“Had not the LORD been with us… [t]he waters would have engulfed us, the torrent overwhelmed us; seething water would have drowned us. Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us…” (Psalm 124:2-6)

We have been asked to donate to Catholic Charities USA. How much has been raised and sent there?

As of September 29, a total of $274,310 has been sent from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to Catholic Charities USA, as reported by 32 of our Catholic parishes or schools and combined with numerous individual donations. We have not yet heard from a large number of our parishes, so this number increases every day.

In addition, $12,884 has been donated to Catholic Charities in Milwaukee to assist in working with evacuees who have come to our area. This money will be used to provide help to people in finding housing, job placement, medical care and other necessities. It will also be used to provide counseling to people as they attempt to cope with the enormity of their losses. Any money not expended locally for these purposes will be sent to Catholic Charities USA.

How much money has been given to Catholic Charities USA in total, and how much has been allocated at this point? How is this money being used?

As of September 30, a total of $44.2 million has been raised. At this point, just under $8 million has been allocated to meet immediate needs. This money has been distributed to several diocesan Catholic Charities agencies, primarily to those dioceses where the majority of evacuees are now residing.

With evacuees now living in dozens of cities nationwide, Catholic Charities agencies across the country are addressing the immediate needs of evacuees who have come into their communities. At the same time, the local agencies are preparing to serve the victims’ long-term emotional, financial and other needs.

Catholic Charities USA’s Disaster Response Office is leading efforts to respond to the disaster by coordinating with the local Catholic Charities agencies, linking experts within the Catholic Charities network who have dealt with national disasters in the past to provide support and technical assistance, supporting temporary relocation of evacuees across the country, and spearheading the national fundraising efforts. The money that is raised and forwarded to Catholic Charities USA goes to support all of these efforts.

What kinds of work do local Catholic Charities agencies do in responding to victims of such a major disaster?

Catholic Charities agencies work with individual clients and their families to assist them in rebuilding their lives. Agency workers assist with finding housing, furnishings, trans-portation, job and school placement, clothing, medical care and other services where needed. Catholic Charities workers assist people in accessing financial benefits to which they are entitled (Red Cross, FEMA, etc.) and are able to give cash grants where needed. The experience of losing everything one has known is traumatic. Catholic Charities also assists with meeting counseling needs, both short and long term, as people begin the process of rebuilding their lives.

Catholic Charities works with victims/survivors of disasters over the long term. The “phases” of assistance can be viewed as:

Response – From time of impact to six months later
Recovery – Six to eighteen months
Rebuilding – Eighteen months to five years

Can you cite an example of the amount distributed by Catholic Charities following another major disaster?

After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Catholic Charities USA distributed more than $30.5 million to local Catholic Charities agencies to fund recovery efforts. Those efforts extended well into 2004, until all funds were dispersed.

What is happening with the evacuees who arrived at State Fair Park and with others who arrived here on their own?

More than 700 “households” of evacuees have been served by the American Red Cross in our area. The Red Cross was able to distribute emergency cash grants to each individual. The State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Develop-ment coordinated the efforts here, setting up a one-stop “shopping” center of agencies at the State Fair Park location.

The families and individuals who were eligible for FEMA assistance have been helped to apply for those benefits. In addition, services were offered to help people plan “what to do next.” The local office of the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department were charged with the responsibility to assist in finding housing for those evacuees who have decided they want to remain in this area for some period of time.

The efforts at State Fair Park are beginning to wind down, and it is hoped that all evacuees will either have returned to their home region or been placed in alternate housing locally by mid-October. As that date approaches, Catholic Charities in Milwaukee is prepared to receive referrals of those who will need further assistance in rebuilding their lives.

What has happened with the names of those in our parishes who have volunteered space in their own homes or other property they own to house evacuees? What about parish-owned buildings that were offered?

Early in the process of the State’s coordinated efforts here, it was decided that they would not attempt to place evacuees in others’ homes. As we understand it, most evacuees did not prefer that as an option.

We have sent information regarding the parish-owned buildings to the national office for possible “matching” with families who might choose to come to this area as time goes on. To date, we have received no referrals.

As parishes, we were also asked to consider “adopting an evacuee family.” What is happening with that?

When we asked parishes to consider this option, we were anticipating more than 1,000 individuals would be arriving in our area, in addition to those who had already made their way here on their own. With fewer numbers and with the State’s system for taking service applications, we have had no requests to date.

Catholic Charities has retained the list of parishes that indicated a willingness to adopt a family. As time goes on, this may still be an option for some families who later decide to remain here and resettle.

What has been the response of the Catholic Church of the United States?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has commented that our support, compassion, and commitment to help make things right must last far longer – not days, but months and years.

As a result, the Task Force to Coordinate the Catholic Response to Katrina was created. This unprecedented Task Force of bishops and leaders of the Catholic organizations already deeply involved in the ongoing effort will seek to:

--support the many efforts of the affected dioceses.
--encourage a sustained response from the Catholic community.
--coordinate the many diverse efforts in order to increase effectiveness, assure accountability and eliminate duplication.
--examine the future moral and policy implications of this disaster for the Church and society.

Katrina is more than a terrible natural disaster and human catastrophe. It is a test of our faith, our hope and our love. Faith in Jesus Christ insists life conquers death, resurrection follows crucifixion, recovery comes from suffering and hope overcomes despair. This is a time to live out the Gospel, turn our love into care for others, move our words into action, and practice the solidarity we proclaim.

Are there any other ways that our parishes can be of assistance to those who have been affected by the hurricanes?

It does appear that not many evacuees will decide to relocate to our area. Some of our parishes have taken the initiative to “twin” with a parish in one of the affected states, as an alternative way to be of assistance. That is a wonderful way to help, and is encouraged.

At the same time, it is clear that the parishes that have been devastated by the storms and the people of those parishes are going to have many, many needs for a very long time. As a diocese, we believe we can have a much greater impact and be of much more help to a parish in the Gulf Coast region if the Archdiocese of Milwaukee adopts such a parish. This may mean to help rebuild their church and school and to supply them with what was lost. The resources we can bring to bear by involving all of our parishes and our people in helping one parish can really make a significant difference. You will hear more about this in just a few days.

For more information, please visit the Catholic Charities USA web site at www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org, or contact the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Charities office at (414) 769-3400.

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