Catholic Charities 2nd Annual Hope from Home Virtual Event
April 12, 2021
Marion Ahlers, Director of Marketing and Communications
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Pittsburgh
412-456-6693
mahler@ccpgh.org
Catholic Charities 2nd Annual Hope from Home Virtual Event Announced
Tom and Becky McGough named as event chairs
Agency’s largest fundraiser to highlight growing need in region
(Pittsburgh) – Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh announced today that Tom and Becky McGough have stepped forward as event chairs for the 2021 Home from Home virtual event. The event will go live Monday, May 3 and will run through the end of the month.
Hope from Home is the agency’s largest fundraiser with proceeds supporting programming and assistance throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. This year’s emphasis will be to raise funds to help those impacted directly by Covid-19. Areas of service include counseling, health care, housing and homelessness and basic needs. The agency will also highlight those making a difference in the region and share stories of hope of those helped by Catholic Charities.
“We couldn’t be more honored that the McGoughs have agreed to partner with us to highlight current need in the Pittsburgh region and roll up their sleeves to help secure the resources to provide meaningful solutions,” said Susan Rauscher, Executive Director of Catholic Charities.
“It’s a privilege to guide Hope from Home,” said Tom McGough, Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel of UPMC. “We have a strong sense of urgency to appeal to those who can help reduce the suffering in southwestern Pennsylvania produced by Covid-19. We see case numbers going down, which is wonderful, but the economic destruction is only now beginning to emerge.”
“We know that without immediate intervention for many of our neighbors in the region, we risk setting up fresh patterns of generational poverty,” said Becky McGough. “We are confident that the people of southwestern Pennsylvania will once again show themselves as a caring people committed to being the people we know we’re all called to be.”
Hope from Home asks the question what does hope look like during a time of increasing need.
“Hope looks like all of us,” said Tom. “It’s the idea that with tangible resources, we can ensure the pandemic becomes a memory, not a legacy.”
Catholic Charities has more than 110 year of hands-on expertise, responding to assaults on human dignity by meeting people at their point of immediate need and fostering long-term solutions.
“We’ve seen the numbers of people coming to us for basic assistance skyrocket,” says Ms. Rauscher, noting an 87% increase in requests for direct assistance from the same time frame a year ago. “Our neighbors – people we know – are making tough decisions between groceries and rent or functioning utilities and baby supplies. What will happen if we don’t step up now? Hope from Home is our invitation to the good nature of people in southwestern Pennsylvania. We know that even as need grows, the hope we provide is bigger still.”
A sneak peak of the month-long virtual event can be found at www.cchopefromhome.org.
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About Catholic Charities: Catholic Charities serves all, regardless of religious affiliation, at their times of great need. With offices in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence and Washington counties, Catholic Charities has been providing programs and services since 1910. Catholic Charities offers counseling, a Free Health Care Center for the uninsured and underinsured, senior centers and services (out of Lawrence County) homeless assistance, pregnancy and parenting support, and more. For more information about our programs and services, visit www.ccpgh.org.