Emergency Aid program is heart of Catholic Charities

Sister Marykutty Vellaplamuriyil assists Danielle Stubbs with food and diapers for her family, direct from the food pantry located at the Catholic Charities office, located at 615 Oliver Court.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic
 

Roxanne, not her real name, was diagnosed with cancer late last year. She had been struggling with the harsh treatments for her cancer, along with raising two small children. Two months ago, she decided to leave her abusive husband, with her children in tow. Her name has been changed to protect her and her children.

Just one week after making this life-changing decision, she learned she was battling a second primary cancer.  A social services agency in town referred her to the Emergency Aid Department of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi.

“Catholic Charities came to my aid at a horrible point in my life,” Roxanne said tearfully. “But I thank God for Elma, who has been a guardian angel to me during this difficult time. Her help and the generous donations made by complete strangers on my behalf has given me back my faith in God. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Elma Ortiz, intake specialist in the Emergency Aid Department, said Roxanne’s case is not unusual. People in dire need for shelter or basic necessities, like assistance with a utility bill, can receive emergency aid, sometimes within a few hours of applying. Many have two jobs, but are just not making enough to provide the basics for their families.

“Clients come in to see me due to unemployment or some unforeseen situation, such as a death in the family, vehicle repairs and any kind of financial hardship that has had them go off their budget,” Ortiz said.

In Roxanne’s situation, Ortiz was able to find affordable housing for Roxanne and her children and assisted with finding household items like beds, kitchen items, bedding and other items needed to start a new home.

The program’s director Yiyi Dean noted that the department has been serving those in need since the agency’s founding. “The Emergency Aid Department serves as the entry point to every client we serve. This is the heart of Catholic Charities,” Dean said.

The department does much more than assist with utilities and or housing. Last year, more than 76,000 individuals received help through the Emergency Aid Department.

“We have done home repairs for senior citizens, like gather students from one of the Catholic schools and paint a home, repair a roof or add handicap access to a home,” Dean said. “We also have a food basket program during Christmas and are a distribution point for the Toys for Tots program.”

Appointments are not required, but clients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Some weeks, as many as 150 calls come in, asking about assistance.

“I allow as many clients to sign up as they come in. There have been times I had 25-30 clients in one day. This doesn’t include any emergencies that are referred here, such as house or apartment fires, or referral from other agencies,” Ortiz said.

She noted her job does not end after the client leaves.  

Intake Specialist Elma Ortiz shares a small glimpse of donated items clients can choose from at Catholic Charities, including dishes, small appliances and other household items. Donations of new or gently used household items, toiletries, furniture, clothing, toys, diapers and non-perishable food are welcomed at the Catholic Charities office at 615 Oliver Court. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

“At the end of my day—any client that I was able to assist with their utilities, electric or rental assistance—I must make contact with each individual company or landlord to notify them we will be assisting the client and the amount that we will be assisting them with at that time,” she said.

Ortiz said she even receives letters from those incarcerated asking for assistance.

“They know they will be in a halfway house upon their release and contact me for basics like toiletries, clothing items and food,” she said. “We help everyone here. If a homeless person walks in today asking for food, we give them a care package with travel food like potted meat and fruit cups.”

Danielle Stubbs recently visited Catholic Charities for assistance in the food pantry.

“Especially since I have young children, this assistance with food and diapers means the world to my family,” she said.

Sister Marykutty Vellaplamuriyil, of the Sisters of St. Ann at St. Joseph Parish, works in the food pantry assisting clients and said she does much more than simply help people pick out food.

“I listen to their problems and give them hope. People come here with tragic circumstances and so we ask for our Lord’s grace to be his instrument of charity,” she said.

Meanwhile, Roxanne was recently settling into her new apartment, which she obtained through the assistance of Ortiz in the Emergency Aid Department. Ortiz negotiated one month of reduced rent. The money Roxanne saved was used for a deposit on her electricity service.

“I’m ready to tackle this cancer head-on, thanks to the help I received at Catholic Charities. As a single mother now, I don’t want to imagine where I would be without this assistance,” Roxanne said.

“It’s a great feeling when I am able to help a family or an individual with our assistance here at Catholic Charities Emergency Aid Department.  I have clients who return only to let me know what a blessing it was to help them with that one bill that we were able to assist them with,” Ortiz said. “I also have to thank everyone here at Catholic Charities. We are like a family here and always try to help each other out when it comes to a client.”  

Catholic Charities, located at 615 Oliver Court in Corpus Christi, accepts donations of household items, clothes, toys, food, non-perishable items and furniture.