A Night of Celebration at Livingston County Catholic Charities’ Salute to the Stars Event

On May 21, 2026, Livingston County Catholic Charities (LCCC) held its annual Salute to the Stars event at the Reserve Event Center, bringing together community members for an evening of recognition and support.

Thanks to our donors generosity, the event raised a little over $100,000 in support of Livingston County Catholic Charities' mission. This remarkable achievement reflects the compassion and commitment of community members like you, and it ensures that our programs can continue to meet the growing needs of over 5,000 individuals in our community each year.

We were proud to present our Community Awards, celebrating individuals who go above and beyond to make Livingston County a better place. These awards honor the true spirit of service—the heart and soul of our community.

• Deacon Jim Kasprzak Partner in Faith Award: St. Patrick Catholic Parish
• Munsell Family Volunteer of the Year Award:  Joe Carney
• Mark Robinson Community Impact Award: Marion Towsnhip Hall

Guest speaker, Ellen Salter, delivered an emotional message on redemptive suffering. Her mesage not only transforms the way you suffer, but carry you to the heart of Christ for healing. Ellen speaks passionately about how she was called to care for her daughter. Meghan, now 23 was not expected to live past 6 months. Meghan is completely dependent on others; unable to eat, speak, move, or even breathe on her own. Although born healthy, within months her health began to decline. She is a mystery to the medical field. She is lovingly cared for 24/7 at home and has been on life support since she was an infant. More about Ellen & Megan.

Sister Joanne Belloli, a therapist at Livingston County Catholic Charities shared some of the long history of mental health counseling at LCCC and some quotes from client success stories. Mental health counseling was the recipient of the evenings live giving.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this evening a success. Your support helps ensure that LCCC can continue serving those in need throughout Livingston County.

For more information contact April Dertian at april@livingstoncc.org.

Client testimonials:

• “Special Ministries has helped my life so much! It has become my only connection to things outside of my family.”
•  “Staff knew exactly what mom needed! As her dementia worsened you kept educating me, her daughter, and together we took better care of her than I ever could have ever done alone. "
• "I found sobriety at Catholic Charities!"
• "Catholic Charities saved my life and it can save yours too!"