Diocese's Catholics respond in big way to Big Easy's plight

As of Sept. 13, donations from Catholics in the Albany Diocese to aid survivors of Hurricane Katrina had reached $220,000, according to Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, executive director of diocesan Catholic Charities.

That amount equals donations given to only 28 percent of diocesan parishes. The remainder have yet to report the total from their special collections to the main Charities office.

Overall, across the nation, more than $7 million has been collected by Catholic Charities USA.

Help on way

In addition, four volunteers from Charities' agencies are on their way to help evacuees who are now in Baton Rouge, La.

The four are Cheryl Girard-Schulz, Heidi Moak and Jill Lein from Community Maternity Services, and Carrie Woodard from Disabilities Services. Three of them are social workers; Ms. Lein is a nurse.

The four from the Albany Diocese, with a group from the Brooklyn Diocese, are said to represent the first volunteers to arrive from outside the Gulf Coast region.

Many ways to help

Diocesan Catholic Charities is coordinating its relief efforts with both Gov. George Pataki's office and Catholic Charities USA.

One hundred percent of donations from the Diocese are being forwarded to the hurricane-affected areas, Sister Maureen noted, adding that four of her staff have focused solely on hurricane relief for more than a week.

In addition to acting as a clearing-house for monetary donations, Catholic Charities' disaster plan covers other areas of need.

HOUSING

The office is building a database of available housing in the Diocese where evacuees may be relocated.

Sister Maureen told The Evangelist that four people -- two Catholic Charities board members and two volunteers, one of whom is a Peace Corps veteran -- are working to identify properties in the Diocese that could be used for evacuees. As many as 100 apartments may be available, rent-free, for displaced persons.

Although Catholic Charities USA estimates that the evacuees may need temporary housing for 90 to 180 days, Sister Maureen believes their stay in the Diocese could last up to a year. Gov. Pataki has said that New York State will welcome 5,000 evacuees.

SPONSORSHIP

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard has written to all parishes in the Diocese, asking that they consider sponsoring a family.

That would include a parish's providing housing with a host family for 48 hours to a week, assisting the family with financial needs after they move to long-term housing, and supporting them in accessing health care, employment and schooling for their children.

Each parish is being asked to assemble a team of parishioners with experience in "health care, social work, legal and fiscal issues, real estate, and business opportunities."

Bishop Hubbard cautioned that "we...need to be cognizant that it may be unrealistic for families to relocate to upstate New York. However, we want to respond in charity and solidarity."

VOLUNTEERS

In addition to the four already on their way, many other volunteers from the Diocese who have experience in the mental health field have signed up through a Catholic Charities USA database to counsel evacuees.

As of last week, counselors from the Diocese constituted half of the database's list. Many of them also volunteered in New York City after 9/11.

The director of Catholic Charities in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has advised that such people must have experience dealing with "angry persons who are very frustrated, and need a sense of hope and purpose."

MISCELLANEOUS AID

Requests for help from evacuees who have already come to the Diocese have begun to trickle in.

Sister Maureen noted that her office has received calls from survivors living with relatives in the Diocese who need money for gas and prescription drugs.

A teacher from Louisiana who relocated to Glens Falls has also called the diocesan Catholic Schools Office, looking for information on their offer to put Catholic-school teachers from the affected areas on a list for substitute teaching or other job openings in Catholic schools (see last week's issue of The Evangelist or go to www.evangelist.org).

In addition, Catholic Charities is fielding calls from families interested in opening their homes to evacuees, from foster parents willing to take in children left homeless by the hurricane, and from people who want to travel to Louisiana, Mississippi or other devastated areas to help.

LONG-TERM HELP

Longer-term, Catholic Charities hopes to put together a brochure or packet for evacuees with contact information on housing, job offers, counseling and other needs.

(Checks for hurricane relief can be made payable to Catholic Charities -- with "Hurricane Katrina" in the subject line -- and sent to Catholic Charities, 40 N. Main Ave., Albany, NY 12203. To offer rental property or room in a home, or to volunteer to help with hurricane relief, call Catholic Charities at 453-6650. For information on the Catholic Schools Office's offer of job help for displaced teachers or free tuition for displaced students, call 453-6666.)

(9/15/05) [[In-content Ad]]