Vicky Schultz is president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Shiawasee and Genesee Counties in Michigan, an area that includes the nearly 100,000 residents of Flint who continue to endure a lingering water crisis. Under her leadership, the Catholic community has been at the forefront of providing help to those in need through its Center for Hope and North End Soup Kitchen, distributing clean water and serving 16,000 meals monthly. “Something Vicky prizes is that she is able to live out her faith through her work on a daily basis. She is a risk-taker for others,” said Mary Stevenson, director of the Center for Hope. Deacon Jim Kasprzak, director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Lansing, applauded her leadership. “Vicky has been relentless in developing innovative approaches to meet the needs of poor and vulnerable persons in the economically hard-hit city of Flint,” he said. “During the water quality crisis, she has been a key community leader in addressing both immediate and ongoing basic human needs as well as the long term human health and behavioral health needs, particularly of children and families.” Bishop Earl A. Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing told Our Sunday Visitor: “One of the great things about Vicky is that she sees a need and responds and then says we have to figure out how to pay for it! Of course, that doesn’t always work well, but what a great instinct. She is a blessing not only to Flint but to our whole diocese as she calls us to love our neighbor.” Echoing Bishop Boyea, Deacon Kasprzak added: “Vicky lives every day to be the hands, the feet and the voice of Jesus Christ in doing the works of mercy. “Vicky is an icon of mercy on behalf of the Catholic Church in Flint.” For her tireless work for the community during an unparalleled crisis, Our Sunday Visitor honors Schultz as a 2016 Catholic of the Year.