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Jan and Bob Dilenschneider, Chair-couple of the 2009 Appeal -- “It is time to step up, give back, help others”. Read more...
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Jan and Bob Dilenschneider, Chair-couple of the 2009 Appeal:
“It is time to step up, give back, help others”
“THE SITUATION THAT WE WILL FIND OURSELVES in for the next six-to-nine months is probably the worst our country has faced in our lifetimes,” says Bob Dilenschneider, who is chairing the 2009 Living Our Faith Annual Bishop’s Appeal with his wife, Jan. “There’s going to be an even greater need
to reach out and help more people than ever before.” (PHOTO BY JOHN GLOVER)
Article Appears in the January 17, 2009 Edition of the Fairfield County Catholic
By JOSEPH McALEER
Bishop William E. Lori has invited Jan and Bob Dilenschneider, members of Saint John Parish in Darien, to be the official chair-couple of the 2009 Living Our Faith Annual Bishop’s Appeal.
The bishop has also issued a clarion call to each and everyone of Fairfield County’s 410,000 Catholics to step up and support the Appeal. Those in need are desperate, and the Appeal is positioned to help sustain and improve their lives.
Leadership Role
The Dilenschneiders will playa leadership role in encouraging Catholics in the diocese to donate to the Appeal, which is the second-largest provider of essential social services in the county, behind the government.
The Appeal provides essential services and ministries of the Church in Fairfield County, including schools, Catholic Charities, soup kitchens, food pantries, vocations, parish religious education programs, and Parish Finance Services.
The 2009 Appeal will be launched in all 87 parishes of the diocese on February 1 and runs until June 30. This year’s goal is $12.3 million.
“We are so fortunate to have the Dilenschneiders’ help during this most challenging year,” says Bishop Lori. “Jan and Bob are well known for reaching out to help others in need through the gift of their time and talent. They truly manifest the message of Saint Paul – whom we celebrate this year – that loving generosity is central to living our faith.”
Critical Moment
The Dilenschneiders are keenly aware that they are chairing an Appeal at a critical moment in our nation’s history, a time when families across the board are cutting back – and the poor are getting poorer.
“The situation that we will find ourselves in for the next six-to-nine months is probably the worst our country has faced in our lifetimes,” Bob observes. “Already we’re seeing heavy unemployment, businesses closing, and competition becoming more cutthroat. There’s going to be an even greater need to reach out and help more people than ever before.”
“We’re all trying to conserve a little, but there are people who cannot conserve; they are on the borderline of poverty. The loss of a job or home throws them further into poverty,” Jan adds. “I believe real charity happens when you yourself have to scrimp at home and then you turn around and give to someone who is in a worse situation.”
Reaching Out
The Dilenschneiders have a solid track record in helping others, whether families in crisis or major corporations in need of advice.
A member of the board of Catholic Charities, Jan is the former chairman of the board of the Family Centers, a private, non-profit organization offering education and human services to children, adults, and families in Fairfield County. Five “Centers of Excellence” with 1,000 professionals and trained volunteers have helped more than 17,000 people in need.
Bob is the founder and president of The Dilenschneider Group, a strategic public relations firm. He has counseled major corporations, professional groups, trade associations, and educational institutions.
A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow to the International Association of Business Communicators, Bob has written 14 books, including the bestsellers Power and Influence and A Time for Heroes, and last year’s Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed.
Giving Back
Married for 39 years, the Dilenschneiders have two sons, both in college. This Christmas, they offered each a lesson in giving back.
“We gave each of our sons money for Christmas,” Bob explains, “with the requirement that they give it away to charity.” One gave his gift to the American Red Cross, on whose board Bob was the longest serving member in history. The other gave his to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal.
“Charity begins at home,” Bob continues. “We need to remind everyone, including the leaders in our community, that it is time to step up and give back. Think about it – if each of us devoted just ten minutes of each day to helping others – that’s 60 hours a year. We would make a real difference. If each of us gave 50 cents a day – not a big amount – we would have a $73 million Appeal.”
The Dilenschneiders regard communication as a priority for this Appeal, and would like to enhance the Speaker’s Bureau, where people speak at Masses in all parishes on the impact that Appeal-funded ministries, services, and programs make in the lives of so many in Fairfield County, 24/7.
Ministries
In 2008, Catholic Charities served 875,000 meals to the poor, elderly, and homeless, while providing more than 45,000 counseling sessions for troubled families.
“These counseling sessions are so important,” Jan observes. “With people losing jobs and tensions rising in families, we need to be there with a safety net. Catholic Charities is more vital than ever.”
The diocese also runs the largest private pre-K through grade 12 educational system (also open to all faiths), with nearly 11,000 students across 39 Catholic schools.
“Faith, morals, and trust – that’s the key,” Bob says. “If your child wants a future, the route is Catholic schools, because 98 percent of graduates go on to college, compared to 45 percent in public schools. Catholic schools teach you to believe and have faith. They teach the whole child.”
The faith education of 34,000 children and teens in 87 parishes is also assisted through donations to the Appeal, as are adult education efforts such as the Saint Cyril of Jerusalem School. The Appeal supports clergy and religious, including vocations to the priesthood and diaconate, and cares for retired priests.
New this year is the “Good Leaders, Good Shepherds” program of ongoing formation and leadership training for priests.
Other Appeal-funded ministries include the Safe Environment Program, which has trained 90,000 people in the awareness and prevention of sexual abuse; youth ministry; adoption; and outreach to the many ethnic groups represented in Fairfield County.
Trust and Transparency
As members of Saint John Parish, the Dilenschneiders are especially aware of the role of the diocese in restoring trust through Appeal-funded programs like Parish Finance Services, which has standardized financial controls and accountability at all 87 parishes.
“The transparency that Bishop Lori has created is quite special,” Bob says. “I do a lot of work with corporations all over the country. The diocese is more transparent than they are. We know where every nickel goes in the diocese. You can give to the Appeal knowing the money will be put to good use.”
Bishop Lori hopes that, despite the difficult economic times, the Catholic faithful will make the extra effort to support each other and their neighbors in need.
“Each of us is deeply aware of the economic downturn and its effects on our families, loved ones, colleagues, and friends,” Bishop Lori concludes. “The impact on the chronically poor and disadvantaged is even more profound. It is my prayer that the Family of Faith in our diocese will continue their united witness of faith and generosity as a testament to the love which God has showered upon us all.”
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