Sunday Feb. 17, Catholic Social Services will hold its 21st annual Celebration of Caring Banquet at the Cornhusker Hotel, with the social time starting at 4:30 p.m. and dinner and program at 6 p.m. It will be a special night where we will celebrate 75 years of assisting poor and needy individuals and families in the Diocese of Lincoln. In addition, we will honor three long-time volunteers as they receive the Cor Christi award.

In 1932 Bishop Louis Kucera started Catholic Social Services as a response to the horrific need created by the Great Depression with its associated economic collapse. I’ll never forget stories from my maternal grandmother concerning her struggles during the depression as my grandfather lost his business. Exiting the depression by the grace of God as a ‘pack rat,’ she would frequently tell my mother, “Better not throw that away Barb, you never know when you might need it!”

People sometimes ask me, “What is your favorite program at CSS?” That would be like asking a parent, “Which one of your children do you love most?” Wouldn’t such a parent proceed to talk about each of their children?

The programs and services of Catholic Social Services of the diocese of Lincoln have obviously grown and expanded over the past 75 years to include emergency services (rent and utility assistance etc.), disaster relief, providing food, clothing, furniture, appliances, cars, many other material items, low-income housing programs including those for abused women with children, refugee services, and of course our clinical services where we provide counseling to adults, children, and families for most psychological difficulties (with a grant system for those without insurance). What amazes me most is the generosity of our benefactors which makes all of this possible.

Equally amazing are the numerous volunteers that quietly and humbly help without seeking praise or recognition. This brings us to our three recipients for the 2008 Cor Christi award— Marguerite Kellett, Bill Knight, and Russ Reinig. Each on their own has volunteered in our food pantry for more than 20 years. This means that between the three of them they have amassed between 60 and 70 years of service.

I first talked to Marguerite who said, “The other two deserve the award, but not I...” Want to guess what Bill and Russ said? I thought I was listening to a broken record. None wanted to accept the award, while singing the praises of the others. In the end, they all agreed.

They all started around the same time when the food pantry was a little more than a closet at Sacred Heart Church in Lincoln. Thanks to their love for Jesus who lives in the hungry, this food pantry has grown to its present size as the second-largest pantry in the city. To be sure, because of their example and the grace of God, we have another food pantry in Hastings, which is currently undergoing an expansion, and mobile food pantries serving Auburn, Tecumseh, Falls City, Hebron, David City, with plans for adding more across the diocese.

Please join us at the Cornhusker Hotel Feb. 17 and let us together thank Almighty God, for through His graces and the help of individuals like our Cor Christi award winners, our dedicated staff, and benefactors living and deceased over the last 75 years, CSS is what it is today. Glory be to God!

Reservations are required for the Celebration of Caring Banquet. For more information or to register, please call Paula Schlotterbeck at 474-1600 x 113. Information can also be found at www.cssisus.org. The deadline to register is Feb. 5, 2008.