The best day ever! 26 kind volunteers from the Transamerica Audit department spent one day at our Worker House. They collectively helped us get spring cleaning and other "honey-do's" done. The Transamerica team painted, spruced up our yard, power washed the exterior of our house, washed every window in every room of the

In the middle of April, I meet a woman who looked absolutely distraught. Her name was Andrea and she was desperately fighting for reunification with her three beautiful daughters. During her intake, we identified a plan of action. Andrea needed to find employment, comply with Family Treatment Court requirements, find housing and have visits

Recently my employer, Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust, launched a new initiative for its employees to "Be Exceptional". In order to get us started on our new goal, the Bank gifted each of us with $50 cash, with the only stipulation being to "Pay It Forward". For those who don't know, the concept

To make sure as much of the money we receive as possible goes to providing food and shelter to the homeless, we do not have a development director or a huge administrative staff. We have only one full time and two part time employees. Our board of directors, our fellow parishioners and community

Ever since the St. John of the Cross Catholic Worker Community of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Inc. opened the doors of the Catholic Worker House, we have been blessed with donors who care about those who have nowhere to go and feel helpless. Whether our donors realize it, their contributions turn into a nice bed

We practice Mercy through concrete acts of charity. The Church lists seven "corporal" and "spiritual" works of "mercy", which must be performed by the faithful. The Corporal acts of Mercy are found in the work of education, hospice care, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, visiting the imprisoned, looking after the lonely.