Catholic Community Services welcomes new Ogden director, congratulates community liaison

Intermountain Catholic

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Vicar General Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald (left), and Catholic Community Services Executive Director Brad Drake (second from right), congratulate Sharon Downing (second from left) as the new CCS Northern Utah community liaison, and Marcie Valdez as the new Northern Utah CCS director. IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic Community Services (CCS) welcomed Marcie Valdez as the new director of Northern Utah Catholic Community Services, and congratulated Sharon Downing in her new position as Northern Utah community liaison.

Valdez and Downing greeted guests and fellow workers at a reception held at United Way of Northern Utah March 19.

Brad Drake, executive director of CCS said, "We are very please and happy to announce the position of director to Marcie Valdez, who has been with the American Red Cross for the past 10 years in public relations and development. Her expertise in the non-profit world over the past 10 years is invaluable. She will bring, what I believe, will be new vision and certainly new strategies for Northern Utah in entrenching ourselves and giving us a greater presence in the community.

"Having said that, I think it is very important to emphasize that Sharon Downing, who served as director of Northern Utah, will now be moving into a position of community liaison. This is a new role for CCS and for Downing.

"There are two reasons for that," said Drake. "One, Downing made a decision that she wanted to cut back on hours because she is close to retirement. So rather than going into full retirement, we wanted to utilize her talents and abilities the very best we possibly could, as I said, to enrich our position in Northern Utah. With her knowledge of the community and her relations within in the community, we feel once again, this will give much more strength and credibility to CCS Northern Utah and our mission in serving and helping others. Sharon knows the demographics and the area.

"We are very pleased and excited to have Marcie on board, and also continuing to have a great relationship with Sharon as she moves forward in her new position," said Drake.

"I have held many different positions with the Red Cross," said Valdez. "At one point, I was the Emergency Services director. Most recently for the past four years, I served as financial development and community services director. It was a very rewarding job. Primarily I was in charge of all fund raising for the chapter, and also in charge of the Service to Armed Forces Program and the Utility Assistance Program for people who need assistance paying their gas, electric, and water bills.

"In our Service to Armed Forces Program, we primarily provide emergency communication for members of the military and their families here in Northern Utah," said Valdez. "It was a very rewarding job. I really loved working for the Red Cross.

"But at the same time, I am very excited for this new opportunity with CCS," said Valdez. "Where I was very involved in fund raising at the Red Cross, this new job with CCS allows me to be more involved with direct services to clients, which is what I really love. So that is one reason why I am really excited to be a part of CCS. CCS is such an amazing organization. The more I learn about what they do, the more impressed I am.

"Primarily in the Northern Utah CCS office, we provide food assistance for low income individuals and families," said Valdez. "We also have a rental assistance program, and the St. Martha’s Baby Project for low income expectant mothers. We give them a layette for their newborn babies."

Valdez said one of her goals is to increase outreach for CCS to people in need, primarily the senior population.

"I would like to increase our outreach to make sure people know what resources are available for them through CCS," said Valdez.

Outgoing Northern Utah director Sharon Downing said what has increased in the Northern Utah Food Bank, is not only seniors, who have never come before, but also the working poor. Families and people of all ages are needing assistance, from the very young to the elderly.

"We even had, unfortunately, people come for food boxes who were waiting for their paychecks last Friday," said Downing. "The company they work for could not afford to pay them."

Downing started as the director of the North Utah CCS Food Bank in October 2000. She said it will be sad to leave because the people she worked with in the community are wonderful.

"I loved helping people," said Downing.

In Downing’s new role she will be the Northern Utah CCS community liaison.

"I have only been in this position for three days now," said Downing. "But what I do is go out and visit with people I know. I will be working in the food pantries, the community leaders, and worker within CCS within various committees. I am sure as I get to know the job better, I will adjust and learn more.

"This new role is a new opportunity and I will be semi-retired," said Downing. "It is the best of both worlds."