$4.7 million Appeal goal reached; participation goal fell short

By Shannon Roh 
For The Catholic Week
MOBILE – The 93rd annual Catholic Charities Appeal Sunday was Jan. 28. As of March 1, a total of 6,582 generous donors helped exceed the Appeal goal of $4.7 million, with pledges totaling $4,720,705. 
While the financial goal was exceeded, the participation goal of 100% participation was not. It is remarkable to exceed the financial goal with participation from only one-fourth of the households in the archdiocese. Their generosity is inspirational. It is not too late to be a part of this appeal that funds more than 30 ministries that serve those in need in Central and Southern Alabama. 
The 2024 Catholic Charities Appeal theme was inspired by St. John, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The ministries supported by the Catholic Charities Appeal serve the needs of the poor, the weak and those suffering mentally, physically and spiritually throughout the Archdiocese of Mobile. The services offered by these ministries are only possible because of your generosity to the Catholic Charities Appeal. 
Thank you to everyone who has already made a pledge to help our neighbors in need. If you have not yet participated, I invite you to make your pledge today to the Catholic Charities Appeal. No amount it too small or too large, please give what you can afford. Text CCA to 91999 to make your gift online or mail your gift to Catholic Charities: PO Box 230, Mobile, AL 36601.  Together we can make a difference and show God’s love to those in need.
The many teams of dedicated volunteers are essential to the Catholic Charities Appeal. 
The Parish Chairs and their team of volunteers sacrifice countless hours to sort pledge envelopes and follow up with parishioners who have not yet made their pledge. Thank you to all the parish volunteers for your dedication to Catholic Charities. 
We are also blessed with a handful of exceptional volunteers who dedicate weeks of their time here in our office sorting, counting, recounting, and preparing deposits so that your donations get to the ministries that need them as quickly as possible. These faithful volunteers show up day after day and donate their time until every pledge is deposited, entered and alphabetized. The development office is made up of only three: Michelle Knizley, Kasey Keeney and myself. We could not do this alone. We are so grateful for all these amazing volunteers!