Food donations are being given out to clients curbside at Catholic Charities’ locations in Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Salem. ( Photos provided by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte)Catholic Charities Week April 26 - May 2
CHARLOTTE — The COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing guidelines and current stay-at-home orders for North Carolina residents have been catalysts for Catholic Charities’ need to find innovative solutions to continue to serve program participants and the growing number of people in need of help.
Never in its 70-year history has Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte had to rise to the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus and adapt its programs to account for the health concerns of its staff and clients during a pandemic.
Catholic Charities Week (April 26-May 2) provides an opportunity to highlight the efforts of Catholic Charities across the diocese during this difficult time.
Food Pantry Programs
Catholic Charities operates food pantries in Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Salem, serving upwards of 14,000 people each year and distributing more than a half million pounds of food. All food pantries are operating by appointment, using a curbside pickup model to ensure the health and safety of staff, volunteers and program participants. Food is pre-packed throughout the week by small groups of volunteers who practice social distancing and wear face masks and gloves. Carts are sanitized and loaded before they are pushed out to recipients’ vehicles. Since switching to this delivery method nearly overnight when the pandemic shut down its usual food pantry operations, Catholic Charities during a recent two-week period provided 51,802 pounds of food to 1,503 people in need.
Refugee Programs
Refugee program staff continue to provide case management services to refugee participants, helping them with access to information and resources, applying for COVID-19 relief assistance and other benefits, and ensuring children are completing their school assignments and doing well emotionally.
The Refugee Employment staff has been staying busy connecting with participants via phone, email and video conference when possible. Catholic Charities’ staff have been checking in with employed clients on a biweekly basis to make sure they are well and answering any questions they might have. Clients who have been furloughed or laid off have been receiving help with submitting unemployment claims and obtaining job counseling. Employers and community partners are also staying connected with Catholic Charities’ staff through email and phone calls about open positions and assistance available for clients.
The Refugee Youth Program is remaining connected to students and their families to help address their particular needs including schoolwork, employment and food. Program staff stay in touch with students’ schools and teachers to make sure students are completing their at-home assignments, and they are also writing personal notes of encouragement, hosting video “meet-ups” with high school aged students, and providing tutoring when needed via video conferencing.
Immigration Programs
Immigration staff are providing legal immigration services via video conferencing and an online database to meet with participants to discuss the status of their case and complete the steps necessary for submitting government-required forms. Naturalization services are also still being offered to people via the Citizenshipworks platform, a free online service that helps people apply for citizenship.
Support for Veterans
Veteran Services case coordinators continue to ensure that homeless veterans in need are getting the help they need. The number of homeless veterans in need has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as local homeless shelters have been forced to cut back on the number of people they assist due to social distancing restrictions. Catholic Charities’ staff are working to secure housing for the people referred to them, placing eligible veterans who are unsheltered into hotels while staff look for more permanent housing solutions. Catholic Charities’ staff are also connecting veterans to local community food resources and VA healthcare. So far, Catholic Charities has assisted over a dozen homeless veterans find more stable housing, and $250,000 in new federal funding will enable them to help more veterans during the pandemic.
Counseling
The COVID-19 pandemic has created anxiety and stress for many people, and providing access to mental health services is more important now than ever. In response, Catholic Charities’ counseling service has transitioned to “tele-counseling” to offer mental health services online when access to in-person counseling is not possible. The professional staff are using an easy-to-use, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform. People use their computer, mobile phone or tablet to have a one-on-one confidential meeting with a counselor.
Elder Ministry
Prior to COVID-19, Elder Ministry was planning for the 34th Annual Spring Fling, reflection days and other educational workshops throughout the diocese. Since COVID-19, Elder Ministry has been working to promote educational information on Catholic Charities’ website and Facebook page, as well as through emails to parishes and senior club leaders – including opportunities for spiritual reflection, education on senior issues and online opportunities for physical activities to help keep seniors healthy, active and engaged in life.
respect life and social concerns
Catholic Charities continues its efforts to promote respect for the dignity of all human life by emails, group chats and one-on-one conversations, and to plan for virtual conference events taking place during COVID-19 restrictions and in-person events after restrictions are lifted. The agency’s website and Facebook page share postings and news from the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops to promote opportunities for education.
Marriage Prep
Marriage preparation classes have shifted from in-person workshops to video presentations online. Within a short timeframe, presenters recorded their presentations and the material was compiled into online sessions that couples could register for and view at their convenience. Couples can also download an electronic version of the Marriage Preparation workbook, “Preparing for Your Marriage in the Catholic Church.” So far, 72 couples have taken part in the new class format, and another 24 are signed up for classes in May.
Natural Family Planning
Small group, online and individual instruction in English and Spanish is still available for Natural Family Planning information, as larger in-person workshops are temporarily on hold. Continued support is also provided for follow-ups, when seeking to prepare for pregnancy and during transitions, such as postpartum or perimenopause.
Greensboro and Lenoir
Two new outreach efforts began as the impact of COVID-19 took hold.
In Greensboro, Catholic Charities secured new office space in the same business complex that doubled the size of its office space, including ample room for more volunteers. Although the space was made available just as travel restrictions were put into place, staff continue to respond remotely to requests for help. In Lenoir, a March 29 open house and blessing of the new office on the grounds of St. Francis of Assisi Church has been canceled, but outreach continues with remote distribution of baby items.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Prayer to Our Lady, Health of the Sick
O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick.
At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain,
with steadfast faith.
You, Salvation of the People of God, know what we need.
We are certain that you will provide, so that,
as you did at Cana of Galilee,
joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the Father’s will
and to do what Jesus tells us:
He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us,
through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Editor’s note: Pope Francis offered this prayer to Our Lady, Health of the Sick, to implore her protection during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The English translation is provided by Vatican News.
How you can help
Right now, financial donations to enable Catholic Charities to assist participants and buy food are an effective way to help serve people in need. Make donations online at www.ccdoc.org
(click on “Donate”); or by mail to: Catholic Charities, Central Processing, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.
Need assistance?
Catholic Charities intends to continue offering services to as many people in need as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. People in western North Carolina can reach out to their local Catholic Charities office: 828-255-0146 in Asheville; 704-370-3262 in Charlotte; and 336-727-0705 in Winston-Salem.
Individuals needing assistance can also call 2-1-1 to find up-to-date information on available community services that may be available. 2-1-1 was created to help people get information about local food pantries, medical resources and possible changes to government benefits.