Catholic Charities board member Susan Overton, pictured on the left, began volunteering at Catholic Charities 17 years ago when her daughter had to complete service hours for school and “could not do one more project” for the Humane Society. “The school finally called and said, ‘You have to do something with people!’”
So, she and her daughter connected with Catholic Charities through their parish and began mentoring refugees. They were partnered with another family to address an emergency need, and quickly became close with a family of five children and a dad recently resettled from Burundi shortly after the mom’s death. The oldest child was 11 and the youngest was eight months. “We’ve all remained close over the years. We’re friends. We’ve gone to their graduations and kept up with each other. They all have done fabulous,” she says, sounding like a proud aunt.
Susan says what she likes most about volunteering is learning. “I learn so much about my own city, like surprising pockets of poverty and hunger in Louisville’s east end. More so, I have learned so much about myself and how small acts of kindness can make a huge impact on someone’s life. Working with the refugee families has given us such joy and enriched our lives to such a great degree.”