“Yes, I will help” was the resounding response from Fairfield County Catholics responding to the Diocesan “Giving Tuesday” appeal.
We had over 60 donations to Foundations in Faith for the St. Francis Xavier (SFX) Fund. As a new fund, one of the goals was to build awareness as well as raise funds. According to Kelly Weldon, Director of Foundations in Faith, the effort was hugely successful on both counts.
The SFX Fund was established in January 2020 by Bishop Caggiano and a few visionaries who felt it was important to help vibrant urban parishes with strong leadership and meaningful ministries yet impacted by burdensome socio-economic challenges.
To date, the SFX Fund has purchased a boiler for one parish, gutters to address a leak at another. Two Parishes have received technology and communications enhancements, inclusive of training, equipment upgrades and platforms to meet the demands of live-streaming and virtual meetings in the near future and to improve program and business efficiencies in the long term.
Although the SFX Fund got its start before COVID-19. The SFX Fund Committee pivoted quickly providing a life line to 11 Parishes hardest hit by the crisis. In phase I and II $230,000 has been distributed. Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor coupled with the tremendous response to “Giving Tuesday” we can and will do more! This crisis wages on yet we are now blessed to have nearly an additional $175,000 of Emergency Funding available to distribute to Parishes whose communities have been disproportionately impacted by illness and unemployment.
Thank you to all who said “Yes, I will help”!
To learn more about Foundations in Faith and the Pastoral Care Funds visit www.foundationsinfaith.org or email kelly.weldon@foundationsinfaith.org
