CONTACT:         

Lindsay Hansen

Catholic Charities           

(480) 205-6195 cell

lhansen@cc-az.org

PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 19, 2009)…Catholic Charities is hosting its third annual Compassion in Action Breakfast on Thursday, April 2 at the Arizona Biltmore from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.  The free community awareness breakfast will feature inspiring stories from three programs: DIGNITY (Developing Individual Growth and New Independence Through Yourself), Refugee Resettlement and Westside Head Start. 

“Each year, our programs touch the lives of nearly 200,000 individuals and families throughout Central and Northern Arizona,” said Sylvia Hopkins, chief marketing officer.  “At the breakfast, guests will hear firsthand from clients who have benefited from our services.  Their stories are heartwarming, inspiring and encouraging.  It’s one of the best ways I can think of spending an hour of the day.”

Below is a brief description of the stories each client will share:

Laura Dragon, a DIGNITY Diversion client, can remember drinking beer from a bottle as a toddler; experiencing with alcohol, drugs and sex as a teenager; and becoming involved in prostitution as a young adult. 

Her journey starts in Birmingham and ends in Phoenix when she found Catholic Charities’ DIGNITY Program, a 36-hour intensive, educational program that aims to move women from prostitution to productive societal integration. 

“I don’t ever want anything to happen to DIGNITY,” said Dragon.  “When you are out of the street, selling your body and using drugs you feel like there’s no where to go.  They’ve really helped a lot of women and they really helped me.”  

The Ibrahim’s story is filled with love and courage.  Their daughter, Fatima was born with a severe and rare birth defect – her intestines were on the outside of her body.  The family was living in Iraq under the Saddam regime.  Doctors said Fatima would not survive and they should leave her to die.  But, that wasn’t an option for her parents.  Instead, they began to care for her round the clock. 

After the war started in 2003, Fatima’s father started helping the U.S. Army. But, soon the family was being threatened and had to flee to Egypt.  A few years later, they were finally granted Refugee status and allowed to come to the United States.  In March 2008, they arrived in Phoenix and Catholic Charities greeted them at the airport.  The very next day, Catholic Charities took them to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and three months later Fatima had surgery. 

“It was a dream, it was like a dream,” said Bassam Ibrahim.  “Now we can finally start our life.  I am working, Fatima is in school, our son has a sister to play with and we can start thinking about our future.”

When Teresa’s daughter, Allandra was two years old, she noticed she wasn’t speaking. She learned about Catholic Charities Westside Head Start and was anxious to enroll.  Today, Allandra is thriving in the classroom and home. 

“Head Start gave me a lot of good information,” said Teresa.  “They are helping me be a better mother and my husband is learning a lot too.  I am so thankful for the Head Start program.”

To register for this year’s breakfast, visit: CatholicCharitiesAZ.org.  If you’d like to

sponsor the event; please contact Chief Marketing Officer Sylvia Hopkins at (602)

650-4830 or via e-mail at shopkins@cc-az.org.

About Catholic Charities

Founded in 1933, Catholic Charities Community Services is one of Arizona’s oldest and largest nonprofit organizations which offers a diverse range of social services that strengthen families, protect and nurture children, and support people in crisis.  Catholic Charities serves people of all ages and faiths.  Last year, the charitable organization provided over 50 programs at 100 locations to nearly 200,000 people in central and northern Arizona.  Catholic Charities is a member organization of Catholic Charities USA which is the largest private network of social service organizations in the United States working to support families, reduce poverty, and build communities.  The organization is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Children and Family Services.  To learn more about Catholic Charities visit: CatholicCharitiesAZ.org.

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