Seniors and veterans served in Northwest Catholic Charities Day of Service
Catholic Charities Fort Worth held its third annual Day of Service on May 31, 2025, in Wichita Falls. Volunteers worked at the Wichita Falls Vernon College campus for pantry and inspirational card projects, while others participated in lawn cleanup projects and ramp construction. (NTC/Bertha Salazar)
WICHITA FALLS — Catholic Charities Northwest Third Annual Day of Service on May 31 began with breakfast and prayer at the Wichita Falls Vernon College campus. Volunteers worked at the college for the pantry and inspirational card projects, while others headed to their locations for lawn cleanup projects and ramp construction.
CCFW Director of Client Services Rita Gauthier worked with volunteers to build a 20-foot wooden ramp for a disabled woman in Archer City with Texas Ramp Project, which provided the supplies, tools, and instruction.
“The people at Texas Ramp Project are so patient and trained us as we went along,” she said. “The homeowner was amazed that we got it together so quickly, and also very impressed that it’s so sturdy, and she can get out of her house and be more mobile now.”
Across the tracks at the Eastside Community Cleanup in Wichita Falls, volunteers worked hard alongside City Councilor Robert Brooks and the Wichita Falls Fire Department at a disabled senior’s home.
Volunteers cut away thickly overgrown vegetation and hauled dilapidated garage items to a rented dumpster. Firefighters trimmed overgrown trees along the avenue, which protects their trucks from damage when they park curbside, and Councilor Brooks stayed busy on a lawnmower. Brooks’ mother, Chelsea, hauled large tree limbs to the curb with a big smile.
“We cleaned up a lot and we’ve got some great help from the community and the fire department,” CCFW Senior Director of Northwest Services Laura Sotelo said. “It raises awareness to individuals in the community who are struggling and the work Catholic Charities is doing to end poverty.”
Across town, Korean War veteran Kenneth Schnick watched his own garden transform as volunteers did a similar intensive lawn cleanup. Now, he can again enjoy sitting in the pergola he built with his late wife, which includes a statue of Mary. Volunteers also completed a minor roofing repair on his home due to recent storms.
CCFW Veteran Outreach Specialist Brian LaLonde spoke of the honor “to be able to give back to another veteran who’s made some of the more dire sacrifices for our country,” he stated, speaking of hardships Korean War veterans experienced. “He’s so delightful to be around and to serve,” he added.
Schnick was thrilled and expressed his gratitude to Catholic Charities’ continued assistance. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “They’re doing a wonderful job. I didn’t even have to ask them [to come] — they asked me.”
Catholic Charities plans its next Day of Service this fall. “There's always more to do,” Gauthier said. "Everybody I've gotten feedback from said that it was a feel-good day.”