Two charity organizations are merging into one next year.
Catholic Family Center and Catholic Charities Community Services in Rochester will join forces next January with the help of funding from the United Way of Greater Rochester.
“There’re so many ways our work, we’re seeing already, has been complimenting each other and I believe has been benefiting the communities in which we live and work,” said Lori VanAuken, executive director of Catholic Charities.
Starting in January, the organizations will expand their social services to people across 12 counties with an estimated $47 million budget.
That includes substance abuse support, mental health services, housing for people with disabilities, and more.
The move will help both organizations compete for state and local government funding as one larger entity, said Marlene Bessette, president and CEO of Catholic Family Center.
“There’s a push...for organizations to collaborate or merge, and we believe that we’ll really be able to respond much more effectively and be a provider of choice as we become a larger provider,” said Bessette.
VanAuken said that Catholic Family Center’s telemedicine capabilities, which have been crucial during the pandemic, is something she wants Catholic Charities to bring to their residential homes for people with developmental disabilities.
Under the merger, she said they can do that.
“We have found so many opportunities for sharing expertise which I believe wholeheartedly is going to make the experience for the people we serve that much better,” VanAuken said.
