Helping kicks into overdrive this time of year at Catholic Social Services of Oakland County. It is our mission to help individuals and families all year long, but during the Christmas holidays staff takes giving to fevered pitch. CSS employees and volunteers go above and beyond to make the holidays brighter for as many as possible of our clients receiving counseling, foster and adoption assistance, Hispanic outreach and elder services.  

• In collaboration with the Daily Apostles group and the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament, Farmington Hills, 110 Thanksgiving baskets with turkeys, side dishes and beverages were provided to struggling families served by Hispanic Outreach Services. This continues a 10-year tradition and represents one of many parish collaborations with CSSOC.
• In another longtime partnership, the Ladies of Charity group from St. Hugo of the Hills parish, Bloomfield Hills, for the 13^th year will meet the holiday needs of 50 CSSOC families. On Dec. 7 Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan CEO Jason Shanks led a group of volunteers in loading the gifts at St. Hugo and delivering them to CSSOC, where they were distributed to the families.  
• Ninety-four senior volunteers were recently thanked for their efforts during the year at a party hosted by the Senior Volunteer Services Department.        
• Individuals, families and parishes help hundreds of clients by adopting a family through CSSOC’s annual Christmas Giving program. These generous volunteers check off the items on the Wish Lists of pre-screened, anonymous families in need.  This year toys, food, clothing and cleaning supplies will be provided to 91 families receiving Hispanic Outreach services, 19 Family Education and Support Services families and 12 Family Counseling families. Also receiving gifts or gift cards are more than 120 people helped through the St. Francis Family Center foster and adoption programs, as well as nine youth who are pregnant or parenting small children.
• In early December, foster care youth and their caregivers, as well as young people in the Supervised Independent Living program are invited to gather by CSSOC’s St. Francis Family Center to celebrate the season together.

Catholic Social Services of Oakland County provides professional and volunteer services to 5,000 families annually. Our Mission is to protect children, strengthen families and care for the elderly. Visit cssoc.org for more information.