Win Brings Contributions to Flood Relief Fund & Homeless Project

Nashville, TN — Nina Fredericks, a recent graduate of Father Ryan High School, is the third place national winner of the 2010 Multi-Media arts contest presented locally by Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc. and sponsored nationally by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Fredericks entered her drawing entitled, Trapped by Poverty, to Catholic Charities for judging in the local competition and was awarded the Grand Prize. Her art was then submitted to CCHD, where she received 3rd place in the national competition.

As 3rd place national winner, Fredericks will be awarded $500 to designate to local charities of her choice.  She has designated that $250 will be contributed to the Father Ryan Flood Relief Fund. An additional $250 will be given in her name to the Nashville Homeless Power Project, an organization that advocates for the rights of the homeless.

“The purpose of the annual arts contest is to engage students in awareness of poverty and their faith response,” said Fran Rajotte, Catholic Charities assistant administrator. “Students are invited to submit entries into the arts competition after participating in classroom lessons on poverty and studying Catholic social responses.” 

Rajotte noted that the arts program is facilitated locally by Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc. in the agency’s role as the local director for the national Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).  The local competition is part of the National Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest of CCHD of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C.

The local contest is presented annually in the spring by Catholic Charities of Tennessee. The work of local contest winners is then submitted to CCHD to compete with winners of local contests throughout the country for national honors.  The arts contest, initiated in 2000, is part of an ongoing effort by CCHD to make Catholic youth aware of poverty in the United States and to challenge them to respond artistically using a faith response that gets at the root of poverty. 
 
Fredericks’ artwork  was featured on the covers of Father Ryan High School’s 2009 Christmas card and the 2010 Baccalaureate Mass program.  She was a Commended Student by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for her achievement on the PSAT. While at Father Ryan, she served as a student ambassador and took several AP classes, including AP Studio Art. This fall, she will attend Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, where she received the Presidential Scholarship.

About Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc.: Catholic Charities of Tennessee annually provides family services to more than 67,000 people living in 38 Middle Tennessee counties on behalf of the Diocese of Nashville. It is a licensed child placement agency of the State of Tennessee.  The major operations of Catholic Charities are managed within five departments:  Social Services, Caring Choices, Refugee Services, Family Assistance and Community Employment, and Tennessee Office for Refugees. Services are available to people of every religious, ethnic, cultural and racial background.