Charities seeks help for neediest

As social service providers brace themselves for the aftermath of federal and state welfare reform, they are calling on all people to improve conditions for the poor in the Albany Diocese.

One of the first things individuals can do is better educate themselves on the people receiving services, Church officials explained at a recent press conference.

Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, director of diocesan Catholic Charities, said that changes in the economy have made it more difficult for people to make ends meet and that, in turn, has caused a general dissatisfaction with government policies. The outcome has been passing the blame. "Many direct their anger at the least fortunate among us," she said.

Falling through cracks

Often, the least fortunate are those who once lived the American dream, said Catherine Berman, executive director of Albany Catholic Family and Community Services (ACFCS). She explained that many of the individuals served by her organization were once middle-class families.

As an example, she told the story of Eric and Nicki, parents of four children, living in rural Albany County. Eric was an engineer and Nicki, a teacher. She had to leave her teaching job when one of her children became ill. Then Eric lost his job; although he eventually found an entry-level position, it does not pay enough to support the family.

Ms. Berman also told of a nurse who was fired from her job because she was suffering from emotional distress, caused from learning that her husband of over 20 years had divorced her without her knowledge in their country of origin. She eventually lost her home and moved in with her son in his college dorm. But he was forced to drop out of school because she could not afford the tuition. Since she was fired from her job, she is having difficulty getting another one.

Signs of poverty

At the press conference, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard reported that a similar picture can be painted from parish services. In one well-to-do parish, he reported, 20 families have children who are eligible for free school lunches. These are families where one or both parents are recently unemployed or where a newly single parent is trying to get by on one salary.

Other parishes, Bishop Hubbard explained, are seeing more people coming to food pantries. Those people are employed or retired, but their incomes don't cover all of their expenses.

"A medical emergency or an unexpected car repair can force a person to choose between paying the rent and purchasing food, between being homeless or being hungry," he said.

Growing concern

Such stories are replicated throughout the 14 counties of the Diocese, Sister Maureen said. In fact, Catholic Charities experienced a 69 percent increase in emergency services in 1995 over previous years. While 1996 figures are not yet available, Catholic Charities reports that its food pantries in Albany County served 8,000 more meals in October than in September.

"This is the current reality even before the new federal welfare legislation has been adopted and enacted in New York State," she said. "This implementation will compound our already overtaxed capacity to respond to immediate basic needs like food and shelter."

The government's attempts at welfare reform, combined with a decrease in giving to social service agencies, leads to a questionable future for the poor.

"It will come to a point where we will turn people away," Sister Maureen said. In fact, this past Thanksgiving, many of the food pantries in the Diocese ran out of food prior to the holiday.

What to do

Individuals and groups can make a difference, Ms. Berman said, noting that Mercy House, an emergency shelter for women run by ACFCS, will be instituting "months of mercy."

Businesses, schools and other groups will be given a chance to "adopt" a particular aspect of Mercy House's program for the month. For example, a business could provide a month's worth of soup for the shelter, or a school group could provide toiletries for the month.

Individuals can assist by donating household items they no longer need. Many of the residents of Mercy House come there with only the clothes on their backs, Ms. Berman said. When they find their own housing, they are in need of such household items as plates, utensils, pots and pans.

More ideas

"Our faith community is responding, and we will continue to respond to those most in need," Bishop Hubbard said. "We will continue these efforts and do everything possible to provide needed assistance, but we can't do it alone. We need the help of the entire community to accomplish the task of seeing that the basic needs of all God's people are met."

Those at the press conference had other suggestions for assisting the poor:

* Contacting legislators can make a big impact, Ms. Berman said, advising Catholics to call their legislator and voice their opinion on legislation that can improve the lives of the poor.

* Sister Maureen said that members of the business community are interested in improving this situation. At a recent meeting held to address the issue of hunger, several Catholic business leaders suggested a network of mentors to help the unemployed and underemployed find work.

* Those just starting out or the retired can have an impact, too, even if they don't have business connections or financial resources, Sister Maureen said, noting: "We talk about time, talent and treasure. We talk a lot about talent and treasure, but we don't speak much about time." She said that such people could spend time with a teen parent and have a big impact on the young person's life. Many of the young mothers-to-be need someone to attend birthing classes with them, or just sit down and talk with them. "To them it says, `You're important to me,'" she explained.

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