Welcome to Catholic Charities of Broome County!

Catholic Charities of Broome County, with support from Care Compass Network, has partnered with the Mental Health Empowerment Project (MHEP) in developing a Peer Support Institute.

This program is FREE, and open to anyone who has lived mental health experience and who has an interest in gaining the skills desired to become a peer support staff and advocate.

Peer support specialists are able to offer a unique understanding as they have walked the path of recovery themselves. They strive to empower others to achieve their hopes, dreams, and goals, and connect with them in a personal recovery journey. Peer Specialists hold valuable positions within an agency but currently there is a lack of qualified and skilled individuals in the field of Behavioral Health.

Training will be provided by accredited and well known staff through the MHEP. This will be a quick but intense curriculum. Individuals wishing to pursue this track will be expected to participate 3 hours a day, 4 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks. Upon completion of the course, individuals will have gained the knowledge needed to take the certification courses through the Academy of Peer Services. (Click the heading above to see the course topics.)

Our next session will start Monday January 10th, 2022 and will be held over a virtual platform. Interested participants will be able to join in either from their home or at Catholic Charities at the 277 Front Street location. Registration is quick and can be done over the phone.

Should you have any questions or wish to register, please contact the Peer Support Institute at (607) 723-1804, and request to speak with Kimberly DeSantis-Johns.

Catholic Charities of Broome County, in collaboration with United Way’s 211, will hold Thanksgiving basket sign-ups September 7th through October 16th, 2021; Mon-Fri 8AM to 5PM (Beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day)
Sign-ups will be held by calling 211 or by calling 1-800-901-2180
(Click the headline to download a flyer containing additional information)

I want you to know that Catholic Charities of Broome County remains active as an essential responder to the COVID-19 epidemic and will be continuing to provide its many services while protecting its staff, clients and those with whom we collaborate. To this end:
* We will be continuing to provide critical services to individuals who need our help. As you may know, we serve the most vulnerable in our community including
the seriously mentally ill, the developmentally disabled, homeless and runaway youth and people who are food and economically insecure.
*Our facilities are open to staff and clients only.
*There will be no visitors allowed in our Individualized Residential Alternatives and other residences except when medically or clinically necessary. Such visitors
will be screened for symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, fever) or potential exposure to someone with COVID-19 and the duration and number of visits will
be minimized.
*We will be employing telehealth to provide services under state guidance. In many instances; we are still required to provide community visits for some of our
programs while still maintaining social distance and we will be screening for COVID-19 as we continue to work.
*Catholic Charities Food Pantries remain open to the public during our regular business hours:
Mother Teresa’s Cupboard M,W, F 9-2:30 pm (202 Garfield Ave. Endicott)
100 Main Street Food Pantry and Community Empowerment Center M, W, TH, F 9-11:30 am & 1-3:30 pm, Tuesdays 1-3:30 pm
Both pantries are serving a 5 day supply of food to each family. Boxes of food are premade and will be given outside to families. This will ensure that we are
practicing safe social distancing as recommended by the CDC.
During this crisis we will allow friends, family members, neighbors, etc.. to pick up for loved ones who cannot leave their homes safely due to age, disability or
medical reasons. In addition, agencies may also pick up for their clients.
Please print, complete and bring with you the Food Pantry Form (click the headline above to download the form) to help us get you food in the most timely manner.
For seniors and medically frail Broome County residents that do not have someone to bring food please contact Mary Whitcombe at 584-7800.
Our pantries will also offer diapers, adult diapers and infant formula as available to those in need.
*We will be establishing a COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund to assist persons in our community who have been impacted by the epidemic. We will be
posting a separate description of this fund soon. The 2020 Catholic Charities Annual Appeal is being dedicated to this purpose.
We are doing our best to support our staff and their families as they continue to serve during very challenging times.
During this week, we pray the Novena to End Coronavirus prayer written by our very own Bishop Douglas J. Lucia. We ask for your prayers for us as we discern how best to carry out our mission to serve the poor, the vulnerable, the sick and those left out or behind.
May God bless you all and keep you safe in the palm of His Hand.

Lori Accardi, Executive Director

Catholic Charities of Broome County has been providing services in our community for the past 80 years.  You can help us to assist people who find themselves in difficult, sometimes even tragic situations.  With your help, they find hope and get the chance to transform their lives.
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