robert

Maximizing the Potential of Adults with Disabilities The idea for “Lucia’s Pillows," a squaresite.com shop, came to its namesake one night in a dream. In the dream, Lucia, an adult with intellectual disabilities, was making beautiful pillows and selling them. People loved her pillows. Each unique creation featured one of her original drawings, embroidered and embellished with colorful yarn. The dream was the perfect image of Lucia’s passions: drawing, embroidery, and sewing. Lucia is a born artist, and throughout her life has found many outlets for her creativity. Whether she is drawing, painting, or sewing, it all comes very naturally to her. But being a businesswoman had never occurred to Lucia, until she had the dream. Where would the dream lead? The dream inspired Lucia to open an online shop for her pillows. Turning the dream into reality took mere months, with the help of  a supported employment specialist from the

Affordable, Independent Senior Living in Delaware County When construction is complete on St. Joseph Place, an affordable, independent senior living facility in Collingdale, a glass atrium will connect two separate buildings that were once the center of the Catholic community in this Delaware County town: the former elementary school of St. Joseph's parish and the nearby parish annex. Community can’t exist without connection. Connection between generations, between the past and the present, and between a neighborhood and its residents. When completed, the construction and renovation will do more than connect two structures. It will connect a beloved old school building with a re-imagined future. St. Joseph Place Apartments St. Joseph Place will consist of 50 one-bedroom apartments for income eligible seniors aged 62 and older. Features of the building will include a community room, food cupboard, laundry facilities, resident lounges, and on-site social services to assist residents with various needs

School social workers make a difference every day of the school year. From helping students navigate the difficult high school social landscape to providing families with needed services, these heroes are vitally important.  Catholic Social Services provides social workers for area Catholic high schools.  We are proud to feature these amazing individuals.  Take a moment and get to know them! What is your name, job title, and social work degree? My name is Rebecca Malfara and I am the Supervisor for School Social Workers and also a School Social Worker at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls. The school social workers are employed through Catholic Social Services and are placed at Little Flower High School, Archbishop Bonner/Prendergast High School, West Catholic, Father Judge and Neumann-Goretti High School. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Temple University and a Master’s of Social Work from the University of Vermont.

Foster Care Shortage in Philadelphia On an evening in March, a director from Catholic Social Services answered eight calls at his home from the Department of Human Services. Earlier that week, he answered five calls from a county referral agency. All of the callers were looking for the same thing: a safe home for a vulnerable child. A child whose own home had become too unsafe or too unhealthy to live in, or a child who was suffering from abuse and neglect. Some of the calls resulted in placements. Most calls did not because of the shortage of available resource parents. The City of Philadelphia estimates that there are roughly 4,300 children in foster care at any given time. On a typical day, more than a dozen children are waiting to be placed. In Philadelphia, the demand for foster parents (also know as resource parents) has increased in recent years,