Catholic Charities kicks off Christmas Appeal

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There’s no place like home for the holidays — and for many people that’s literally true. They have no place to call home, no place to provide shelter for their family, no place to celebrate the joy of Christmas.

The Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal kicks off Monday, Nov. 21, asking Catholics throughout the 11-county archdiocese to give generously and help other families in need enjoy a truly blessed Christmas in their own homes.

“Housing is at the core of everything we do,” said Brian O’Malley, president of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

The varied services of all eight federation agencies — Cardinal Ritter Senior Services, Catholic Family Services, Good Shepherd Children and Family Services, Marygrove, Queen of Peace Center, St. Martha’s Hall, St. Patrick Center and the newly organized Catholic Charities Community Services — are tied to housing, O’Malley said.

The agencies provide housing for the elderly and transitional shelter, foster care and residential treatment and assistance with housing. “We work with everybody from the chronically homeless to families who have never before needed assistance in finding or keeping a home,” O’Malley said.

Karen Wallensak, executive director of Catholic Charities Community Services, said “I think, no matter what program we are carrying out, housing is a basic need for our clients.” It’s people in all walks of life, she emphasized. “We have families who are barely able to put food on the table because they lost jobs, and they’re now struggling to make mortgage payments. People with jobs, but working at minimum wage — if a single mother is trying to support her family at a minimum-wage job, to afford a two-bedroom apartment she’d need to work 96 hours a week.”

In the past year, Catholic Charities has helped more than 20,700 families and individuals with housing needs.

“Catholic Charities can help in a variety of ways,” Wallensak said. Some families, like Alice and Phil, need help staying in their homes. Others need help getting into housing, because they are unable to save up enough money for the first month’s rent, the security deposit and utilities start-up.

“These are often people who have jobs and are working, but they just can’t save up enough for the initial costs of getting back into housing” or, because of unemployment or some emergency that eats into their budget, they can’t pay their mortgage or make needed repairs to their homes, she explained.

Workshops on money management and related topics are provided, and case managers work with people one on one to help meet their goals. “Every family is a little different,” Wallensak said.

The Christmas Appeal can help meet these needs, Wallensak said. “With the appeal, it doesn’t take a lot on anyone’s part to make a difference. If everybody gives just a little bit, a great deal can be accomplished.”

Many people who traditionally contributed to Catholic Charities have been hit by the poor economy. “We’re trying to adjust to a new normal,” Wallensak said. “Jobs are scarce. If you lose a job, it will take longer to find a new one, and the resources nonprofits have are also more scarce, in part because our donors are losing their incomes. We have more needs and fewer resources. I don’t see this picture changing, not for a long while anyway.”

O’Malley said, “Many in need will reach out to us this holiday season.” The Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal can help provide what he called “a shining example of Christ’s love in the world.”