Catholic Charities receives $1 million MRHD grant for new wing

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Sioux City was named the recipient of a $1 million Economic Development Match Grant on Aug. 22 from Missouri River Historical Development, Inc.

“We are here today to give our largest single grant of the year,” said Sara Kleber, MRHD board president, who noted this grant can range from $250,000 to $1 million. “Through this program we focus on the needs of our community for economic development because we recognize it plays such a critical role in improving the quality of life for everyone who is participating in this community.” 

It was Gina Sitzmann, chair of the match grant committee, who made the announcement that Catholic Charities had received a $1 million grant during an awards ceremony at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Sioux City. 

She noted the grant will support Catholic Charities’ $3.2 million project for the construction of a 7,200-square-foot addition to the existing building to be called Angeline’s Wing for Children and Families, along with renovation of the current facility and grounds to include new furniture, equipment, technology, signage and security.

“The wing allows increasing youth mental health and substance use disorders outpatient services for 100 more children a year,” said Sitzmann. 

Amy Bloch, executive director of Catholic Charities, was on hand to accept the award with several staff and board members also taking the stage.

“We are overwhelmed and overjoyed with this grant from MRHD. On behalf of the staff members we have here today and our board, we want to extend our gratitude to the Hard Rock and MRHD for this amazing grant that will make such a significant difference to Catholic Charities, to our community and to the people served,” she said.

Mental health, Bloch noted, has become a significant concern not only across the country and state, but in the community with one in five children struggling with mental health and beginning at age 5, suicide being the leading cause of death.

“We really believe this project will make a significant impact in addressing that,” she said. “We believe that it will not only make a difference for children and families but for businesses with parents being affected by their children’s mental health and our schools because not only the children who are struggling with mental health are impacted but those around them and also the teachers.” In addition, more mental health services can benefit the entire community.

Bloch pointed out that Catholic Charities has been part of the community for 80 years, serving the most vulnerable and those of all faiths and backgrounds – whoever comes through their doors.
“We will continue to do so and will be able to do so because of this amazing opportunity from MRHD,” she said.

The grant must be matched dollar-for-dollar with cash or in-kind contributions. 

Bloch mentioned an estate gift from Angeline Thom, whom the new wing will be named in memory of, allowed Catholic Charities to have funds in excess of the required match. Additional fundraising has secured the remainder of project costs.

“Our hope is to break ground at the beginning of October,” she said, noting they had been discussing a building project for the last three to four years and plans began to take shape about two years ago. “We have really outgrown that building that is why we started talking about needing to do an expansion several years ago and then when we received the bequest from Angeline Thom that’s when we thought about doing a children’s wing to specialize in children’s mental health.”

In the past three years, Catholic Charities has seen an increase from 19 to 38% of clients aged 4-18, the target population this grant will serve.

Kleber said MRHD has offered economic development grants since 2021. The grants are designed to invest in large-scale projects in Woodbury County that benefit the community. Other projects awarded a grant include the construction of a rural medical clinic in Moville, expansion of educational health care facilities at Briar Cliff University, expansion of the mechanics program at Western Iowa Tech and the development of an innovation center in Sioux City to assist small business start-ups.

“We recognize these projects require significant investment and they need to bring together various funding sources from private resources, other grants as well as the funds we have to provide,” she said. “It’s very exciting to be a part of that collaboration and to see the development that comes when you make a significant investment in economic development. We recognize these are difficult projects to put together and they need the support of many.”

To be awarded the economic development grant, the project must align with at least one of MRHD’s focus areas:

1. Creation and retention of job
2. Development of a critical job force
3. New project or service having a substantial impact on the community and
4. Improved quality of life and community development project

The grant selection committee, noted Sitzmann, felt Catholic Charities project hit upon all four of these focus areas. The committee also felt it was in line with the match grant’s goals such as being sustainable after the allowable grant period, a demonstrated priority by the community and exhibits that it will make an impact on the community as there is a great need for mental health services for children on the northwest side of Sioux City.

MRHD is the non-profit organization that holds the license for gaming in Woodbury County. Its funding is generated from an agreement between MRHD and Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – Sioux City which allows Hard Rock to run a gaming operation in Woodbury County using MRHD’s gaming license.

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