Sacred Journeys: Praying for Migrants and Refugees with Bishop Schuerman
On Monday, June 15, Sr. Diana De Bruin, the archdiocesan vicar for the religious, with the help of the Sisters of Saint Agnes, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and Fr. Michael Wolfe, who spoke at our Benefit for Hope, hosted a prayer service at Cathedral Square Park in Milwaukee entitled "Sacred Journeys: A Prayer Service for Migrants and Refugees".
Bishop Schuerman, Sister Diana, and the St. Adalbert choir guided the prayer service, culminating in a powerful reading of the names, ages, and countries of origins of migrants and refugees who have died over the past year in U.S. detention centers. Sister Diana, having volunteered with Catholic Charities before, and thus aware of the good work done by our RIS program, invited us to have a resource table at the event and included a request for attendees to donate to Catholic Charities or volunteer with our RIS program. Paul Eberle, Barbara Graham and Jackie Rekowski were in attendance.
We are grateful for the collaboration with the team presenting the prayer service, and we carry the strength of their prayers offered as we work to serve our migrant and refugee neighbors.
Anniversaries 🎂
Below you will see staff that have reached their five-year anniversary. Congratulations to all of you on your accomplishments! Please scroll through and enjoy reading reflections and special moments their colleagues provided in order for this to be a surprise to those being recognized.
5 YEARS
Carrie Lueders
Adoption Social Worker (MAO) 5 years
"Carrie is a kind, compassionate, and hard-working employee of Catholic Charities. She is always willing to lend a hand and uses creativity to always come up with new ideas or perspectives." "It has been wonderful getting to work with Carrie since I started, and I really enjoyed getting to go with Carrie to San Antonio for our doula training. There she helped me grow and learn more about her, as well as more about myself! Carrie is always considerate of others, and she always speaks up to help advocate for others."
"When Carrie came back to Catholic Charities, she fit into her new team and program right away, as if she hadn't been away for a while. I appreciate Carrie's creativity and questions that lead me to consider different perspectives."
"Thank you, Carrie, for your passion and commitment to the families we serve!"
Jake Wild
Digital Content Developer (RIS) 5 years
"Jake is incessantly patient and tolerant — regardless of what is thrown at him. When asked to take on additional responsibilities, he rises to the challenge and is always patient and professional and never seems to get rattled. He is consistently accommodating to coworkers who seek his help and expertise, and always willing to lend a hand and share his knowledge." "His contributions are invaluable, from identifying cost-effective and free resources that ensure economic sustainability to creating engaging YouTube videos and maintaining a vibrant, user-friendly RIS website. Through it all, he remains good-humored, good-natured, and dependable — never losing the sense of humor that makes him such a pleasure to work with."
"As we very much appreciate Jake’s technical skills to create videos, he also has a great eye toward education and teaching in a way that is valuable to ensure the content created is accessible."
"Lastly, we very much appreciate his unofficial job as being in charge of the air conditioning units at the RIS office! 😂"
Kaci Eisch
Communications Coordinator (CAO) 5 years
"Kaci joined Catholic Charities five years ago as an Advancement intern during a time when many employers had paused their internship programs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She quickly became an integral part of the team, moving from Advancement Assistant to Communications Coordinator while taking on increasing responsibility for sharing our mission and impact with the community."
"Kaci’s care for our clients shines through with her attention to detail in all our communications. She is so considerate when gathering and sharing client photos and stories and shares our Agency messaging with care and compassion. She is a great teammate!"
"Kaci is the person we can always count on for help or questions around the office, and her attention to detail never goes unnoticed. She is someone that always brings good vibes and all things pink to the office. From discussions about the latest shows and Taylor Swift updates to our shared love of Dunkin and Starbucks runs, Kaci is someone who makes the workday more enjoyable."
"She has played an important role in growing our social media presence, keeping our website current, and creating engaging communications for the communities we serve and our donors. She has a talent for capturing the people and moments that bring our mission to life, whether through photography, graphic design, employee newsletters, or agency events."
"We are grateful for the creativity, dedication, and sense of fun she brings to the Advancement team and Catholic Charities."
Alexis Willis-Page
Family Support Worker (MAO) 5 years
"Alexis is very passionate about her work at Catholic Charities and truly cares for her clients. She is always willing to go above and beyond for the families she works with. Very dedicated to the program and the mission."
"She has been a wonderful coworker and friend! I enjoy her positivity and thoughtfulness."
"Alexis was a wonderful addition to the Supported Parenting program! She cares deeply about the families she works with and helps them be as successful as possible. Happy Anniversary, Alexis!"
"Personally, she is an amazing mom and puts her family first. Alexis is a very caring and kind person who enjoys what she does and it shows every day. I love working with her and she brings good enthusiasm."
Meet Our New Staff!
Ryan joined our Sheboygan office as a Bilingual Therapist in April 2026. She earned her Master of Social Work from New Mexico State University in 2022, with an emphasis in child and family welfare. Before joining Catholic Charities, Ryan spent nearly four years as a Victim Witness Supervisor, supporting survivors of serious crimes as they navigated the criminal justice system. Ryan also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the rural highlands of Guatemala from 2016 to 2019 as part of the Youth in Development team. In that role, she partnered with rural communities to develop and implement programs focused on positive decision-making, mental health, self-care, and life skills. What Ryan enjoys most about working at Catholic Charities is being part of a team that is deeply committed to serving neighbors in need. She appreciates the kindness and compassion her colleagues show in every interaction. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ryan is a lifelong Steelers fan. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their three dogs, caring for their chickens, kayaking, attempting to surf in the "Malibu of the Midwest," and all things soccer — including refereeing, playing, and coaching.
Lucy joined our Hoarding Intervention and Treatment team as a Hoarding Case Manager in March 2026. She recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in counseling. She will begin the Master of Social Work program at UW–Milwaukee in fall 2026 and hopes to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), providing counseling for individuals with hoarding disorder and other mental health conditions. Outside of work and school, Lucy enjoys spending time with her family, creating arts and crafts, playing video games, watching movies, and antiquing.
Ali joined our Refugee and Immigration Services team as an Immigration Attorney in May 2026. She is returning to Milwaukee — the city that has always felt like home — after practicing immigration law in Denver and Chicago. As a staff attorney with Refugee and Immigration Services, Ali primarily works on religious-based visas and looks forward to expanding her expertise in other areas of immigration law.
Nidal is excited to join the Catholic Charities team as the Director of Accounting. He brings experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors and looks forward to collaborating with colleagues to advance our mission and serve our community. Outside of work, Nidal enjoys following Wisconsin sports, spending time outdoors, and volunteering in the community. "Looking forward to meeting you all in person soon!" — Nidal
Evann started at Catholic Charities as a Mental Health Therapist in June 2026. She recently graduated from UW-Whitewater with a Master of Science in Counselor Education with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She completed her internship experience in May 2026 at Beloit Memorial Hospital and Beloit College and gained experience working with diverse child, adolescent, and adult populations. When she is not at work, Evann loves spending time with her husband, family, friends, and cats. She enjoys reading, running, scrapbooking, cooking/baking with friends, going to the beach, and finding community events/activities to take part in.
Brodie has worked in mental and behavioral health for over four years. He earned a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Counseling. He is also passionate about sports psychology and enjoys working with athletes. Brodie completed his clinical internship at Children's Wisconsin. Originally from the Milwaukee area, Brodie enjoys staying active by playing softball and baseball several times a week. Outside of work, he loves attending concerts, trying new restaurants and cocktail lounges, playing board games with friends, and binge-watching TV shows. He also has two pets: a Great Pyrenees named Borris and a cat named Griff.
Benefit for Hope 💜
Thank you to everyone who helped make our inaugural Benefit for Hope such a memorable evening. Whether you attended, shared your story, volunteered, or supported the event behind the scenes, your contributions made a lasting impact. The evening was a powerful reminder of the community that stands behind our mission. Together, supporters generously contributed $521,000 to help Catholic Charities continue providing hope, healing, and stability to individuals and families across southeast Wisconsin. A special thank you to our staff speakers, Moira Arcuri and Zetho Edumakono, for sharing meaningful reflections that brought our mission to life. Their stories helped our guests better understand the life-changing work happening every day throughout our agency. We also extend our sincere appreciation to our leader, Paul Eberle, the Advancement team, and Jake Wild, whose months of planning, personal outreach, and attention to detail made this event successful.
Most importantly, thank you to all of our employees! Your compassion, dedication, and commitment are the reason our community believes in this mission and invests in it. The work you do each day matters, changes lives, and is supported by thousands of people across the 10 counties we serve. Thank you for everything you do to make hope possible.
Hope in Action
One of the highlights and most powerful moments of the evening was a feature video showcasing the incredible work happening at Catholic Charities every day. Through the stories of our staff, clients, and programs, guests saw firsthand the compassion, dedication, and hope that define our mission. It moved many guests to tears, inspired incredible generosity, and helped people better understand the life-changing work happening across our agency. A heartfelt thank you to the employees who shared their time, experiences, and passion to help bring this video to life. Your willingness to tell our story gave supporters a meaningful look at the impact our teams make alongside individuals, children, and families.
All-Staff Wellness Training
Carey Jacobsen, Senior Program Director
"When I joined Catholic Charities, I spent my first several months meeting with employees and visiting locations across the agency to better understand staff experiences and priorities. Through those conversations, I consistently heard a desire for more professional development, additional training, and greater opportunities to come together as an agency."
"Staff shared that while this work is deeply meaningful, it is also demanding and can affect job satisfaction as well as mental and physical well-being. Many teams described supporting individuals and families during times of crisis, when stress and heightened emotions are often present. It quickly became clear that identifying training to help address these shared challenges was a priority."
"To meet that need, we partnered with Sara Daniel, a respected colleague and nationally recognized trainer in trauma-informed practices, well-being, resilience, and organizational change. Based on feedback from staff, Sara developed a training experience tailored specifically to the work we do at Catholic Charities."
"The sessions provided a shared understanding of how trauma and life experiences influence behavior, emotions, health outcomes, and relationships. Staff also gained practical strategies for responding to trauma while building a common foundation across programs and creating meaningful opportunities to connect with colleagues and our shared mission."
This experience reinforced the value of investing in agency-wide learning that strengthens staff skills, fosters collaboration across teams, and ultimately enhances the care and support we provide to those we serve.
Feedback from staff highlighted not only the practical value of the training, but also the importance of coming together as colleagues to learn, connect, and grow around a common purpose.
Working at the front desk and working very close to the mental health department, I feel it is very important to learn more about mental health and how to handle certain situations. Especially for clients who are new to therapy because they already have many questions about how therapy works.
Fantastic person to teach this material and grateful for all the knowledge and resources presented!
Loved presenter Sara! And every chance to interact with colleagues is appreciated!
I greatly enjoyed having time with my coworkers and teammates. I think these types of training are beneficial to build company confidence showing that we are working towards the same goals and service mission.
Celebrating Our Partnership with UWM
Our Refugee and Immigration Services team recently celebrated another successful year of partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's Institute for Systems Change and Peacebuilding (ISCP). This collaboration continues to create meaningful opportunities for both our staff and the communities we serve. This year, we're especially proud to celebrate staff member Barwaqo Mohamed, who was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and will begin her master's degree in information technology this fall. Congratulations, Barwaqo, on this exciting achievement! The ISCP also awards scholarships to current and future UWM students who are making a difference in their communities, and we were honored that two of our nominees received scholarships for the coming academic year. In addition, UWM graduate students partnered with our team to create an educational video for our RIS YouTube channel, helping refugee families learn how to access food pantries throughout Milwaukee.
Since 2021, Catholic Charities has partnered with UWM graduate students through this program. This year, that collaboration was recognized with a certificate of appreciation presented to Claire Reuning, Director of Refugee Services, in recognition of our shared commitment to building peace and strengthening our community.
We are grateful for this meaningful partnership and proud to celebrate the many connections and accomplishments it continues to inspire.
This is what it's all about❣️
A Special Note of Thanks
"I am a client in the Catholic Charities hoarding disorder intervention program. I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the program, and, in particular, for the services of Dalia Segarra, who comes to my home weekly to help me deal with the excess "stuff". I have a long way to go, but I have made definite progress." "She has a vast knowledge of techniques and strategies for dealing with my disorder. I trusted her immediately. She has the sensitivity to calibrate her suggestions to a degree that I will go along with and not feel pressured. I call it "a gentle nudge". She always respects my boundaries. She helps me sort, evaluate, and toss or donate items. More importantly, I find my thoughts and feelings gradually changing."
"Dalia is kind, empathetic, and generous person. I have never felt judged or shamed. As we get to know each other better, it has become clear to me that she has these qualities in her approach to life in general, not just in this specific professional capacity. I have come to see that she has a core belief in the dignity of every human being. She embodies Christian charity as I understand it."
"I believe she has the "soft skills", compassion, and desire to serve to be an asset in any program that seeks to help others." Sincerely and gratefully, Michael
Staff Out & About in the Community👋
It's been a busy and impactful spring and summer! Thank you to all our staff for taking the time to attend resource fairs and community events. Sharing information about our programs and services with prospective clients, community partners and parishes is so important. We can't do it without you!
📍Sheridan Elementary School Resource Fair, Sheboygan
📍Waukesha Public Library Volunteer Fair
📍Black Birth Collection, Milwaukee
📍WAFCA Workshop
📍Mental Health & Addiction Resource Fair, Racine
📍NAMI’s Community Crisis Intervention Symposium
📍Moraine Park Technical College Wellness Fair, Fond du Lac
📍Radio chat with United Way of Sheboygan County
📍Altar'd State Mission Monday Nonprofit Recipient, Brookfield
📍Black Birth & Infant Health Symposium, Milwaukee
Gifts That Make a Difference
Soil donation to beautify the Adult Day Center entrance
Checking in with our Parish Relations and Volunteer Coordination Team
Emily Tayler & Matt Scott
Over the past six months, the Parish Relations and Volunteer Coordination team has been building relationships both inside and outside of Catholic Charities. After visiting each of our area offices and meeting staff throughout the agency, they've also begun connecting with volunteers, parish leaders, and organizations across our ten counties. Conversations with program leaders and staff have been tremendously helpful. The team plans to meet quarterly with program directors to better anticipate volunteer opportunities, community outreach efforts, and donated item needs that support clients. Emily has reorganized the volunteer portal to improve communication with volunteers, secured new donation partnerships with Northshore Wellness Collective (maternal and baby goods) and Too Little Children (reusable menstrual pads and breast pads), and is preparing Catholic Charities first volunteer appreciation event. Matt has been connecting with priests, parish groups, Catholic schools, St. Vincent de Paul societies, community organizations, and prospective partners to increase awareness of Catholic Charities, particularly in Sheboygan, West Bend, and Waukesha as services continue to grow. His outreach to Catholic schools is expanding access to mental health services for youth and supporting the Community Mental Health program in piloting school-based mental health. Emily and Matt have also been distributing flyers throughout the neighborhood around MAO to raise awareness of the Adult Day Center. While there's still plenty of relationship-building ahead, the team has already made meaningful progress building new connections and serving as ambassadors for Catholic Charities. As Matt puts it, "We can assure our 'spiels' have gotten much better as we try to turn, 'I've heard of Catholic Charities, but I'm not sure what you do,' into, 'We love your work — we refer friends, neighbors and clients to all of your programs.' Or something like that." He adds, "We've been busy, I swear!" Emily is also working with community partners to secure fresh produce for refugee families who will lose FoodShare benefits this October. Thanks to generous community support, two gardens are already committed, and additional produce sources are welcome.
Have an idea for a volunteer opportunity, donated items, or a new parish or community connection? We'd love to hear from you!
- Contact Emily etayler@ccmke.org with your needs or ideas for volunteers and item donations for clients.
- Contact Matt mscott@ccmke.org for connections with parishes or organizations who can help advance our mission and connect people with our services.
Student volunteers visit the ADC 🏡
DSHA & MUHS students
Intergenerational connection and service. Each year, seniors from both schools go into the community to volunteer and gain firsthand experience with organizations serving neighbors in need. Their enthusiasm, joy, and kindness always bring smiles to our members’ faces.
Matthew 25 student volunteer group from Good Shepherd Catholic Church
The group visited with our members, helped with mealtimes, and did a great job cleaning up our garden and patio area for the warmer months. The ADC staff and participants are grateful for their hard work and generous hearts.
Our Strategic Plan
In June, Paul shared Catholic Charities new Strategic Plan, which reflects input from staff, leadership, board members, and community partners. This plan will guide our priorities and decision-making over the next several years, including how we communicate our work.
Go Team!🌟
Employee newsletters are an opportunity to showcase each and every one of you and the good work you do every day. Your hard work and dedication really make a difference for clients and the agency. No matter which program, department or office location you are a part of, we are all a part of Catholic Charities.