Donations to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington can be worth twice as much until July 15.
Catholic Charities announced April 20 that the Abessinio Family Foundation will match up to $1 million in contributions to the St. Rocco Fund for Catholic Charities during the next three months.
Rocco and Mary Abessinio, who received Catholic Charities’ Msgr. Thomas J. Reese Award April 15, said they pledged the dollar-for-dollar matching gift in gratitude for the award and in honor of Charities’ 185th anniversary.
“We are thrilled to benefit from the generosity of the Abessinio Family Foundation, and especially Rocco and Mary Abessinio,” said Richelle Vible, executive director of Catholic Charities. “Their desire to share their resources with the most vulnerable in our communities is truly inspiring.
“The St. Rocco Fund for Catholic Charities will match every donation made through July 15. Help Catholic Charities earn $1 million in matching funds,” Vible said.
Rocco Abessinio credited his devotion to St. Rocco as the inspiration for the couple’s creation of the fund. Born of nobility in the 14th century, St. Rocco followed the example of St. Francis of Assisi and distributed all his worldly goods among the poor.
The Abessinios told Catholic Charities they hope the matching-gift fund will inspire others to share their resources with the most vulnerable.
To make a gift to Catholic Charities online using a credit card, click here, or visit www.cdow.org/charities.html.
On the secure donation form, donors can click “Yes” to the question, “Do you want your gift to be doubled by the St. Rocco Fund for Catholic Charities to qualify your donation for the matching gift?”
Donors can also send a check to Catholic Charities at 2601 W. Fourth St., Wilmington, DE 19805. Please note St. Rocco Fund for Catholic Charities on the check memo line.
Donations to support Catholic Charities’ Basic Needs, Bayard House or Casa San Francisco programs may qualify organizations and individuals who pay Delaware state income taxes for tax credits. In exchange for a qualified contribution, the Neighborhood Assistance Act program provides state tax credits equal to 50 percent of the investment. For individuals, a qualified donation is $2,500; for businesses, the donation is $10,000.
Please call Catholic Charities at (302) 655-9624 to learn more about this option.
Each year, Catholic Charities helps more than 53,000 individuals stay in their homes with basic needs supports like rent and utility assistance, feeds 5,300 families, temporarily shelters 150 individuals, and counsels 1,000 individuals and families who need mental health services.
The agency offers a wide range of services to strengthen families, care for children, assist the disadvantaged, and build human relationships throughout Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
