Shariff’s mother was a single mom of three children in Waukegan while he was growing up, he says. Their family relied on Catholic Charities for support until his mother was able to find work and the family was able to get back on their feet. 

Today, at 48, Shariff has come full circle, now working for Catholic Charities as a driver for the senior home-delivered meals program in Lake County. “When I was 5 years old with my mom, we couldn’t afford to pay our rent and Catholic Charities stepped in,” he says. “So, for me to now be able to help deliver meals to seniors is a blessing.” 

He says he enjoys his work of doing well-being checks for the seniors he serves. “I have a good working relationship with my clients,” Shariff says. “I believe Catholic Charities is a good program and a good platform to get assistance.”