‘Leaving no man behind’
U.S. Air Force veteran Kevin Somerville (right) is all smiles thanks to Catholic Charities’ Shakira Woodberry (left) and Veterans Bridge Home, which teamed up to assist him with dental work and housing. (Erika Robinson | Catholic News HeraldCHARLOTTE — U.S. Air Force veteran Kevin Somerville finally has his smile back, a stable home and hope for the future thanks to Catholic Charities and its community partner, Veterans Bridge Home.
Looking at him now, you would never know the difficulties Somerville has overcome in the past 18 months since moving to the Queen City and finding a mentor in Shakira Woodberry, a U.S. Army veteran who now serves as the case manager with Catholic Charities’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program.
“Since I met her I call her my angel, and she’s not even (an angel) in disguise,” Somerville jokes.
The two met in February 2020 in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Somerville was experiencing homelessness after relocating from Memphis, Tenn. He had called the local Veterans Affairs office from a hotel and they made arrangements for him to be picked up by a ride share service and taken to another extended stay hotel free of charge.
“A day or so later I went to the lobby and I saw Shakira,” he recalls. “I greeted her and she said, ‘My name is Ms. Woodberry, and I work for Catholic Charities. Is there anything you need?’ I said, ‘I’m fine, I had everything I need.’”
Woodberry then shared with him the long list of services and opportunities she could help him with.
“I realized (then) I could use some help,” Somerville says.
Woodberry, a native Charlottean, is deeply committed to assisting her fellow veterans. She says when she came home from serving in the military, returning to civilian life was difficult. The transition was made easier when she became involved with the local Veterans of Foreign Wars, the UNC-Charlotte Veterans Club and the Veterans Service Office.
She has been a local resource person for veterans over the past 10 years, now getting paid by Catholic Charities for what she has been doing as a volunteer for years.
“It’s my responsibility, as the healthcare navigator of the veterans program at Catholic Charities, to care about the medical needs and the wellbeing of all of our veterans,” she explains.
“When I came to Catholic Charities, I called every single veteran (enrolled in our program) – over 100 of them. I asked them about their physical and mental health, dental health, family needs, food needs. … I wanted to reach as many veterans as I could.”
Woodberry recalls that when she met Somerville she asked him if he was a veteran. “Helping (veterans like) Kevin is something that comes naturally to me. In the service we have different values. The strongest one that leads me to do the work that I do is ‘Leave no man behind.’ You don’t leave your buddies behind,” she emphasizes.
When Somerville started missing their appointments and she had difficulty contacting him, Woodberry became concerned. When she did finally get in touch with him, she remembers him telling her that he was having some physical issues.
“Kevin was complaining of migraines, stomach problems, sleep disturbance and had about six missing teeth,” she recalls. “He had lost 20 pounds.”
That type of issue was something Woodberry had not previously encountered, so she went back to her team and consulted with Veterans Bridge Home, a local non-profit community partner.
“Together we found a dentist that could do some work for Kevin, and she offered to provide her services for free. Catholic Charities and Veterans Bridge Home split the cost of the lab fees for Somerville’s dental work.”
“I would call it a total and full restoration,” Somerville notes, flashing a smile. “It took a lot of time, a lot of support, and a lot of funding and financing; it took several months. Beyond the physical part, being able to eat anything you want (after 15 years), there is an intangible part. Now not only can I eat a steak, I call my mom and tell her, ‘Guess what I’ve had today?’”
Somerville says along with his dental restoration he has received the gift of confidence. “Now there is an immense and an entirely new level of confidence in the personal arena,” he explains. “Just being able to look at yourself in the mirror and genuinely smile at someone when they make you happy, instead of covering your mouth.”
Woodberry is overjoyed to see the difference something as simple as a new set of teeth has made in Somerville’s life. “It has helped him gain back the weight he lost. He’s eating better, sleeping better, feeling better, even volunteering in the community. He blossomed. … It’s a whole other level of Kevin now,” she says, beaming.
“There is no way I could even tell you or imagine that I would have been able to picture this outcome,” Somerville says. “I didn’t even have much hope before I met her.”
“Shakira and Catholic Charities have given me what I needed to get back on my feet,” he adds, noting that their client relationship has developed into a friendship.
“She has told me even in my new apartment to let her know if there is anything I need.”
Woodberry says her dedication comes down to this: “Veterans take care of veterans. We understand each other. We speak the same lingo. The places he has been,
I have been. I want to be able to help people just like I have Kevin. He is my greatest success story.”
Somerville will receive keys to his new rental apartment any day. He has been able to save for and buy a car. He’s even starting his own business to assist others in need, a company he is calling AOG, an acronym for “Attitude Of Gratitude.”
“The whole intent of it is to help people, and the inspiration came from Catholic Charities and Shakira,” he explains. “I have a philosophy of ‘each one reach one.’ If you can help a bunch of people, that’s beautiful. … But there may be one or two, and you help them out if you have it, or you refer them somewhere or guide them, or maybe just encourage (them).”
Somerville says he was surprised at how much a life can be changed by something “that this big organization may say is very small. They might say, ‘We do this every day.’ But I say, ‘My God, you changed my life.’”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Did you know?
Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (SSVF) served 200 veterans and their families last year, working with community partners such as Veterans Bridge Home. Veterans have received services such as housing assistance, food assistance, help with child care expenses, referrals for physical and mental health care, and assistance with obtaining VA and other benefits.
Go online to www.ccdoc.org to find out more about Catholic Charities and how it assists veterans through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program.
CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Lay Dominicans celebrated their 12th anniversary in the Diocese of Charlotte Sept. 25 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. Father Matthew Codd, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas, celebrated Mass and presided over the annual Rite of Admission and Promises ceremony.
The Charlotte Lay Dominicans, known as the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Group of the Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres, was formed in 2009, and today has more than 40 members, with new inquirers every year.
Lay Dominicans share in the charism of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominican Order, founded in 1216 by St. Dominic de Guzman. For more than 800 years, the Dominicans have been committed to the salvation of souls. The Dominican motto is “To contemplate and to give to others the fruits of our contemplation,” with the overarching striving toward “veritas” (“truth”). As the Order of Preachers, Dominicans are dedicated to sharing God’s truth with others and spreading the fire of Christ’s love throughout the world. Such powerful and influential saints as St. Catherine of Siena, St. Rose of Lima and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati were all members of the Lay Dominicans, drawn to the charisms of St. Dominic and the fervor to save souls for Christ.
The spirit of St. Dominic and the Dominican Order is still alive and strong today, even as the order celebrated the 800th anniversary of St. Dominic’s death and entrance into the heavenly kingdom last August, as evidenced by the growing numbers of Lay Dominicans within the Charlotte diocese.
After completing their five-year formation, Matthew Dimock Sr., Mark Dorsett and Sylvia Haddar made their Perpetual Promises in the family of St. Dominic. As lifetime members of the Dominican Order, they participate in the apostolic mission of the order through constant prayer, study and preaching according to the state of the laity.
Also during the ceremony, those who completed their first inquiry year advanced to candidate members. This included Suzanne Albertson, Kathryn Evans, Isabel and Steve Tchorzewski, and Francisco Zarate. Members who completed their second year made their Temporary Promises: Mary Clark, John McElravey, Renate Rayner and Jeanne Winkelman. Matthew Bosnick and Carolyn Franks will make their First Temporary Promise on Oct. 30.
Lay Dominicans are distinguished both by their spirituality and by their service to God and neighbor in the Church. They draw their strength from listening to the Word of God, reading sacred scripture, attending daily Mass, daily praying of the rosary, frequent confessions, celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in union with the entire Dominican family, and study. There are four branches of the Dominican Order: the friars, the cloistered nuns, the sisters and the laity. The four branches are all considered part of the Family of St. Dominic, with St. Dominic himself as spiritual father and guide from heaven. The four pillars of the Dominican Order are prayer, study, community and apostolate.
New inquirers are invited to discern and learn more about the group at a meeting on Saturday, Oct. 30, starting at 8:30 a.m. The group meets monthly at St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly, with Father Matthew Kauth as their spiritual advisor. Father Kauth is also the rector of St. Joseph College Seminary and a member of the Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic for Diocesan Priests.
If interested, RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about the Dominican charism, visit www.CharlotteLayDominicans.org.
— Kathryn Evans, Correspondent
‘A refuge of hospitality and stability’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Belmont Abbey College recently announced the opening of Belmont House on Capitol Hill in the nation’s capital. The non-political initiative aims to restore civil society, cultivate religious freedom and reclaim the public square for the common good.
Belmont House will give Catholic professionals working on the Hill a place to engage in fellowship and discourse with Christians and others in the political sphere.
Participants will learn from the intersection of corporate, academic and civic engagement and will hone their own personal skills and faith to be leaders in restoring civil discourse.
“Just as the Benedictine presence in North Carolina helped Catholics throughout the state live out their vocation, we now extend, in our spirit of hospitality, our presence, prayer and work to Washington, D.C.,” said Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, chancellor of Belmont Abbey College.
“At a time in our country’s history when religion and faith are being pushed out of public life, we desire to provide a refuge of hospitality and stability for those who are standing up for our religious freedoms and those who are proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel,” Abbot Placid added.
Belmont House’s work will be based on three pillars: convening, hospitality and fellowship.
Events will range from long dinners to rapid lunch sessions to multi-day retreats. Programs will be much more than workshops or events, though. Belmont House will develop content and policy solutions, as well as build relationships and influence.
The initiative will manifest hospitality – a hallmark of the Benedictine charism – by hosting a wide range of constituents from students to politicians to bishops to lay leaders, and offering well-designed, thoughtful and impactful programing.
The Capitol Hill facility includes small-group discussion areas, meeting and discussion rooms, dining rooms conducive to longer meals and programs, and three small “bed and breakfast”-style suites for guests.
Much of the fellowship is expected to develop through the first two pillars: convening and hospitality.
“There are many ills afflicting the world today. In order to bring the light of the Gospel to these problems facing us, we must come together and share our work and our prayer, our ‘Ora et Labora,’” Abbot Placid noted, quoting the phrase from the Rule of St. Benedict to “pray and work.”
“When we come together in the power of Jesus’ name, our conversations bear fruit, our fellowship strengthens our witness and our work and prayers are more surely inspired by the Gospel,” he said.
Abbot Placid affirmed that Belmont Abbey College is in Washington, D.C., to stand up for the rights of believers, to serve the needs of the faithful who work in the nation’s capital and to remind all that it is right and necessary to bring the insights of faith into public life.
“Belmont House is a place where real conversation, work and change can take place,” he said.
“People up in D.C. are excited about it,” said Belmont Abbey College’s President Dr. William Thierfelder in a recent update he shared online with the college community. Thierfelder traveled to Belmont House last month and also attended the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Sept. 14.
“It’s one more way Belmont Abbey College is becoming known and having an impact on society,” Thierfelder said.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter. Belmont Abbey College contributed.
Learn more
At www.belmonthousedc.org: Find out more about Belmont Abbey College’s latest initiative and watch Abbot Placid Solari’s message about Belmont House