FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Isabella Agby | Director of Marketing and Communications
Phone: 586-416-2300 ext. 3653
Email: agbyi@ccsem.org

We Are There: Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (CCSEM) is joining a national campaign to promote the life-giving work of the Catholic Charities network throughout the country!

Southfield, MI – July 1, 2024—Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (CCSEM) is joining the Catholic Charities network nationwide to participate in We Are There, a national awareness campaign highlighting the life-giving services Catholic Charities agencies provide in their local communities.

"The ‘We Are There’ campaign is a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication and compassionate service that Catholic Charities agencies across the nation provide daily,” said Paul Propson, CEO of CCSEM. “We are especially excited to join this national effort, building on our rich history of serving our local communities with help, hope, dignity, and love.”

For over 80 years, individual Catholic Social Service locations throughout the six Archdiocesan counties have brought comfort, hope, and relief to our neighbors, regardless of their faith, in southeast Michigan. In 2013, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (CCSEM) emerged as a unified entity, combining the strengths of independent Catholic Social Service agencies from Oakland, St. Clair, Macomb, Monroe, and Lapeer counties. This formation established CCSEM as the principal agency for mercy-driven activities within the Archdiocese of Detroit. As the charitable extension of the Archdiocese, CCSEM is dedicated to delivering compassionate services and upholds a legacy of support across the region. Annually, CCSEM reaches over 20,000 people through various programs, including counseling, foster care, adoption, adult day services, refugee resettlement, and more.

“The great work that CCSEM provides in Southeast Michigan is mirrored by services provided at Catholic Charities agencies around the country,” said Propson. There are 168 independent Catholic Charities agencies and 3,900 collective locations across the United States and its five territories. Collectively, the Catholic Charities network served more than 15 million people last year and provided more than 30 million meals to those in need.

The hundreds of dedicated, selfless staff of Catholic Charities agencies are aided in this work by the indispensable contributions of more than 215,000 volunteers nationwide. The services each local Catholic Charities agency offers differ because they are tailored to the specific needs of their communities' vulnerable members.

Catholic Charities USA, the national membership organization for Catholic Charities agencies, organized and launched the We Are There campaign. Over the coming months, the campaign will raise awareness for Catholic Charities' work through various national media outlets. In Southeast Michigan and across the Archdiocese of Detroit footprint, CCSEM will continue highlighting how we aid and accompany our friends and neighbors in need.

To learn more about the We Are There campaign, visit WeAreThere.US. To learn how to volunteer or make a gift to support the work of CCSEM, visit ccsem.org.

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About Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan:

Compelled by the love and teachings of Jesus Christ, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (CCSEM) provides programs and services that offer help and hope to over 20,000 people annually throughout the six counties served by the Archdiocese of Detroit. For more information, please visit www.ccsem.org

Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (CCSEM) serves the most vulnerable of our community, providing a broad spectrum of social services in Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne Counties. Reflecting profound respect for human life, the dignity of each person, and a commitment to strengthen families each year, CCSEM helps more than 20,000 people of all faiths, races, and cultures throughout southeast Michigan. CCSEM's programs transform lives, relationships, and futures, serving pregnant women, young mothers, infants, children, teens, adults, seniors, couples, and families.