Head of CCUSA Finds a Team Joyful in Its Mission
Since taking the helm of Catholic Charities USA a year and a half ago, Kerry Alys Robinson has been traveling around the country visiting the network of agencies making up the CCUSA family. In October, her travels brought her to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, where she toured several programs, and spoke with members of the team.
From the Children and Family Services team, she heard about the work being done to support survivors of domestic violence through Providence House. She also learned about the stabilization and crisis work being done by Mobile Response and how the Family Growth Program supports children who have been neglected or abused.
At El Centro, Robinson was deeply moved by all the care offered to individuals and families who are new to the country and by the broad scope of services available to them. Touring Integrated Behavioral Health Services’ Mercer Campus, she heard about the different mental health and substance use programs offered.
For Robinson, the visit was about deep listening and learning. One of the questions she posed, “How do you care for your hearts when you are witness to so much human trauma?” Service Area Director Mary Pettrow assured her that as a trauma-informed agency, systems are in place to care for employees who process the suffering of others every day.
At the end of her visit, Robinson said she was impressed with the compassionate way the work of Catholic Charities is carried out. “People are coming to you in their darkest days, and they find mercy, help and guidance. My job,” she said, “is to proclaim that and to express what a valuable resource Catholic Charities is to the country.”
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Kerry Alys Robinson, (from left) Marlene Laó-Collins, Mary Pettrow and Yesenia Perez discuss how employees show up fully for the individuals they serve.
Catholic Charities USA is made up of 168 diocesan Catholic Charities agencies. Each falls under the auspices of its local bishop/archbishop and serves the needs of the community in which it is located.
Last year, Catholic Charities agencies nationwide served more than 15 million of our at-risk neighbors — people without homes, those who are unemployed or underemployed, children who are hungry or malnourished, elderly persons who are isolated, vulnerable migrants and refugees on the move, families recovering from natural disasters, pregnant women and new mothers in need, and persons with disabilities who have inadequate care.
For mor information, visit: https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/