Matthew 25:35-40 — For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

With the new year comes many new things and many attempts at New Year’s resolutions. There are many of us who do use the coming of the New Year as the starting point for new ventures and self-improvement. What better time to start new things than in the new year? 2015 will bring many new things to Catholic Charities. Some of these things are already in motion and some are yet to be envisioned. We are very excited about our new ventures already in motion! We have a new Executive Director with new visions and new paths to lead us on and we have a new program in the Prairie du Chien office — Hands of Hope (formerly Faith in Action). With Hands of Hope comes many new opportunities for residents of Prairie du Chien and surrounding areas to reach out with a helping hand to assist those in need to help them maintain dignity and improve their quality of life. There are many ways to offer a helping hand through Hands of Hope. Program participants look for many services such as transportation, occasional meal preparations, light housekeeping, snow shoveling or even companionship. All things that we all may need assistance with at one point in our life or another, so why not pay it forward and volunteer to help your fellow man this New Year? The services we offer through Hands of Hope are not limited to the tasks listed here. If there is a particular need, all one needs to do is call us to see if we can find a volunteer to match the service needed. To learn more about our volunteer opportunities or the services offered through Hands of Hope, please call 608.326.1616 or 888.212.HELP.

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your Love. May I see each circumstance in my life as an opportunity to grow in Your Love. May I see my environment as a place to grow in Your Love. May I then take this love to other people…..”

Sandy Marx
Financial Wellness Advocate