Seeking Long-Term Impact Through Education and Skill Building

At a recent check in, Wanda said of her new life, “I like my independence. I love my sobriety. I have had so many blessings from God.”

In November 2011, Wanda, former resident of the Transitional Housing Program, rode off into the sunset at the helm of her very first vehicle, three years sober, employed and living in her own apartment. Unlike “riding off into the sunset” in a fairy tale, we know that the test of true transformation is what happens over the horizon. In fact, the Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) mission is all about the quality of life individuals have after completing the program.

We gauge quality of life through measures like: Has improved communication helped students with their work and life skills? Do they feel a part of the Cedar Rapids community? Are students and residents more financially stable? Have residents built supportive relationships? Do they have the skills to cope with crisis? Over time, these measures give us a clear picture of long-term impact.

Wanda is just one of many individuals who demonstrate successful transformation more than two years after graduating from the program. To encourage positive outcomes for residents like Wanda, in FY13, Transitional Housing implemented a formal Aftercare component to the program that provides ongoing support in post-program living.

At CMC, happy outcomes beyond the horizon are the result of each individual’s hard work and a well-developed program curriculum that supports long-term success. “School changed my life. With no school, I wouldn’t have a job” says student, Gui Fang Liu. ABEP Manager Wendy Arnold-Rodriguez says of Gui’s progress,  “I have seen wonderful growth in her English ability and her confidence, which has really helped her in so many parts of her life. She’s bought a home and she’s settled here in Cedar Rapids and she feels like this is really her home.”

“School changed my life. With no school, I wouldn’t have a job.”

Monica says, “They touched my life so much at this point that after 6 years I can’t stop going there, as a student or as a tutor.”

The welcoming community we’ve built at CMC contributes to the lasting success of clients. Students and residents maintain a connection with staff, tutors, and fellow clients long after they complete programming.  Students like Monica, who spoke no English when she arrived in Cedar Rapids, become tutors themselves. “I want to be part of that great place that improved my life and continues helping others.”

In this report you will see CMC’s program outcomes for this fiscal year. These successes build upon one another to create a foundation for the future. Through personal dedication and the ongoing support they receive from the Catherine McAuley Center, students and residents have nothing but an expanding horizon ahead of them.

Read more of our FY13 Annual Report.

Hear more from Gui and Lori as they share their story with United Way.

And we thought last year was great! Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 became the year of continuous blessings. Here are some of the highlights:

FY13 Income and Expenses

A Special Gift and Increased Grants

We began the year with a special gift from a long time donor who responded to our goals to improve our infrastructure and become more fiscally strong. Also contributing to a positive year was the increase grant revenue by $25,000.

Endowment

While our Endowment grew from investments, the board wisely assisted in establishing a new CMC Endowed Fund at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.  Now we have another way for our supporters to contribute to our long term financial sustainability and receive some great tax benefits at the same time.

Mercy Medical Center Partnership

While the cost of doing business continues to rise, we were able to implement some cost savings that resulted in an almost $20,000 savings over the prior year. We thank our great partners, Mercy Medical Center, for ensuring that we can provide improved professional counseling services at an improved rate!

Looking Forward to the Coming Year

We eagerly approach the new fiscal year with anticipation for how we can invest in our infrastructure (improved technology, database and facilities). We are now in a position to take a giant leap into the 21st Century and become even more efficient and effective in our service delivery. This is due to the generosity of you, our donors, sponsors, grantors, and supporters. It’s all about the mission and serving!

 Read more of our FY13 Annual Report.

By Maureen Kenney, Board President

What is it about the Sisters of Mercy that makes me want to be a part of their work?  Is it their dignified resolve to do what is right for those suffering from poverty, illness or lack of education?  Is it their unending fight for justice in the name of those who cannot fight for themselves?  Is it their unwavering faith that is seen in their actions and in their resolve?  For me, it is all of these and the Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) is another amazing example of the Sisters’ unrelenting determination to identify groups in need and then answer the call by being the catalyst and an ongoing partner in the solution. The Sisters of Mercy established CMC in response to the Cedar Rapids community’s need for adult education and housing.

For those who have traveled to a foreign country, you know the sense of loss and frustration in not being able to speak the language.  Getting simple directions becomes what seems an impossible task.  Imagine that feeling when trying to communicate with your children’s teachers, a doctor, or a bank representative.  CMC opens those doors of communication and removes that sense of loss and frustration.

Many of us do not know what it is like to have an addiction or to be homeless.  Prior to coming to CMC, residents of the transitional housing program do not have a support system in place to help them.  Who is your support system?  I know that I take my support system for granted.  I assume they will always be there for me.  What if they weren’t?  What if you never had them in the first place?  Much like the adult education program, CMC’s transitional housing program gives these women their voice, their confidence, the knowledge that they are just as important and have the same self worth as each one of us. 

It has been a great privilege for me to be associated with CMC.  I want to thank the Sisters for identifying the need and finding a way to meet that need.  I want to thank CMC’s very dedicated and hardworking staff who day in and day out make sure that vision continues.  Finally, I want to thank all of you for your countless volunteer hours and monetary donations. The need for CMC continues and we are very grateful that you continue to answer the call.   

Read more of our FY13 Annual Report.

Be sure to check out our Facebook in the new year for photos and posts celebrating 25 years at CMC.