Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is pleased to announce that Angelyn Ballard, an employee of Mercy Hospice in Philadelphia, will be recognized with the Making A Difference Award by the Mayor's Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission. She will be honored on June 6, 2007 at the Doubletree Hotel in Philadelphia. Mercy Hospice located in Philadelphia, is a CSS program that provides recovery housing and comprehensive services to homeless women and their children.

"Miss Angie," as she is called by the residents of Mercy Hospice has been the Mercy Volunteer and Community Relations Coordinator for the past two and 1/2 years. She is responsible for the recruitment and orientation of volunteers who come to Mercy Hospice on an ongoing basis, as well as the coordination of activities for volunteers who wish to do special projects at Mercy Hospice. In addition, Miss Angie has assumed the responsibility for the alumnae program which was created two years ago. This program inspires the current residents to continue their journey in recovery. This is the second time an employee of Mercy Hospice has been recognized by the Mayor's Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission with the Making A Difference Award.

In her nominating petition, Marilyn Mock, Program Director of Mercy Hospice, said, "Angie perceives her role at Mercy not just as a job, but as a mission and a ministry dedicated to women with whom she feels strong kinship. Angie has a tremendous awareness of the struggles and challenges women in recovery face in their relationships with their children, their families and significant others. Angie leads by example reinforcing with Mercy women her strong belief that each woman is infinitely worthy of a life that brings her joy, happiness, and success and personal and spiritual fulfillment despite whatever the resident believes about her own worthiness."

Catholic Social Services (CSS) traces its origin to colonial Philadelphia. The ten agencies of CSS administer programs dedicated to serving men, women and children in need. They are an expression of the charitable works of the local Church. Services include residential treatment programs for at-risk children, family preservation services, foster care, adoption, immigration services, counseling, senior citizen centers, programming for the elderly, transitional housing, homeless services, and care for medically fragile men and women. CSS provides residential and community-based education programs to court-adjudicated youth, and sponsor residential and community based care for persons who are developmentally delayed.

For more information about Catholic Social Services, please visit www.css-phl.org.

Contact
Meredith Wilson
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747