To mark its centennial year, Catholic Charities of Buffalo partnered with local advertising agency Abbey Mecca to produce and film a documentary titled, “A Century of HOPE,” highlighting the organization’s history, story and unique, integral contributions to Western New York.
Incorporating interviews of 16 individuals involved with Catholic Charities over many decades, archive footage, and other memorabilia, the documentary covers the rich history of the nonprofit, from its origins in 1923 to its storied impact in the Western New York community. The 30-minute documentary will be aired several times locally this month:
- Friday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. on WBBZ-TV
- Saturday, Jan. 13 at 9:30 a.m. on WUTV-TV
- Sunday, Jan. 14 at 10:30 a.m. on WBBZ-TV
- Monday, Jan. 15 at 12:30 p.m. on WGRZ-TV
“It just seems so natural today to put something on film for a lasting memory of this 100-year mark,” said Rose Caldwell, Catholic Charities chief communications officer. “Our interviewees did such a phenomenal job sharing their stories and reflections of Catholic Charities – all of these meaningful moments woven through the years and our community formed our history. It’s exciting and an honor to be a part of that.”
In addition to Abbey Mecca’s work directing and with all aspects of the production, dPost provided studio space and other expertise. Sponsors of the documentary include Lumsden McCormick and Catholic Health. In addition to the local viewings, “A Century of HOPE” can also be viewed anytime on Catholic Charities’ YouTube channel at youtube.com/CCBuffalo and on its website, ccwny.org.
Catholic Charities officially turned 100 on Oct. 29, 2023. Today, the agency serves Western New York in a multitude of ways, from basic needs assistance to behavioral health services, family safety and stabilization services to education and workforce training, and resettlement services. Last year the agency impacted more than 145,000 individuals. For more information, visit ccwny.org.