Meet the Staff: Amanda Blaney, Human Resources
Amanda lives in Preston, MN, and has been a part of the Catholic Charities team for just over a year. She has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, and Amanda’s entire professional career has been in the non-profit industry. She loves working for a greater purpose, and especially appreciates Catholic Charities for its mission and the people she works with. Amanda loves spending time with her family and being outdoors in her free time.
Describe Your Job in 3 Words:
Benefits
Payroll
Support
Favorites:
Color: blue
Pizza Toppings: black olives
Cats or Dogs? I plead the 5th… we have both!
Quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi
Amanda’s “happy place”
Anywhere there is a body of water.
Fun Fact
Meet the Staff: Jessica Mollison, Active Aging Program Administrator
Jessica grew up in Duluth, MN.
She has a degree in Spanish. During her first five years out of college, Jessica lived and worked in Peru as the Director of Development for an orphanage there. She says she spent time dabbling in and discerning religious life abroad before returning to the US.
When she first moved to Rochester, she worked as a climbing gym general
manager. Then she settled into the adult foster care (group home) world and managed two houses in Rochester for four years before joining Catholic Charities.
“My job involves a lot of variety which I love!” Jessica says.
Jessica is very active and enjoys being outside every chance she gets. She loves camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and traveling! In recent years, she has also taken up pottery. In the fall, Jessica enjoys helping at Apples-R-Us Orchard and Distillery, a family business her boyfriend’s mom owns.
What do you like about working at Catholic Charities?
I love the team that I work with. Although we are all in different cities, I feel a real sense of comradery.
There is a lot of positivity in our group and there’s always someone I can reach out to if I get stuck on a project.
Describe Your Job in 3 Words:
Connect
Educate
Empower
Favorites:
Color: Orange
Pizza Toppings: Not much of a pizza person…
Cats or Dogs? Both!
Quote: “Being obsessed with what people think is the quickest way to forget about what God thinks.” – Craig Groeschel
Jessica’s “happy place”
Anywhere that the trees outnumber the people
Fun Fact
Meet the Staff: Katelynn Aufderhar, Community Connector
Katelynn Aufderhar is an invaluable member of our team working as the Community Connector for the Adult Advocacy program in connection with the Winona Community HUB. A Winona native, Katelynn pursued Intercultural Studies and Social Justice in college, volunteering with organizations assisting unhoused and refugee communities in Minneapolis.
Katelynn’s journey with us began when she returned to Winona amidst the pandemic in 2020. She started as an overnight shelter advocate at the Winona Warming Center in October 2020, eventually moving through several positions within the Housing program. Her experience as a WCDC Advocate, WCWC Coordinator, and finally WCDC Coordinator provided her with a unique understanding of the work that community health workers do, inspiring her to apply for her current position with Catholic Charities.
“I enjoy working at an organization full of people and programs willing to step up and go the extra mile to help support our community,” Katelynn says.
In her role as the Community Connector, Katelynn dedicates herself to providing case management and resource navigation for her clients, helping them improve their overall health outcomes. Her day-to-day tasks vary, from assisting clients in finding housing to teaching them how to manage chronic illnesses, but her ultimate goal is always the same: empowering her clients with the tools and resources they need to achieve their goals.
When Katelynn is not working to improve the lives of others, she enjoys a variety of hobbies, including hiking, crocheting, reading, attending concerts, traveling, and painting with friends. Her passion for helping others and commitment to creating a positive impact in her community make Katelynn a truly exceptional member of our team, and we are proud to have her on board.
Describe Your Job in 3 Words:
Empathy
Connection
Advocacy
Favorites:
Color: Dark green
Pizza Toppings: Chicken and Spinach
Cats or Dogs? I refuse to choose! I grew up with my families dog and currently have my own cat, so I feel like I’m betraying one of them if I make a choice.
Quote: “The love that you withhold is the pain that you carry.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Katelynn’s “happy place”
Anywhere with good hiking trails and trees where I can set up my hammock and enjoy nature.
Fun Fact
I have been to 14 different countries.
Volunteering Transforms Lives
April is National Volunteer Month, and Catholic Charities knows that volunteering transforms lives. Throughout April, we will be celebrating volunteers across southern Minnesota showing how they are providing help and creating hope in our community.
In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to feel disconnected from the needs of our community. However, when we take the time to give back and share our skills with those in need, we can create lasting, positive change. That is why volunteering is a vital part of our mission at Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota.
We believe that every person has unique talents and abilities that they can use for the greater good. By volunteering, you will not only make a meaningful impact on the lives of others, but you will also experience personal growth and a renewed sense of purpose.
Teresa retired as a software engineer at IBM and wanted to do more in her retirement than just sit at home. Now she uses her data entry skills at the Two Rivers Habitat for Humanity ReStore. She also teaches a Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) exercise class to help other seniors stay healthy.
“I saw a lot of people at the beginning, who could not do a lot of movement,” Teresa said, “but gradually after over a year, they can do it – ballet moves, squats, everything. I have a lot of fun with that class.”
Through her work as a SAIL exercise class instructor, she has had the opportunity to form strong connections with participants and witness firsthand the difference that staying active can make in their lives.
Our volunteers play a crucial role in helping us provide help and create hope for the most vulnerable people in our community. They especially help that mission by volunteering at our warming shelters.
Ann and Clark, a compassionate couple, devote their time to supporting our Emergency Housing program by assisting at the Rochester Community Warming Center once a week. Their dedication and empathy have provided warmth and safety to those experiencing homelessness throughout the year. They say they get more from spending time at the shelter than they give.
“You get to meet people in our town that you might not otherwise get a chance to meet,“ Clark said. “Turns out they’re really good people, and we’ve made a lot of friends.”
“What I get out of volunteering is the sense that none of us are walking alone,” added Ann. “Some days I come, and depending on what’s happened in my day, maybe my heart is heavy. And because of the relationships that Clark and I have developed here, with the guests here, I believe they have a sense when my heart is heavy and they walk along with me and I get the opportunity to do that when the reverse is true.”
These are just a few examples of the incredible impact that our volunteers have on the lives of those we serve. By sharing your time and talents with Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota, you too can be part of this transformative journey.
If you are ready to make a difference and be a beacon of hope for those in need, we encourage you to explore our various volunteering opportunities. No matter your background, interests, or skill set, there is a place for you within our community of dedicated volunteers.
For those 55 and better, our Active Aging program is a part of the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program. Catholic Charities staff can help you find the right volunteering opportunity to best use your skills and your time at home or out in the community.
Our Emergency Housing Program accepts volunteers 18 years old and up to help staff during the busiest times at the Winona and Rochester shelters.
Volunteers can help make refugees feel welcome by helping set up their new homes, shopping for groceries, or just being another friendly face to connect with in the community.
Together, we can create a brighter future for all members of our community. Your time and talents can change lives, and with your help, Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota will continue to provide help and create hope for years to come.
Meet the Staff: Cheri Diderrich-Musni, Rochester Office Administrator
Cheri is a Rochester native who went to kindergarten at Lincoln which is the same building that now houses the Catholic Charities offices. She graduated from Lourdes High School and Winona State with a major in secondary math education. I worked for Rochester Public Schools before landing my dream job at CCSOMN. She likes cooking, crafting, reading, and loves going to concerts. Cheri supports the Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption and Counseling programs out of the Rochester office. Working at Catholic Charities is Cheri’s “dream job” because she enjoys both the people she serves and the people she works with.
Describe Your Job in 3 Words:
Helping diversity thrive.
Favorites:
Color: purple
Pizza topping: pepperoni
Cats or dogs: Can’t say, I have both
Saint: St. Francis
Quote: “We all do better when we all do better.” – Paul Wellstone
Cheri’s “happy place”
Watching live music.
Fun Fact
I play the banjo!
Refugee Family Beats the Odds to Make a Home in Southern Minnesota
Sixteen years in a refugee camp. This was the life of Abdi and Sahra.
Abdi and Sahra fled Somalia in 2006 when violence in their country forced them to flee to Egypt. What was meant to be a place of refuge turned into a time of survival and stagnation as they found themselves as refugees in Egypt waiting to be resettled for over 16 years. In this time they had 4 children all born without a “home” – refugees waiting for something better.
The family of six finally got their chance a new life in December 2022, when their refugee application was finalized. And they beat the odds. Less than 1% of refugees who apply for resettlement in the US are approved and resettled. Our Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program staff happily welcomed them to their new “home” in southern Minnesota.
Resettlement is a team effort with the planning and caring actions of case managers and volunteers. They work with the families as they build their new lives and strive to become empowered and self-sufficient members of the community.
“Refugees are like you and me – everyday people trying to go about their daily lives, getting kids to school going to work but who have had to flee an unstable situation through no fault of their own,” John Meyers, Refugee Resettlement Program Director. “Here, they find themselves again in a stable environment, able to finally go about their daily lives of going to work and providing for their families.”
The family is now thriving. Abdi found a job at a manufacturing plant. Their older children, ages 6, 7, and 9 years old are in school, and Sahra is in Family Literacy Program with her 2-year-old learning English.