EMERGENCY SUPPORT Catholic Charities food pantries and emergency support programs are helping more people than ever before. Felipe Roman, a staff member of the Father English Food Pantry, is pictured handing out food to clients.
PATERSON The Community Emergency Support Programs of diocesan Catholic Charities has reached out to those in need during some historic times — the terrorist attack that occurred on Sept. 11th, Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy and the great recession of 2008.
These regional and international events have taught Catholic Charities how to respond to some significant emergencies and help those in need get through tough times. The magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic now writes another part of history for Catholic Charities.
“We are helping more people than ever before in our history out of our Community and Emergency Support Programs,” said Scott Milliken, CEO of diocesan Catholic Charities. “Each day, we are receiving dozens and dozens of phone calls, emails and visits from those most in need. These people include individuals who have recently lost their jobs due to COVID-19, survivors of domestic abuse, families in crisis and many others. We are also proud to be expanding our programs. Our Hope and Healing initiative will provide a higher level of support for those who are most affected at this time. We will continue to answer the call throughout this pandemic and will persevere on.”
The emergency support department operates under Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS) and case managers have continued working mostly remotely to adhere to social distancing. Many are clocking in up to 90 hours a week to meet the demand. Some of the people who are helped are homeless or on the brink of being homeless and those who need food assistance or other basic human needs.
“Our case managers have been assisting these people to know what resources are out there for them. They are calling to see how people are doing emotionally. This is a very unique, unprecedented and scary situation,” Ariel Alonso, director of the emergency support department, said.
One of those case mangers working during this time is Archie Burrell, intensive case manager for CFCS. “You really understand that this is not a job that we do, it is a passion,” he told The Beacon. “It’s a great team effort by so many to help people who have had some traumatic experiences to get through the pandemic.”
Burrell himself had COVID-19 and spent some time in the hospital before recovering. “Getting sick and going through the coronavirus has helped me really relate and identify with what people are facing,” he said. “Each one of us working for Catholic Charities has the responsibility to make sure we keep the faith and do what we are supposed to do.”
One of the most difficult parts of the pandemic is that homeless shelters have been closed for health and safety. As a result, up to 310 hotel placements have been made for people in Passaic County. Because of the pandemic, evictions were not to take place by state mandate.
“Shelters have closed their doors for the fear of COVID-19 and we have been working to coordinate hotel placements for those who have been already evicted prior to the pandemic or the existing population that was already homeless,” Alonso said. The emergency support department expects a continual rise for those requesting help from the department due to the loss of employment and/or back pay due for mortgages and rent.
“As of now, it is expected there will be at least a three-year economic impact from this event,” Alonso said,
Completing this type of work has many challenges with social distancing. Usually a client would come to the offices of CFCS and receive a face-to-face meeting with a case manager. The department has been receiving 50 to 60 calls a day, which are screened to examine the services needed.
Naima Mansour, coordinator of community emergency services programs, said, “Many of these people don’t have a printer or even smart phone, so at times, our case managers have to go in person to hand clients paperwork just so we can figure out what services the clients qualify for. It’s been a challenge because they can get impatient, they are frustrated and they are scared.”
In the midst of the pandemic, the department recently had to help fire victims who lost everything. Mansour said, “Those cases are difficult because most times any documentation usually have been destroyed.”
As the department and the rest of diocesan Catholic Charities continues to work during the pandemic, the agency recently added a new program called the Hope and Healing Program, which is a partnership between all Catholic Charities agencies throughout the state. The program will offer counseling and supportive services for individuals who have been impacted by COVID-19.
“We are grateful to our donors and all our partners, healthcare providers and frontline workers, who put themselves at risk and we thank their families. We appreciate the coordinated effort with so many like-minded individuals and trying to help so many people in need,” Alonso said. “We don’t have all the answers, but we are working in a favorable and positive direction.”