Cathie's Story

Every month, Catholic Charities outreach vans travel throughout the 31 counties of northern Kansas to deliver essential food and hygiene items to our rural neighbors in need who are encountering food insecurity.

One person who has been impacted by these outreach services is Cathie, a wife and mother from Beverly. Last year, Cathie’s life was turned upside down after a breast cancer diagnosis forced her to leave her job. To be closer to his wife, Cathie’s husband also changed jobs amidst her health battle, creating substantial income loss in her family. These economic constraints, along with the influx of medical bills, made it difficult for Cathie and her husband to provide for their family.

“Having an illness drains you mentally,” Cathie said. “You are constantly worrying about how you are going to pay your bills or even buy groceries. The expense of food and hygiene was a tremendous burden for our family.”

That’s when Cathie heard about Catholic Charities outreach services and started going each month to receive supplemental food and hygiene items for her family. “When you have cancer, it is really hard to get assistance,” Cathie said. “If it wasn’t for Catholic Charities coming to our community, we would not have been able to make ends meet or keep our boys fed. It lifted our burdens.”

Cathie expressed that before receiving items from outreach services, even the smallest things could dramatically increase her grocery bill. “The littlest things like toilet paper, laundry soap, or even toothpaste-you don’t realize how much that can cost on your grocery bill,” Cathie said. “Without Catholic Charities, I wouldn’t have been able to buy these things. I don’t know what I would have done.”

Without the generosity of donors like you, Cathie’s family would not have had the nourishment and care they needed to live out their daily lives. “Receiving items for daily living for my family helped tremendously,” Cathie said. “It took some of the weight off our shoulders during a time of trials and struggles. My family was treated with dignity and helpful hands.”

Cathie states that outreach services provide families like hers, who are living in rural communities, with access to critical support. “We look forward to that van that comes one a month and gives us hope,” Cathie said.