Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle grants $130,000 to seven local nonprofits

The Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle has reached its five-year mark, each year growing in impact and in members. This year, members granted out $130,000 to seven local nonprofits focusing on impacting women, children and families. This was a historical distribution thanks to our 191 members.

The Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle continues to engage women from across our diocese to grow in their faith together and make a difference locally, leading with prayer and allowing the Lord to guide their grateful generosity. In April of this year, members gathered and listened intently to presentations from eleven nonprofits. Immediately following they participated in a voting process selecting seven nonprofits to receive grant funding.

On Thursday, May 18th, Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville along with the members of the Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle gathered together at the Pastoral Center to make presentations of $130,000 in grants to these local nonprofits, all with the direct intent of making a difference in the lives of women, children and families within the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux:

• Children’s Water Safety ($10,000 for swimming lessons, CPR training and life jackets)
• CASA of the 16th JDC, Inc. ($10,000 to expand the program, recruit volunteers, and to help

  cover salary of recruiter/training coordinator)

• Bayou Land Families Helping Families ($10,000 to purchase furniture to and to provide a

  hybrid approach to workshops)

• Bayou Youth Equity Foundation/Mom’s Pantry ($20,000 to add two additional Title 1

  schools to the existing program to help feed chronically undernourished children)

• Hi-5 ($25,000 to increase the capacity to serve more children by adding portable buildings)
• St. Vincent de Paul Tri-Parish Pharmacy ($25,000 to fund operations so they can continue to

  provide free prescriptions for those in need)

• Second Harvest Food Bank Bayou Region ($30,000 to help provide food to women, children

  and families with a Mobile Pantry Program)

“It has been a truly humbling experience to watch the members of the Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle live out Mother Teresa’s mission to help women, children and families,” said Amy Ponson, executive director of the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana. “Over the course of five years, despite continued challenges we face daily, the Catholic women within our diocese have led with their prayers, their hearts and their vision to make our community a better place. Our vision was to build a community of Catholic women where every gift, no matter how large or small, would make an impact locally. We are honored to have been able to grant out $130,000 this year and hope to continue to grow our support throughout our local community.”

For more information about the Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle, please visit https://www.catholicfoundationsl.org/womens-giving-circle/.  If interested in joining, please contact Amy Ponson at (985) 850-3116, or aponson@htdiocese.org.

Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle Steering Committee members include: Bonnie Brady Babin, Wanda Birdsall, Andree Casey, Pat Caillouet, Ginny Corte, Rene Danos David, Charlotte Bollinger, Emelie Cheramie, Mary Duplantis, Susan David, Brenda Riviere, Kelly Thibodaux, Lillie Romano, Clarisse Waguespack, Renee Gautreaux and Amy Ponson.