“Catholic Charities helped me keep the faith to believe there are still good people out there,” said Liz Echavarria, a single mother served through the Women Veterans Program of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
Echavarria has twin teenage daughters who both needed surgery to correct a spinal birth defect. One daughter was still in the hospital when Echavarria’s car broke down. She didn’t have the money to get it repaired. Through Catholic Charities’ Women Veterans Program, Echavarria was able to get her car fixed so she could resume employment.
An adamant pro-life stance and concern for the wellbeing of single mothers are at the core of a $350,000 gift from philanthropist Baroness Kandy Kaye Horn to Catholic Charities. The donation supports the Women Veterans Program, which helps women – many of them single parents – who served in the U.S. military and need assistance overcoming life’s challenges in civilian life.
“I was raised by a single mother, and I was also a single mother myself, so I understand the challenges of raising children on your own,” said Baroness Kandy Kaye Horn. “By making this gift, I hope to give these women who served our country the help they need so their families can lead fulfilling, productive lives. And I believe that the answer to most societal problems is a job and the dignity of employment.”
Horn has a simple philosophy: “There will be no U-Haul trailer behind my hearse. I’ve been blessed to have made a lot of money in my life, but with wealth comes a responsibility to help those in need.”
“Catholic Charities is grateful to the Baroness Kandy Kaye Horn Foundation for investing in the future of families led by single mothers,” said Catholic Charities President and CEO Cynthia N. Colbert, MSW. “The foundation’s gift will allow us to continue providing services that help these women create and follow a plan to maintain successful employment and stable housing for their families.”
Catholic Charities’ Women Veterans Program provides services through the Mamie George Community Center in Richmond, part of a network of life-changing programs at Catholic Charities that work together to alleviate poverty for people of all beliefs. Program staff are guided by the social teachings of the Catholic Church to treat clients with respect and dignity, mindful that many have experienced traumatic life events that affect their ability to cope with daily challenges.
More information on Catholic Charities is available on the agency’s website: CatholicCharities.org.