In October, a capacity audience attended Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties’ (CCJLHC) benefit dinner at St. Rita Catholic Church in Clarklake. The evening’s featured speakers’ presentations focused on “faith in action.” Father Tim MacDonald’s inspiring story was of working alongside St. Teresa and her sisters in India as a seminarian. This experience changed his life and demonstrated how everyone should treat all people with love and dignity, as Jesus would.
Cayla Upham, a senior foster care case manager, told a heartwarming story of one foster family’s love for their foster child. Liz Kelly, a former client, earned a standing ovation with the moving story of her journey from addiction to recovery coach in CCJLHC’s Substance Abuse program. And the final speaker, Father Joe Krupp, called everyone to put their faith into action as he shared personal stories of how his family lovingly included foster children and refugees, and were constantly caring for others.
The evening closed on a fun note with all the “Men in Black,” attending, six priests and five deacons, leading the crowd in the song “Whatsoever You Do.”