Ministries of Mercy - Life Ministries at 6363 9th Avenue North , St. Petersburg, FL 33710 US - Catholic Charities' eyes expansion

Catholic Charities is raising funds to build a 5,000-square-foot, $1-million new center in Hernando County to house its Northern Counties Regional Service Center in Brooksville.

JAMIE PILARCZYK | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 02.22.08 in the Florida Catholic

At other times, the Catholic Charities’ Northern Counties Regional Service Center offices are morphed into counseling rooms for clients of the adoptions program and Project Rachel, a service for those struggling with the effects of post-abortion. The agency’s Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services limits its inventory of baby supplies because its storage space is also used for group gatherings; some part-time shifts are worked so employees can share computers.

An expansion is long overdue, said Joe Pistorius, president of Catholic Charities’ Hernando County advisory board and chairman of the capital campaign to build a new center.

“You don’t have to go too far and realize the programs we’re cramming into this building to realize we do,” he said of the 1423 Kass Circle building in Spring Hill.

Pistorius said the agency wants to build a 5,000-square-foot, $1-million center on a one-acre parcel on Winter Street in Brooksville. The modest space has room for expansion, but uses the space efficiently to increase the number of clients served and the services provided, said Abby Evert, director of family support services.

“There’s been a tremendous amount of thought that has gone into this,” she said.

Aside from the extra space, the new building will be more centrally located.

“Here, we’re very south, almost at the county line and very west, almost to the Gulf,” Evert said. “It’s difficult to serve our population here.”

She said the agency seeks to sell a different one-acre parcel near the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store on Kass Circle to help with the down payment of the expansion, added to almost $75,000 from annual fundraisers. The agency seeks prayers, and $450,000 from parishes, major gifts and the advisory board’s own giving campaign, she said.

“We’re a small group looking for a major chunk,” said Ray Heter, chairman of the major gifts program.

Campaign members hope to meet their goal by the end of 2008.

“People believe in what we’re doing,” Evert said. “I’m hoping there is this one angel out there just waiting to say, ‘You know, this is my legacy.’”