Catholic Charities Hawaii received a $300,000 grant, from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, to create a volunteer program that will promote a culture of philanthropy within the organization and throughout the state.
Called the Volunteer Services and Community Engagement Program, the project, which began last month, aims to increase volunteer opportunities, bring together individuals and community organizations through service-learning experiences, and provide more resources to people most in need.
Catholic Charities president and chief executive officer Jerry Rauckhorst, in a news release, explained the call for such an effort.
“We saw a need to further engage staff and existing supporters as well as address the influx of requests from parishes, schools, service organizations and businesses for volunteer opportunities,” he said.
He said the grant will allow the program to get started and “immediately begin cultivating a spirit of innovation, entrepreneurism and philanthropy.”
The grant will partially fund the program from June 2013 to May 2016. To sustain the program, Catholic Charities plans to seek additional funding and in 2016 incorporate the program into its operating budget.
Catholic Charities hopes to increase parish and school participation and volunteer partnerships with local business by 30 percent in three years, and replicate the activities on the neighbor islands and in other social service agencies.
Janice Nillias Knapp, Catholic Charities vice president, development, who will oversee the program, said it will “further educate the Catholic and at-large community about Catholic Charities’ social mission to help Hawaii’s most vulnerable.”
Catholic Charities serves 40,000 clients annually through more than 30 programs statewide.
