The Catherine Connection
The Catherine Connection continues to honor the spirit of Catherine McAuley as we transition from an item collection site to the exclusive acceptance of monetary donations!
The Catherine Connection partnership between Mercy Conference and Retreat Center (MCRC) and 12 St. Louis based organizations continues to be a rewarding one! When the doors of MCRC were effectively shut due to the global pandemic, we still had the drive and desire to minister in the spirit of Catherine McCauley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. Since the community was unable to come to us, we reached out to the community by becoming a collection site for much needed items and monetary donations.
Since this effort was initiated in May of 2020, The Catherine Connection has been able to collect and donate upwards of:
- 13,416 units of Food / Household / Personal Care Items and Diapers
- $22,426.00 in Cash and Credit Card Donations
- $1,185.00 in Gift Card Donations
The variety of organizations with which we partnered gave MCRC the opportunity to join in the advocacy efforts of the Sisters of Mercy and their Critical Concerns by serving the homeless, the hungry, refugees, women and children, household pets and so many others!
As we all continue to hope for some normalcy to return to our lives, the needs of many remain great. The pandemic isn’t finished with us yet and there are still many people struggling to get back on their feet. At the same time, our ‘regular’ ministry at MCRC has been ramping up significantly. Guests are ready and anxious to return to MCRC for gatherings, retreats and meetings. This reality necessitates a change in how we continue to support the partner organizations of
The Catherine Connection.
Therefore, we are transitioning from collecting both item and monetary donations to collecting monetary donations only.
This has several benefits:
• Our partner organizations may direct donations to the most immediate and crucial need!
For example, St. Anthony Food Pantry does provide food, but also utility and rent assistance. If they are blessed with a full pantry, they can direct the monetary donations to folks who need immediate help with payment of utilities or rent.
• Those who wish to continue to give regularly, still have a means to do so!
If you are one of our generous donors who regularly dropped off items for donation, you can still give the monetary value of those items through our website using your credit card, or you may drop-off or mail a check payable to: Mercy Conference and Retreat Center with The Catherine Connection as a note.
• Donations may still be designated to a specific organization or added to our General Fund!
If you wish to donate to a specific organization or even several organizations with one transaction, you may still do so when processing your credit card donation online. If you are sending in a check, simply note which organization you wish for us to designate the funds and we will do so on your behalf! We also keep a General Fund for the collection of non-designated donations. This fund is split between ALL of the organizations at least quarterly.
The Catherine Connection
is true community in action and certainly in the very spirit of Catherine McAuley!
Thank you for your generous support of The Catherine Connection since its inception. We look forward to being able to continue Catherine’s outreach to those in need in our day and time within our broader St. Louis Community!
Questions?
Contact Cheryl Kupferle at 314-909-4651 or via email at:
ckupferle@mercycenterstl.org
Meet The Catherine Connection Partner Organizations:
The variety of missions of our partner organizations gives MCRC the opportunity to join in the advocacy efforts of the Sisters of Mercy and their Critical Concerns. Our partner organizations are:
ALIVE – Alternatives to Living in a Violent Environment
ALIVE’s Mission is to provide counseling, emergency sanctuary and other critical services to adults and children impacted by domestic abuse, as well as to increase awareness in order to create a supportive community.
https://alivestl.org/
Boys Hope Girls Hope – St. Louis
One of 18 affiliates across the United States and Latin America, Boys Hope Girls Hope St. Louis helps academically motivated middle and high school students rise above disadvantaged backgrounds and become successful in college and beyond.
https://boyshopegirlshopestl.org/
Health Leads - Mercy
Health Leads, a national, nonprofit health care organization, connects low-income patients with the resources they need to be healthy. Clinic staff use a screening tool to identify determinants that affect patients’ medical care. These include: a) Child care or transportation issues, b) Whether patients have skipped meals or medications to save money, c) Whether their utilities have been shut off for nonpayment, and d) Whether they have food for that day. They then work to get patients the resources they need. https://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2019-06-24/health-leads-is-expanding-across-mercy-south/
Join Hands East St. Louis
The mission of Join Hands ESL is to empower the people of East St. Louis, to walk in solidarity with those we serve, showing love and compassion to those in need, affirming and reflecting the beauty and potential of each individual. We build personal relationships with children and families through our youth programming, mentoring programs and the Ubuntu Center for Peace. We prioritize and support through our programs the pursuit of education as a pathway out of poverty.
https://joinhandsesl.org/
Open Door Animal Sanctuary
The mission of Open Door Animal Sanctuary is to provide homeless cats and dogs with the highest quality of life and a second chance to find a forever family. We are a “no kill” animal sanctuary; we do not euthanize cats and dogs for space or because they are hard to adopt. We provide dedicated love and care to over 400 homeless cats and dogs each day. We provide our residents with a largely cage-free living environment. We reduce pet over-population by offering a low-cost spay-neuter program and a humane education program to the community. We operate a pet food pantry to provide support to families in need.
https://odas.org/
Room at the Inn
Room at the Inn provides immediate, temporary shelter to homeless women and families in the St. Louis Region. In addition, we work with them to create an individualized plan back to self-sufficiency, including referrals to other human services agencies. Then we mentor them to improve their chances for success.
https://roomstl.org/
St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry
Provides food and clothing for the neighborhood needy from zip codes 63118, 63111, and 63116.
http://www.stanthonyofpaduastl.com/outreach-ministries/
St. Louis Arc
The Mission of the St. Louis Arc is to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to lead better lives by providing a lifetime of high-quality services, family support and advocacy. We are also guided by our core beliefs of Respect, Collaboration, and Empowerment.
St. Louis Area Diaper Bank
The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank exists to help strengthen low-income families in the St. Louis region by ensuring access to an adequate supply of diapers (and period supplies), and by raising awareness about the causes and consequences of diaper need in our community.
https://www.stldiaperbank.org/
St. Pius V Food Pantry – Chapter of The St. Vincent de Paul Society
The St. Pius V chapter of this worldwide Catholic service organization operates a food pantry and provides material and spiritual assistance to people in need right in our own community.
https://www.stpiusv.org/our-ministries
The Child Center, Inc.
The Child Center, Inc., is a Child Advocacy Center (CAC), serving child victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and children who witness violence.
https://thechildcenter.com/
Welcome Neighbor St. Louis
We are a community group supporting immigrants and refugees as they begin a new life in St. Louis. We offer emotional and social support primarily by partnering volunteers with new families.
https://welcomeneighborstl.com/
