Posted May 06, 2021
Just a few weeks ago, Catholic Charities celebrated its annual Volunteer Appreciation, honoring the organization's exceptional volunteers.
Several individuals and groups were recognized, from a husband and wife who have volunteered at St. Philip Neri Family Center for over 30 years, to a group of students at St. Dominic School who spent time at the Parma-based residential treatment facility, Matt Talbot for Men.
The men at Grafton Correctional Institution were also honored, presented with the Core Value Award for Justice for their contributions to Catholic Charities in the form of handmade masks and garden-grown vegetables.
"It was a beautiful collaborative experience for all of us," said Sister Rita Mary Harwood, SND, secretary for Parish Life and Development for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
This collaboration began when Harwood received a call from the deputy warden at the Grafton Correctional Institution, asking if there was anything the men at the institution could help with at the start of the pandemic.
Harwood placed a call to Patrick Gareau, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, asking if the organization could use masks made at Grafton.
"I thought he was going to jump right through the phone," said Harwood, referring to Gareau's enthusiasm. "He said, 'We're about a week away from being entirely out [of masks].'"
Kelly Davis, director of Catholic Charities’ Diocesan Social Action Office, worked with Harwood on the project and spoke about the impact the men and their work had on the organization’s staff.
"Their masks kept our program staff safe and our programs running," said Davis. "They also had a great impact on the morale of our staff, and we are so very thankful for their lifesaving work."
In total, the men at Grafton made over 19,000 masks for Catholic Charities. When the masks were distributed, some even came with handwritten notes and cards.
"They made a difference in the lives of every single person who got a mask or every single person who got a note," said Harwood. "But they also made a difference in the lives of the men at Grafton. They were doing something meaningful."
The collaboration between Catholic Charities and the men at Grafton didn't stop with the masks and cards.
Volunteers also maintained a garden, which supplied fresh produce for Catholic Charities' food pantries and hunger centers.
Harwood explained how the volunteers took care of a 60- by 100-foot onsite garden, caring for plants that were delivered to the institution by Gareau himself. Harwood visited Grafton a few times a week and continued picking up masks and fresh vegetables, including an abundance of tomatoes.
"The homeless, the families that were hungry, were being fed by the generosity of the men," she said. "I just cannot say enough about the number of people who were touched by the goodness of those men."
Harwood concluded with a story about a special Thanksgiving donation from the volunteers.
While visiting Grafton just before the holiday, Harwood was presented with three large bags of packaged food items, including noodles, peanut butter, crackers and pancake mix.
Harwood asked who the food was for, and a corrections officer replied, "We're worried about the people at Thanksgiving having enough food."
She continued, "And I said, 'Oh well who should I write the thank you note to? The administration?'" The officer replied, "Oh no, this food is from the men. They used their commissary money to buy food to feed the hungry for Thanksgiving."