Members of the Catholic Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle met recently at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe to hear pitches from a dozen groups – six diocesan ministries and six community nonprofits – which were seeking 2025 grant awards.
After hearing brief presentations from each group, WGC members had until May 11 to consider the choices and cast their ballots. A total of $96,000 was awarded this year.
The 2025 diocesan grant recipients are:
- St. Agatha-St. Aloysius Parish Hunger Center, $17,000
- Ministry to the Incarcerated, $15,000
- Camp Happiness, $13,000
Grant recipients in the community organization category are:
- Malachi House, $17,000
- Fill This House, $15,000
- Womankind, $13,000
Six other finalists received $1,000 each for their group. In the diocesan category, Holy Family Hospice, the Marriage and Family Life Ministry and Migration and Refugee Services’ Single Mothers Program were the awardees. In the community category, recipients were Geauga Faith Rescue Mission, Laura’s Home and Providence House.
Sister Mary Jean Raymond, OSU, parish life coordinator for St. Agatha-St. Aloysius Parish Hunger Center, shared information about the need for the ministry and its impact in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood. The parish is marking its 125th anniversary this year. She said the hunger center works to meet the growing need for food and shelter, with weekly requests for assistance increasing by 25%. Funds will be used for additional food purchases, rental and utility assistance and increased hours for the hunger center director.
Marilyn Scott, director of Catholic Charities’ Disability Ministry and Services, which operates Camp Happiness, said the program will mark its 60th anniversary in 2026. It was established on the CPL campus and continues to operate there each summer, offering programming for those with cognitive and physical disabilities. Campers enjoy adaptive activities including games, arts, crafts, swimming and field trips.
“The power of camp is inclusion,” she said, explaining how camp staffers take pride in working with the campers.
The Ministry to the Incarcerated, operates under the auspices of the Diocese of Cleveland with the support of more than 400 volunteers. The ministry visits inmates at state prisons, county jails and juvenile facilities to meet their needs. It also provides essential care packages from those released from the Cuyahoga County Jail and Northeast Reintegration Center for women.
Fill This House is a faith-based nonprofit that supports local youth who are aging out of the foster care system by providing new items to help them furnish an apartment. New items are provided to help improve the self-esteem of the young people. They receive a gift bag that includes a Bible, gift cards, a bus pass and other resources. Volunteers also pray with them.
Malachi House, located on Cleveland’s Near West Side, is a faith-based nonprofit that provides compassionate end-of-life care for terminally ill people in need. The home offers spiritual, emotional and physical support through trained staff, volunteers and a hospice team to ensure residents have comfort and dignity in their final days.
Womankind offers free prenatal services to women without health insurance or financial and emotional support, including pregnancy testing, prenatal care, counseling, breastfeeding assistance, help with applications for Medicaid, SNAP and WIC, as well as baby items and referrals for parenting classes, adoption and housing.
“How do you decide?” asked one WGC member after hearing the pitches from the six finalists. “They’re all such worthy causes.”
“Thank you for your generosity and for responding with such heart and faith,” said Mary Lou Ozimek, assistant executive director of the Catholic Community Foundation, who works with the group.
Diane Fusco and Maria Ruddock, co-founders of the group, said its objectives are to learn about the needs of Catholic ministries and other nonprofits in the diocese, to leverage the group’s own resources to create meaningful change and to provide opportunities to come together in fellowship with other women of faith.
Click here to learn more about the Women’s Giving Circle.