George Collins Receives Distinguished Service Award
George Collins (third from left) poses with (l-r) Catholic Charities Board President Clinton Daly, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien and Catholic Charities Executive Director Hal Smith after receiving his award.
Every year at An Evening With Catholic Charities, we honor a few extraordinary individuals who represent the best in our staff and volunteers. They personify our mission to cherish the Divine within those who need us and we are proud to count them among the Catholic Charities family. On Tuesday, March 4, one of our honorees was George Collins
George Collins' life models social action at its best. As CEO of T. Rowe Price, he served six years on Catholic Charities' Board of Directors. When an ad hoc subcommittee was formed in 1999, to explore the feasibility of relocating Our Daily Bread hot meal program and My Sister’s Place day shelter for homeless women and their children, George served as chair.
From the beginning of the committee's formation, the input of a wide cross section of providers, business leaders, volunteers and guests was sought. Recognizing the complex implications of pervasive poverty, they recommended the creation of centers where meals would still be served, while also providing resources, skills training and employment assistance to help move people toward lives of self sufficiency.
When a Capital Campaign was created, George once again stepped forward as a member of the Executive Committee, serving as a staunch advocate and generous donor. In 2007, Our Daily Bread Employment Center, the nation's first comprehensive resource center for the poor, opened and later this year, My Sister Place Women’s Center will open its doors.
Today, two expanded programs exist that offer more than a meal to those in need. Among the many accolades George Collins has amassed during his professional career, these two buildings serve as a monument that he dedicated himself to helping others.
