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September
24, 2006
VOL.
44, NO. 15Oakland,
CA
Catholic agencies
continues
to serve hurricane survivors
In the year
since hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, more than
one million hurricane victims have received assistance by the network
of Catholic Charities agencies across the country.
A sampling of services provided by the network shows that:
• More than 51 million pounds of food has been distributed.
• More than 72,000 people have received case management assistance
– a holistic array of services and supports aimed at moving evacuees
toward recovery and self sufficiency.
• Nearly 500,000 people have received referrals.
• Nearly 250,000 people have received direct financial assistance
such as gift cards or cash or help with mortgage or rent payments and
home repair.
Catholic Charities continues to address the ongoing housing needs of hurricane
survivors.
In New Orleans where 200,000 homes were severely damaged or destroyed,
housing remains the top priority.
“Catholic Charities spends a tremendous amount of time, energy and
money trying to deal with the mental health of our friends and family,
but our friends cannot truly heal until they have a home and a place,”
said Jim Kelly, CEO of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (CCANO).
“How can they begin to design a recovery plan when they’re
paying a mortgage and paying rent in an apartment; when their children
have been in three, four, five different schools since September?”
To address this housing crisis, CCANO and its Catholic partner organizations
have formed Providence Community Housing.
