By Amy White
The Texas Catholic

On May 14, Catholic Charities Dallas’ Angels of Charity Women’s Auxiliary honored Jean Fuchs as this year’s Angel of the Year during its 23rd annual Angels of Charity Mass & Luncheon. The event included a Mass at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrated by Bishop Edward J. Burns and a luncheon at the Meyerson Symphony Center.

During the luncheon, the Angels of Charity recognized select Angels for their contributions to the CCD’s programs. Karen Kalis and Sherry Goiffon were this year’s Angel of Service and Angel of Inspiration respectively. Fuchs, as Angel of the Year, received the organization’s highest honor.

Fuchs has been a member of the Angels of Charity for the past seven years, almost literally from the day that she moved to Texas in 2017. Prior to the move, she and her family had called several places home.

“We’ve been blessed to live all over the world,” the Pittsburg native said, noting that the family spent 20 years abroad in London, Hong Kong, and Germany. “We’ve moved a lot. So, what we’ve learned in that is to jump in quickly.”

Fuchs put this philosophy to practice her first evening in Texas; she quickly enlisted the help of the internet to get connected to her new Dallas community.

“I worked with Catholic Charities as part of my parish up in New Jersey,” Fuchs said. “So, whenever we came here, the very first night I arrived, I Googled Catholic Charities just to see if they had any activities or opportunities.”

CCD hosted an event the next day, and Fuchs attended. Angel of Charity President Karen Higginbotham recalled, “Within 24 hours of landing, she joined the Angels of Charity and enlisted for her first volunteer event.”

Angels of Charity Women’s Auxiliary, founded in 2001, is a group of women of faith who contribute to the mission of Catholic Charities Dallas by volunteering their time and resources to support CCD programs. Since joining the group, Fuchs has taken on the role of volunteer chair for the Angels of Charity; she also serves as the CCD board’s chair for development.

As volunteer chair, Fuchs organizes volunteer efforts in support of the CCD’s programs, which focus on areas such as homelessness, pregnancy and adoption, education, and senior care.

“Catholic Charities itself has such a wonderful array of ways to give of your time; so, sometimes the job of the volunteer chair is to bring awareness to opportunities,” Fuchs explained. “You get a group of volunteers to come in and donate their time or food or decorations or games.”

Fuchs fondly recalled some favorite moments with the Angels.

“One of the most wonderful efforts that Angels do every year is the Christmas distribution,” she said. “To tuck a bag into somebody’s trunk or back of the car, just knowing what that’s going to be on Christmas day, it’s just a wonderful feeling. There are a lot of different efforts they do to make the community feel loved.”

She also recounted a St. Patrick’s Day party—complete with a DJ—that the Angels of Charity organized for senior citizens in the community a couple of years ago.

“I’m telling you, the dancing that those people did—I was exhausted by the end of the party,” she laughed. “One of the things about Catholic Charities is it brings not only dignity, respect, and care, but joy. Pure joy.”

Joy is exactly what Fuchs brings to her role as volunteer chair, according to Higginbotham, who said Fuchs was “quick to bring joy to her giving.”

“Thank you, Jean, for sharing your love with all of our CCD community,” Higginbotham said.

Reflecting on her time with the Angels of Charity, Fuchs expressed gratitude for the community of women she joined.

“Anytime you see a need, this group of selfless, lovely women take charge,” she said. “I feel lucky to have selfless faith-filled women as part of my life. I look to them for guidance, for their example.”

Although Fuchs said she was humbled and grateful for the Angel of the Year designation, she was quick to shift the praise to the community she works alongside.

“It’s really the people of Catholic Charities who need to be applauded. They’re the ones who daily take on the asks of our community,” she said. “I feel lucky to just be able to bring my volunteer efforts.”