By Gretchen Keiser

The 1984 Charities Drive, the archdiocese’s annual fund-raising effort to meet the growing needs of ongoing programs, was launched March 2 at a dinner for pastors and parish representatives in Atlanta.

William Crawford, resident vice president of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. and a member of the Archdiocesan Finance Council, will serve as chairman of this year’s drive.

The goal for the Charities Drive has been set at $750,000, the same goal as was established last year. Drive Sunday is April 1.

Because of the special $7.2 million capital funds drive, Campaign ’83, which recently reached its goal in pledges and contributions, the Charities Drive goal was not increased this year.

Money raised in parishes for the Charities Drive is used to support, in part, the work of several archdiocesan departments which provide services to all – for example, Catholic Social Services, which is involved in many areas including counseling, special aid to refugees, crisis pregnancy services and emergency aid; and the Department of Catholic Education which oversees both Catholic schools and religious education programs.

Other areas which receive support from the Charities Drive are the seminary program providing instruction and guidance for future priests; missions of the archdiocese which are in the process of early growth; and a fund for the acquisition of new sites for future church building.

In short presentations to those gathered at the Charities Drive dinner, at the Twin Towers government building, representatives of the archdiocesan department of Catholic Education, Communication, Catholic Social Services, Metropolitan Tribunal and the Vocations program described their work. Father Chris Starr, Vice Chancellor, is overseeing the Charities Drive.

Archbishop Thomas Donnellan, and other keynote speakers, echoed the theme struck in the archbishop’s opening letter on the Drive, which said this year’s Drive “will require a special effort and a sympathetic spirit, coming as it does in the shadow of the major campaign.”

The $7.2 million Campaign ’83 raised funds for four special projects: scholarships for students at St. Anthony’s and Our Lady of Lourdes schools; expansion and renovation at St. Pius X High School; a new Catholic Center at Georgia Tech; and personal care homes for the elderly in renovated convents.

Despite the demands of the Campaign and the Drive, Archbishop Donnellan and other speakers expressed hope for a successful effort because they had seen the generosity shown by people of the archdiocese.

“The love is there,” the archbishop said, “and the people of Atlanta have made me very proud and very happy to be part of them.”