by Kaitlin Jackson
HOPE Day, Catholic Charities’ second annual day of giving to benefit the 2019 Appeal, brought in $374,362 on May 17. This total will be increased by another $147,000 in matching funds for a grand total of $521,362.
Funds raised during HOPE Day reflect a combination of second or extra parish collections throughout the Diocese of Buffalo, pledges from existing donors, including corporate and leadership donors, and new donors.
“The generosity of Western New Yorkers is truly astounding, and we are deeply grateful for every individual, parish and corporate donor who gave the gift of hope on Friday,” said Dennis C. Walczyk, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Buffalo. “Our goal on HOPE Day was to inspire first-time donors to join our mission of helping those most in need and rally Catholic Charities supporters. Since we exceeded our original $300,000 goal, we definitely were successful in achieving this and are so encouraged that our community continues to support Catholic Charities in such a robust way. These resources will be invested right back into the region through programs and services of Catholic Charities and the Fund for the Faith.”
The 2019 Appeal has now raised $8,633,377 or 78% of this year’s $11 million goal since it began in January. Donations can continue to be made securely online at ccwny.org/donation or by calling 716-218-1400 through June 30.
The theme of this year’s Appeal is “Help Your Neighbor Find Hope” and the patron saint is St. Faustina.
