Charity in Action volunteer awardees (from left) Pete Jakubenas (Fort Bend County), Clora Otems (Galveston County), and Carol Herrera (Harris County) are congratulated by His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Catholic Charities President Cynthia Colbert at Catholic Charities’ 2021 Annual Meeting.
Each year, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston shines a light on special people and groups who give their time, talent and treasure through service and support by presenting the Charity in Action Awards in three categories: to a parish, a group, and to individual volunteers.
St. Cecilia Catholic Church was honored for its outstanding support of Catholic Charities drive-through food distribution efforts throughout the pandemic, deploying teams of volunteers from the Knights of Columbus and Life Teen program. National Charity League – Azalea Chapter in Katy received recognition for pairing mothers and daughters in support of Catholic Charities’ Mamie George Community Center COVID-19 relief programs.
Individual volunteers were honored from the three counties in the Archdiocese in which Catholic Charities has a service center. In Fort Bend County, Pete Jakubenas is known for his dedicated service in the community garden and food pantry. In Galveston County, Clora Otems is an inspiration through her willingness to help in any way at the Beacon of Hope Center on Galveston Island. And in Harris County, Carol Herrera is known for giving time across programs, from distribution of diapers and school supplies, to helping with holiday toy distributions.
“Catholic Charities is blessed to have dedicated volunteers, board members, staff and leadership,” said outgoing board chair Ellen Ginty, while presiding over the last annual meeting in her term in office. “It truly is a team effort to make a difference in the greater Galveston-Houston area.”
Thanks to faithful support from parishioners and parishes across the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Catholic Charities last year served 344,000 people in need through a network of life-changing programs that have continued to operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.