Amid federal cuts, ‘Super Neighbor’ program helps those in need

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000
Religion

St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio. / Credit: LO Kin-hei/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 24, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

As federal budget cuts halt programs for people in need, Catholic Social Services (CSS) in Columbus, Ohio, is encouraging volunteers to step up and become community heroes. Modeling the good Samaritan, people are being invited to join the new “Super Neighbor” initiative to lend a hand to others in need, beginning with seniors who need help.

“You don’t have to wear a cape to show up and be a super neighbor,” president and CEO of CSS, Kelley Henderson, told CNA. As the program kicks off, the organization is calling on people who want to “make an impact by being present, showing up, and serving with the love of Christ.”

CSS is a Catholic Charities member agency for the Diocese of Columbus. It works with 168 other agencies across the country to support the needs of the local ordinary but also works on national policy issues, national funding, and advocacy work.

In the Columbus Diocese, CSS serves communities within 23 counties in Central and Southern Ohio through “a myriad of programs that operate to address acute and crisis needs, whether they’re of an older adult, a family with children, or a person living with a disability,” Henderson explained.

The organization’s work is “grounded in the good Samaritan parable in Luke 10” that reminds us that everyone is our neighbor. “It’s a core part of our Catholic social teaching, is this solidarity.”

*‘Neighbors serving neighbors’*

CSS programs stem from its motto: “Neighbors Serving Neighbors.” The Super Neighbor initiative was formed out of a belief that volunteerism is “an easy, structured way for people in a local parish to get involved and serve,” Henderson said.

Super Neighbor was designed “to pair a volunteer from the parish with an older adult who might be living alone. They’ll go by and visit with them, play cards, go get a haircut, or meal plan … It’s really designed to go deep and build relationships with people.”

“Social isolation is a real challenge in our community, and as Catholics, we’re called to respond to the signs of our time, and isolation is a major sign,” Henderson said. “We really see that it not only has negative health impacts on people who are isolated, but it really is not being a good neighbor. We reach out and spend time with people.”

The initiative follows other senior-oriented programs that CSS has offered including the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs, which were both catered to community relationships with seniors.

Both programs were mostly federally funded for the last 30 years, primarily through the AmeriCorps agency. The funds helped “lower-income seniors receive a little support money and travel reimbursement to be able to go out and spend time with others in the community.” But as federal funding cuts have been made across the nation, the programs are unable to operate as usual.

“Regardless, we’re committed to serving,” Henderson said. “We’ll find new innovative ways to serve, and Super Neighborhood is one of them.”

“I really see beauty and value in volunteerism. I think volunteers can not only see the face of Christ in those we serve but be the face of Christ. And be the hands and feet of who we’re called to be in the community.”

What is unique about Super Neighbor is it doesn’t just have one type of volunteer. The program opens the doors for all kinds of people to serve and be served.

Historically, volunteers are people who have extra time. Henderson explained that it tends to be people who have retired, those winding down their careers, or parents with children in school, but CSS and Super Neighbor bring in an even larger demographic.

“We’re beginning to not only see the folks that have that discretionary time, but we’re seeing people make time available,” Henderson said. “One of our local Catholic high schools started a Catholic Social Services Club, and the kids are making time to volunteer.”

Employers around the diocese are even beginning to offer volunteer time off, including CSS, which gives its staff allotted time to serve the community. “They can take two hours a quarter to volunteer at a place of their choosing,” Henderson said.

“The culture of giving back is really inspiring to see right now. And we’re using that as an opportunity to be that resource for people.”

*The future of ‘Super Neighbor’ *

Although it is a new initiative, three parishes have committed to be a part of the effort. There are already 60 volunteers that have signed up who will begin the program with home visits with seniors in late September.

While prioritizing seniors, CSS is working to expand Super Neighbor to reach even more groups of people. It is working to place volunteers in local schools to be “homework helpers or tutors,” to connect with younger generations.

“My hope is by the Advent season, we have a couple hundred super neighbors signed up, which is really important because the impetus of the launch of this program was to have a hope-filled response to some of the cuts that we’re facing federally.”

Despite “a tightening fiscal environment … it’s an opportunity for the Church to show up,” Henderson said. “The Church is generally the one that shows up first.”