2010 Catholic Charities Annual Dinner

Every year Catholic Charities sets aside an evening to celebrate the gift that staff and volunteers are to the community and to the church. It is a celebration of person gifts, as well as the acknowledgement of the families, children and individuals who have been served and touched by the over 1,100 staff in 166 locations (residential and nonresidential sites) throughout the 14 counties of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude to our Executive Directors, staff, Agency Boards of Directors, volunteers and all of the friends of Catholic Charities for the support, stewardship, and acts of selfless service that have been demonstrated during the past year as we have each adjusted to help our beloved CEO, Sister Maureen Joyce, during her extended illness.

Sister Maureen’s example of devotion to the mission of Catholic Charities serves to remind us all of the commitment we make to serve the poor and vulnerable among us without bias and with the rich legacy of 93 years of making our communities, state, nation and world places of hope, compassion, and healing.

The work we do is important. The work we do makes for a better world around us. The work we do must continue. Thank you all for the role you play in enabling Catholic Charities to continue to serve.

Gratefully yours,

John F. Murray, Jr.
President – Board of Trustees

Kathleen Picotte Award

Kathleen Picotte was a major donor to Catholic Charities who embodied the mission of the agency through a spirit of generosity, a concern for the vulnerable and a passion for combating poverty through education and job training. To honor her memory, an award is given each year to a Catholic Charities employee who exemplifies her values.

2010 Kathleen Picotte Award Winners:

Left to right: Sister Charla Commins, Sister Maria Cokely, Bishop Howard Hubbard, Sister Rita Shawn McClaskey, and Betsy O'Haire (granddaughter of Kathleen Picotte).

We are called to act with justice; we are called to love tenderly; we are called to serve one another; to walk humbly with God.” This commonly cited quote which reflects our charge in carrying out the mission of Catholic Charities speaks to the core of our co-recipients of the Kathleen Picotte Award: Sister Rita Shawn McClaskey and Sister Maria Cokely. It was 15 years ago when Sister Rita Shawn and Sister Maria learned that there were individuals in Rensselaer County communities who needed transportation to their dialysis center, to a medical facility for their chemotherapy or radiation, or to seek treatment for their HIV/AIDS condition. They noticed that people were denying themselves medical care since they did not have a ride to and from their appointments. And so, in 1995, these two Sisters of Saint Joseph, who were working at Bethany Shelter and St. Joseph’s House, went to see Sister Maureen Joyce and spoke about their mission to provide transportation to the sick. Both were struck by the plight of those suffering with life-threatening diseases and requiring critical care. And so, the program known as Catholic Charities Transportation for the Sick was founded by two women religious --- a nurse and an educator --- living in Troy, New York.

Originally, they accompanied individuals infected with HIV/AIDS to their providers so they could obtain the treatment to help them sustain a quality of life. As word of their ministry spread among the local community and medical practitioners, they found themselves opening their car and van doors to those needing cancer treatment, dialysis, and/or ambulatory surgery. When they heard this call, they responded to the emerging human need in their community. Many times either one will get up very early in the morning and accompany someone to his or her 6:00 AM four-hour dialysis appointment which would be required 3 times a week. Sisters Maria and Rita Shawn spend long days picking up, driving and staying with patients who need their personal touch, especially during times when the patient’s physical condition is chronic and the prognosis is uncertain.

On a barebones budget largely funded by a letter of appeal at Thanksgiving, a fundraising brunch in the fall, and a local legislative member item, they rely on the dedication and commitment of 30 volunteers ranging in age from 60 to 90 years old. Since its inception Sister Rita Shawn and Sister Maria have cultivated a corps of volunteers who drive men and women (who do not have much family or community support) to their medical appointments. They have sustained the commitment of their volunteers by the devotion that is so evident in their day-to-day actions. The corps follow their ministerial leadership. If Sister Rita Shawn or Sister Maria is driving a patient home and he or she needs a prescription or some groceries, they stop and aid their traveler to obtain these basic needs. And the volunteers follow their lead.

If you ask medical providers at Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, the VA, or at the offices of New York State Oncology and Hematology about either award recipient, they smile as they speak about the gratitude they feel knowing that their patients are able to come to their office as scheduled and receive necessary care.

As they have driven to the homes of over 1,000 patients over the past 15 years, these two Co-founders and Co-directors have displayed the vision to start such a service, the passion to sustain it and the courage to be with those whose health is compromised. When asked about their ministry of service and what they have learned from those they have driven and with whom they have walked side-by-side, each reply with the same belief …“ They have taught us how to live and how to die with dignity.”

Respectfully submitted,

Sister Maureen Joyce

Kathleen Picotte Award Nominees

The Board of Trustees would like to acknowledge all the nomiees for the Kathleen Picotte Award. They can all be commended for their dedication to the mission and their untiring efforts to empower and assist those in need.

Susan Cipolla - Catholic Charities Disabilities Services
Toni Joslin - Catholic Charities of Schoharie County
Brenda McAteer - Catholic Charities Housing Office