Making a difference through service

by Deborah Napoleon, RN, MSW
To fulfill the internship requirements for my American Humanics certification in nonprofit management and leadership, I have been involved with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fresno.

As a faith-based organization, Catholic Charities works “with individuals, families, and communities to empower people to meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression and build a just, informed and compassionate society.”

Each month, over 4,000 people come through the Fresno office.

As an intern there, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about the nonprofit world. When I started in fall 2005, Hurricane Katrina had just hit and, because I had my master’s degree in social work, I served as a resource to the agency to help facilitate and organize services for hurricane survivors.

I noticed Catholic Charities did not have a brochure regarding the services they offered in Fresno as well as their other six locations from Bakersfield to Merced, and asked Cathy Caples, the executive director, if I could develop a brochure.

She and others liked what I prepared so much that it was printed and is being used in all the offices as a resource tool for their clients.

Also during the semester, I was enrolled in the grant-writing course (Social Science 150T) taught by Dr. Dan Griffin.

A call for proposals was issued by Fresno County that would support Catholic Charities’ Senior Companion Program.  With another student in the American Humanics program, Bryana Ballinger, I put in a lot of research and hard work and submitted the proposal 15 minutes before the deadline.

I recently learned that Catholic Charities was awarded the grant of $160,000.  What a feeling it is to know that what I was doing is making a difference in others’ lives!