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BUFFALO, N.Y., Jan. 8, 2025 – Officials and volunteers gathered today to launch Appeal 2025 in support of Catholic Charities of Buffalo and the Fund for the Faith, with a goal of raising $8.5 million by June 30.
“While some sectors of our economy are doing well, there are too many on the margins who are struggling, and Catholic Charities continues to see an increasing need for the services that offer them hope for a better tomorrow,” said Daniel Mecca, Appeal 2025 vice chair. “Funds raised during the annual Appeal help to provide hope through a variety of crucial programs and services.”
Catholic Charities assisted more than 147,000 individuals, families, and children across all faiths and throughout all eight counties of Western New York last year.
“While the Appeal 2025 goal considers the challenges and economic realities faced by our community, the need for Catholic Charities’ services continues to grow throughout the region and we are working as efficiently as possible to provide the needed help and hope,” said Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO, Catholic Charities of Buffalo. “Despite these efforts, even by reaching our $8.5 million goal, our capacity to care for the most vulnerable will be greatly tested. We are not just a Catholic institution, we’re a Western New York institution - a resource for all who are in need. Over the last century, our Catholic community has come through with tremendous support, but as we go forward, we need the help of all our neighbors to reach and surpass this year’s goal.”
The annual Appeal helps fund more than 50 programs and services administered by Catholic Charities along with several ministries through the Fund for the Faith. As Western New York’s most comprehensive human services provider, Catholic Charities’ programs and services include behavioral health services, basic emergency assistance, food pantries, education and workforce training, family safety and stabilization programs, and immigration and refugee assistance. The Fund for the Faith provides needed funding for programs that support the faith experience across all parish communities, including hospital chaplaincy, and training for ordained and lay ministers, among others.
“For more than 100 years, Catholic Charities has provided support to the most vulnerable in our community,” said Bishop Michael W. Fisher. “Its mission is to serve all, and we need the support of all of us to continue Catholic Charities and Fund for the Faith’s vitally important work.”
Added Mecca, “Our community has a great sense of what’s important – we’ve saved and restored many things. We have embodied what it means to be from the ‘City of Good Neighbors. By supporting Catholic Charities, we have a chance to save each other – from poverty, loneliness, broken families, troubled minds, lack of job skills, destructive relationships, hunger, and despair.”
This year’s Appeal patron is St. Vincent de Paul. To donate to Appeal 2025, visit ccwny.org/donate or call 716-218-1400. In addition, donors can give by texting HOPE4WNY to 44321 or scanning the QR code found on Appeal materials.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, visit ccwny.org or call 716-218-1400 to find help through Catholic Charities.
