are committed to to transparency. In August, we earned GuideStar Platinum Seals for all of Catholic Charities, the Department for Persons with Disabilities, Straight and Narrow, and Catholic Family and Community Services.

• We are blessed to support veterans of World War II through our current and ongoing conflicts. In July, we participated in the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall Grand Opening Ceremony at the County College of Morris. There are 58,307 names now listed in the wall and 1,563 from New Jersey.

• On March 5, 1965 The Department for Persons with Disabilities was established by Bishop James J. Navagh; Father John "Jack" Wehrlen was named our first Executive Director. Fr. Wehrlen was a pioneer in advocating for and supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sadly, Fr. Jack passed away on July 24th. His legacy will live on through the DPD Family.

• We are grateful to TJ and his mother Joellen Scillieri. In September, they hosted the 1st Annual Creating Hope Beefsteak Fundraiser benefitting Straight and Narrow. This event raised needed funds and awareness for our life-saving agency supporting hundreds of women and men in recovery each day.

• In addition to our over 70 programs, we are a crisis response agency. In October, we worked alongside the Red Cross and many other community partners to help, relocate and provide comfort for dozens of individuals impacted by a devastating fire in Passaic.

• We strive to provide a high level of quality care and support across all of our programs. In October, the Department for Persons with Disabilities received COA (Council on Accreditation) reaccreditation. “COA’s program of quality improvement is designed to identify providers that have met high performance standards and have made a commitment to their stakeholders. COA is proud to recognize Department for Persons with Disabilities, Catholic Charities Diocese of Paterson as one of these outstanding providers,” said Jody Levison-Johnson President & CEO of COA.  CFCS is also COA accredited and Straight and Narrow is CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) accredited.

• Every other Saturday we host food distribution events at our Fr. English Food Pantry in Paterson. On October 29, Proof Logistics Group sponsored the entire day and enabled us to provide hot meals/food trucks, trunk or treat, face-paintings, balloon animals, music and portraits for our pantry shoppers and children. 75 volunteers attended (including friends from Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity), Most importantly, 500 families were given groceries to help them through the weeks ahead.

• In November, Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls, with our assistance and collaboration with Catholic Charities USA hosted a drive to support individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Ian. The parish and local donors filled a 54 foot truck which was later transported to Florida.

• Our first live gala in 3 years, the 2022 Caritas was a celebration of all of those who enable us to provide help and create hope.  Congratulations to our incredible honorees: The Order of Malta - NJ Area, Diocese of Paterson; Roger Forman; Marie Cioletti and the Special Needs Ministry at St. Mary's Church Pompton Lakes; and the Hovey Family.

• On November 20, longtime board member Karen Lordi led her 50th Annual Christmas Organ Concert to benefit our Youth Risk Reduction Programs. We are proud to provide help and create hope for teenagers and preteens. We are grateful to Karen for her 50 years of love, support, and beautiful Christmas music.

• On November 22nd, we held our third annual Thankful Giving Meal Distribution Event.  This event was made possible through the generous support of Karen Abrams and Kathya Arevalo. Through dozens of donations, we were able to provided 560 hot meals, beautifully catered by In Thyme caterers, to families in need.

• Prior to Thanksgiving and with the help of the Community Foodbank of New Jersey, numerous parishes, hundreds of donors and dozens of volunteers we were able to give out over 8,000 turkeys and roasters, 1,600 holiday meal kits, and thousands of pounds of food to those most in need.

• In December, Straight and Narrow’s own Michael Jackson was featured on the front page of the NJ Record and on NJ.com.  Mr. Jackson, a retired MLB star told his story of addiction, recovery and hope.  You can read the full story here: NorthJersey.com article Straight and Narrow’s Michael Jackson

• Through the Christmas Season we have given out over 5,000 gifts, mostly to children. This generosity was made possible through numerous giving endeavors, including the annual Delbarton Christmas Drive, and over 2 dozen parish, business, and service group gift drives. We also brought back a full slate of Christmas celebrations, hosting our first ever employee Christmas Party for all of our dedicated staff, bringing back our DPD Christmas celebration for the individuals served within our residential programs, and welcoming Bishop Sweeney to Straight and Narrow for a Christmas prayer service. We have been amazed by the outpour of support this Christmas Season!

Thank you for enabling us provide help and create hope for those most in need. We are looking forward to a 2023 filled with love, growth, and impact!