You can help by working with your local parish to assist Catholic Charities in meeting the needs of the evacuees. Catholic Charities is:

• asking parishes to sponsor a homeless family to assist in finding housing, furnishings, clothing, and employment.
• asking parishes to provide volunteers to staff the “make-shift shelter” being prepared at State Fair Park.
• asking parishes to provide trained therapists, counselors and case managers for mental health needs.
• asking parishes to provide volunteer drivers to take people temporarily housed at State Fair Park or Camp Wonderland in Kenosha to Mass at nearby parishes.
• asking parishes to send in information about vacant parish-owned buildings that might be used for temporary housing for displaced persons. Parishes should include total square footage, number of rooms, number of people who could be housed and the availability of the facility.
• if individual parishioners are willing to open their homes, Catholic Charities is asking parishes to take names, addresses, phone numbers, size of the available space and indicate whether children and pets are allowed. Contact your parish if you have space you wish to make available.

Financial contributions may continue to be sent to Catholic Charities USA, P.O. Box 25168, Alexandra, VA 22313-9788 or at www.catholiccharitiesusa.org Locally, Catholic Charities is not accepting donations of food or clothing.