Maria Merlino, retired social worker who works with Disciple of Mercy honoree Marlene Laneader, loads a car with food and supplies that will be distributed to those in need.
For two months every year, I “go missing” socially. No after-work happy hours or trips with friends, a blacked out social calendar, and attempting to slip in even one vacation day would be pure folly.
Accountants have tax season. We at Catholic Charities have JFA season — planning for the annual Justice for All awards ceremony held every October, an event that honors individuals whose lives and work embody the Catholic Charities mission of service to others, especially those most needy and vulnerable among us. It is also the agency’s largest annual fundraiser, enabling direct support to more than 24,000 South Jersey residents every year.
“Aren’t work events the worst?” friends would offer in sympathy as I decline their invitations for get-togethers due to my extended work schedule.
“No,” I’d reply. “Not this one.“
In fact, preparing for JFA is in many ways an honor.
One of the most challenging, yet most rewarding, aspects of this event planning is getting to meet the Disciples of Mercy honorees and attempting to capture them through interviews, video and stories in a way that does justice to their extraordinary works of benevolence. These are unsung heroes in parishes throughout the Diocese of Camden who have been humbly and tirelessly going about their charitable efforts for years — in some cases, longer than the 28 years I’ve been alive.
Preparing for this event also brings back memories of the hundreds of clients I’ve interviewed over the years, especially those willing to share their “success stories” achieved through the help of our services, case managers and programs. Success stories that would have never been written if it weren’t for the money raised by JFA each year.
I think of the veteran in Bridgeton who spent 10 years in the military — and then another 10 years living in the woods of Cumberland County — before he had a place to call home, thanks to the relentless efforts of one of my colleagues.
I recall sitting at the kitchen table in this vet’s new apartment when interviewing him, trying to maintain composure as I listened to the grisly details of what it’s like to live in the woods for 10 years. He pointed to the refrigerator that a Catholic Charities staff person delivered to him the previous day. Suddenly, he broke down sobbing into his rough, scarred hands. “I never had a refrigerator in my life until now,” he said through tears.
I think of the 19-year-old girl who took full custody of her three younger siblings after her mother suddenly died right before Christmas, leaving her an orphan and the sole provider for the family, and working two jobs to stay afloat financially and keep her family together. She called our agency with only one request: grief counseling for her younger siblings, knowing that they were severely depressed at the thought of not having their mother around for the holidays. The family received those requested services and so much more.
Most recently, I think of the thousands of people affected by this pandemic who have come to Catholic Charities, adding to the regular caseload of thousands we serve under normal circumstances. People who had to choose between paying for their medications or buying groceries to feed their children. Families who have lost their loved ones and couldn’t afford funeral costs, victims of domestic violence, people who lost their homes and their jobs. People who, after coming to Catholic Charities and speaking with our case managers (many of whom have been carrying their own crosses), leave with hope and a path forward.
These are just some of the hundreds of stories I think about quite often, but especially when I help plan for the Justice for All awards ceremony, which this year will be celebrated virtually. I wonder where these clients would be if it weren’t for the generosity of our JFA donors, who may or may not realize just how much their support means to so many, especially during times of crisis. I wish they could all see, as I have, the way people can transform, succeed and flourish because of their generosity.
We are now in the homestretch of the exhausting and exhilarating work of planning for this event. Having learned about, met with, witnessed and highlighted the work of our honorees this year — Bishop Dennis Sullivan and the five Disciples of Mercy — I can once again conclude what a blessing to be part of marketing an event so meaningful, energizing and inspiring, and to do so alongside my colleagues at Catholic Charities and in the offices of Communication, Development and other diocesan departments who have been working around the clock to make this event possible.
When I see the planning efforts of my colleagues, witness the heroic work of our honorees, and observe the fruits borne from the generosity of our donors, suddenly those social get-togethers with others don’t seem so missed.
Mary McCusker is marketing and communications coordinator, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden.
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