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A federal grant will make it easier for a branch of St. Catherine's Center for Children in Albany to help homeless families get back on their feet this year, a center spokesman said.

The $350,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be shared among St. Catherine's Marillac Residence and St. Peter's Addiction Recovery Center, as well as the ClearView Center for trauma services, all in Albany. Marillac will act as the lead agency and the liaison between client families and the other agencies.

"Usually, homelessness is a result of a number of different things," said Brian Bell, St. Catherine's spokesman. "There are issues that have to be addressed."

The grant will enable Marillac to go beyond providing shelter by helping families prepare for the future and prevent relapses into homelessness.

The Albany agencies were among 40 out of about 400 agencies selected to receive grants, Bell said. The grant was approved in October and took effect in January.

Normal shelter operations at Marillac are funded by Albany County. Employees help families secure permanent housing, employment and other services, such as day care and mental health counseling.

Other programs at St. Catherine's, a 123-year-old agency, are an elementary school for children with special educational needs, foster care services, children's residential services, a center for loss and healing and community outreach for at-risk families.

01/07/10 [[In-content Ad]]

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