Building a new home for Hays

Nearly 40 years ago, in 1983, Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas opened its first outreach facility in Hays with a small, rented office and one staff member. Since that blessed day, the office has grown to serve 16 counties in the western region of the Diocese, providing financial and housing assistance, personal care and basic needs, pregnancy and adoption services, and counseling services.

Scripturally speaking, the number 40 means something. It brings to mind such qualities as newness, preparation for an important work, transformation, nourishment, growth, and ultimately, new life. Its use denotes a complete period of time that transitions to another. For Catholic Charities, this meaning comes full circle as they announce the beginning of a building renovation project in Hays, 40 years after the location’s original opening.

The new location at 1015 Centennial Blvd. will offer a larger capacity, providing the Hays staff with the resources to better serve those struggling across northwest Kansas. This monumental renovation would not be possible without the generosity of Verlin and Elaine Pfannenstiel, who donated the building to Catholic Charities. The Pfannenstiel’s, who reside in Victoria, felt called to donate the building after learning that Catholic Charities’ needs were outgrowing their current Hays location.

“Donating the building was a way for us to serve the Lord,” Elaine said. “We are here to serve others. That’s our purpose on Earth. Sometimes the Holy Spirit just inspires you to do something, and I think He inspired Verlin and I.”

In donating the building, the Pfannenstiel’s want to provide a place of refuge to those across northwest Kansas facing unprecedented struggle.

“Our hope for the new Hays building is that it will better serve all those in need across the area,” Elaine said. “Northwest Kansas stretches far past Goodland, so it is a long way out. Hays is a very good location for those in more rural areas and it would be convenient to have somebody close that can help.”

While this building donation is a pivotal step in creating a new home for the Hays location, there is still much work and renovation to be done. It is the support of the community that will make the vision of this project a reality. “The Hays Building Project will allow us to warehouse greater amounts of food and hygiene items for rural families across northwestern Kansas,” said Eric Frank, Catholic Charities director of development.  “We want this building to increase community awareness so we can meet the needs of our neighbors in need that may not live near a bigger city and have access to life-saving resources. We feel the community is worth it and, moving forward, we will need even more support. The donors in Hays and surrounding areas will make this building a reality and there is no way to do this without them!”

Support of the Hays Building Project will ensure that the needs of those struggling across northwest Kansas will be met for years to come.

“People should support the Hays Building Project because when you donate to Catholic Charities, you know your money is going to the right people,” Verlin said. “When catastrophes happen, Catholic Charities is an organization that is always there. It’s good to have them here, working with the community. To have a larger location in Hays will be significant.”

Elaine expressed that donations to the Hays Building Project support something much bigger than the physical building. “It’s not the building, it’s what goes on inside the building,” she said. “The work that will happen in that building is an act of love, and God is love. It’s really that simple.”

To learn more and donate to the Hays Building Project, visit www.ccnks.org/haysproject