Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,   This past year, we took to heart the words of Pope Francis,    “Our lives are a gift, and we grow by giving of ourselves: not preserving ourselves but losing ourselves in service.”   Because of your faithful commitment to our mission of providing quality, compassionate human services for the most vulnerable, 2022 was a year of unprecedented and strategic growth for Commonwealth Catholic Charities. Thank you for choosing to give of yourselves by supporting our work through financial contributions, volunteer service and community partnerships. Together, day after day, year after year, century upon century, we will strive to lose ourselves in service to the most vulnerable individuals and families throughout the Diocese of Richmond. In 2022, our board of directors judiciously governed an accelerated expansion of many of our programs – particularly our refugee and immigration, housing, and shelter services – to ensure we could quickly and flexibly respond to the needs of every individual and family accessing our services. As a result, in 2022, CCC served the highest number of unduplicated individuals in our 100-year history.   To augment this service expansion, we invested in our facilities and in internal capacity-building to ensure our sustainability. One of our most exciting investments this year was the purchase of a multi-acre campus with immense growth potential for our children’s shelter and other programs. New spaces were also secured to expand our services and impact in the Tri-Cities and Tidewater areas. Finally, by investing in our Human Resources function, we have advanced our ability to attract and retain highly qualified nonprofit professionals whose experience and proven dedication will lead the agency into a second century of service.  CCC sustainably expanded services and made critical investments in human resources and infrastructure despite extremely challenging financial markets. In fiscal year 2022 CCC secured $6.5 million in additional revenue, which combined with the agency’s nearly $6 million endowment, funded 91% of the combined expenses of our ministries. As always, our FY22 financial audit concluded favorably.  It is with complete confidence that we report to you, our stakeholders, that CCC is poised to respond to the evolving needs of the communities we serve and meet the increased demand for quality and compassionate services throughout the Diocese of Richmond.   As we embark on our centennial anniversary, we continue to reflect on the words of The Holy Father. He encourages us to act like the good Samaritan – to stop, enter the world of the wounded, throw ourselves into another’s suffering and in doing so, create a new future. Together, let us take this opportunity to reflect on our past, take stock of the needs we witness across our Diocese today, and  dare to create something new. We invite you to join us as we commit to a second century delivering quality and compassionate services to the most vulnerable members of our community.