For more than a decade, Susan Trammell has supported Catholic Charities of New York with a thoughtful and deeply personal approach to giving. She has come to see generosity as a privilege, and that belief continues to guide her support for Catholic Charities of New York and its wide range of programs serving people in need across the archdiocese.
“Using a donor-advised fund enabled me to be more thoughtful about my giving,” Susan said. “I asked myself who the people are that I most want to help, because the need is so great around the world. Here in New York, I’m constantly confronted with homeless people and people who look like they could really use a helping hand. Catholic Charities does a lot of that work, so I started giving to them in a small way. Over the years, it built up.”
Through conversations with staff, she came to better understand where her support could have the greatest impact.
“Whenever I’ve asked what the impact of a gift would be, Catholic Charities has been able to tell me very clearly how far my donation will go and what program they have in mind,” she said. “That’s very comforting to a donor.”
Seeing the Need Up Close
Although Susan had long been aware of Catholic Charities of New York, her connection to the mission deepened as she learned more about the realities faced by people experiencing homelessness. She remembers attending a talk many years ago where two formerly homeless individuals shared their stories, an experience that stayed with her.
“When they explained their backgrounds, I knew there was nothing like anything I had experienced growing up,” she said. “There were so many things hurting in that young person’s life that they could only end up turning to drugs and feeling unloved. That talk had a big impact on me, on the headwinds that people face when they don’t have all the advantages I had.”
Catholic Charities of New York provides a wide range of services to help people facing difficult circumstances, including support for those experiencing homelessness, youth programs, food assistance, immigrant and refugee services, and help for families struggling with financial hardship.
Learning more about the scope of this work made Susan want to become more involved.
Meeting People Where They Are at the Kennedy Center in Harlem
Susan saw that approach firsthand during a visit to Catholic Charities’ Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Center in Harlem, a community center that offers a wide range of services for children, families, and older adults. The center’s basketball court is home to Hoop Haven, a Catholic Charities youth basketball program that also operates at other locations and helps bring young people into a safe, supportive environment.
“I asked the Development Officer to target for me a key area where I could make a difference, and she pointed out the Kennedy Center,” she said. “I went up to Harlem and spent a couple of hours listening to students’ stories and talking to the director. What impressed me is the agility of Catholic Charities. In that instance, they are connecting with people through sports, specifically basketball. That’s the organization going out and meeting people where they are.”
Susan says programs like Hoop Haven at the Kennedy Center show how Catholic Charities of New York adapts to the needs of the people it serves. “These students may have difficulty in school. They may have a terrible home life. They may be rootless and not sure how to take the next step,” she said. “But somebody figured out basketball speaks to this population, and if that’s the way to get them in the door, then that’s the way to go. That agility really impressed me.”
When the Mission Becomes Personal
Susan’s connection to Catholic Charities of New York became even more personal when she met someone involved in the organization’s refugee resettlement program, which helps newcomers to the United States find housing, work, and stability.
“Through Catholic Charities, I was introduced to the head of a Ukrainian refugee resettlement program, who herself was a refugee and had no place to live,” she said. “I had her living with me for almost two years. It was a wonderful experience.”
That experience gave her a deeper appreciation for the role the Church plays in responding to crises.
“She kept me informed about what Catholic Charities was doing with Ukrainians and how much the Church steps in where no one else will,” Susan said. “That’s what impresses me.”
Faith, Giving, and the Joy of Helping Others
Susan says her faith has always been part of why she gives, but over time she has come to understand that connection more clearly through experience.
“When you give something to someone else, when you help them, you end up loving them more because of it,” she said. “I often think nobody loves the drowning man more than the person who jumped into the river to save him.”
That realization helped her understand something she had heard many times before.
“I had always heard that Jesus loves you, but I didn’t really connect with it until I started giving to Catholic Charities,” she said. “Then it became clear that Jesus loved us because He gave His life to save us, and I experienced that in a very small way as a donor.”
Over the years, she says she has come to see generosity not as a sacrifice, but as a privilege.
“It’s a privilege to inconvenience yourself for someone else,” she said. “We don’t realize how lucky we are to be able to help someone, to give some of our time or our resources to people who may never be able to thank us. To be able to say, today I did something for the good. That’s a real privilege.”
Making an Impact Through Giving
Susan says one of the things she values most about Catholic Charities of New York is the transparency around how donations are used and the clear impact they have on the lives of people in need. She hopes Catholic Charities will continue to adapt to changing needs while staying true to its mission.
“I hope Catholic Charities can always figure out how to swim with the current,” she said. “Funding comes and goes, and the needs keep changing, but I hope the organization will always have the talent and the wisdom to keep helping people no matter what the circumstances are.”
When asked what she would say to someone considering supporting Catholic Charities of New York, her answer is simple.
“If you want to help somebody, you can do a lot right here in our own backyard,” she said. “Catholic Charities identifies a problem, puts together a solution, and then measures the results. And the solution is motivated by charity and by faith. That is a very strong combination.”
Looking back, Susan says her experience with Catholic Charities has changed the way she thinks about generosity.
“I have never heard of someone who, on their deathbed, wished they had been less generous,” she shared.
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