CCS needs increase 40 percent

With about 100 employees, CCS' administrative costs are about 8 percent. "The money we receive goes to our programs," Drake said.

Refugee resettlement is one CCS program that has seen a significant increase in use. This year, 677 people – primarily from Iraq and refugee camps in Africa and Asia – were settled, 177 more than last year.

CCS receives $450 in federal funding per individual for the first month, but to provide an apartment, food, utilities and other necessities, the minimum cost is $1,000, said Aden Batar, director of immigration and refugee resettlement. "The difference is what we expect the community to support. The dinner is an integral part of the services we provide. Without that funding coming in from the dinner, it would be tough for us to do our job. We always depend on community support."

The resettlement program provides refugees with help for six months. That aid ranges from the first month's rent on an apartment to English language classes. "There are a lot of obstacles refuges face," Batar said. "Our job is to teach them how to they can overcome those obstacles. The majority of the refugees that we deal with, they have been in a refugee camp for many, many years, so life skills is one of the things that is foreign to them that we teach a lot."

Ninety percent of the refugees have a job within the first six months, and they keep it to provide for their families, he added. "We're giving hope to these individuals. We're giving them hope so that they can be part of this community. They are good citizens. They are hard working. All they need, when they first arrive, they just need a little help so they can be on their own."

Another CCS program in high demand is the food pantry at St. Vincent de Paul, which has gone from serving an average of 60 to 70 families a month to 270 within the last 18 months, said Dennis Kelsch, CCS program coordinator of emergency assistance.

The food pantry serves low-income families, which is defined as those having an annual income of $33,588 or less for a family of four.

Food for the program comes from the food bank and community food drives, so the pantry would be stocked if the CCS fundraising dinner weren't successful, but there wouldn't be staff to organize or run the program, Kelsch said.

About 500 people already are expected for the annual fundraising dinner; capacity is about 800.

"With the economy the way that it is, I think that says a lot about people's hearts, their commitment to those that are in tough situations," Drake said. "And I also believe that it says a little about us, that they feel they can trust us with the funds that we receive."

All priests in the Diocese of Salt Lake City are invited to the dinner at no cost. In this Year of the Priest, this is CCS' way of reaching out "to show how much we appreciate our priests and what they do," Drake said.

CCS' annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner will honor Monsignor Terence Moore, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Draper and former executive director of CCS; a refugee family resettled by CCS and now residing in Holladay; United Way of Northern Utah, Wells Fargo and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.