Today, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) announced that a Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans-led collaborative would receive $15 million for ongoing oil spill relief in coastal Louisiana communities. Catholic Charities and collaborators will provide case management services, including job training, English as a Second Language classes, financial education and counseling to families that have yet to return to sustainable fishing or have yet to receive their claims payments from BP.

From left are Baton Rouge Area Foundation Chairman Matt McKay, Executive Director of System Advancement for the Louisiana Community & Technical College System Leah Goss, Audubon Nature Institute President Ron Forman, Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster President Margaret Trahan and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans President Gordon Wadge.

Read more about this announcement >

Though it has been an entire year since the spill, Catholic Charities is still on the ground ministering to fishing communities whose ways of life remain uncertain.

The nature of Catholic Charities’ response has evolved from the early days of long lines and emergency food vouchers to more intensive case management and crisis counseling models. Since the oil spill, Catholic Charities has served 39,710 people (N.B. this is a duplicated number).

79% of current Catholic Charities clients in coastal areas have yet to receive their claims payments. Case managers meet with fishing families to help them file complete claims with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) or to follow up with necessary paperwork to complete their claims.

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We continue to operate our five Oil Spill Relief Centers at located at Catholic Church parishes in the coastal communities affected by the spill. We are helping families file claims with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) and helping those families still falling through the cracks.

Through October 25:

• Catholic Charities has provided emergency assistance to 35,715 people* (13,990 families*) and distributed $831,600 in food vouchers from community grocery stores to affected families.
• Second Harvest Food Bank has distributed 610,785 meals, worth $1,368,158 to families affected by the oil spill (as of August 31), including 1,600 boxes worth $78,770 to Catholic Charities oil spill relief centers.
• Second Harvest Food Bank continues to work with 150 faith-based and nonprofit member agencies serving all 14 civil parishes affected by the oil spill.  Through this member network, Second Harvest is able to serve 4,800 people affected by the oil spill every week.
• Catholic Charities’ mental health crisis counselors have provided counseling to 10,982* people.
• Catholic Charities has also distributed $288,947 in other direct assistance (rent/mortgage assistance, utilities, medication, etc.) and $31,267 in baby supplies (diapers and formula).

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the Catholic Charities toll-free Care Line at (866) 891-2210.

Donate to our ongoing efforts here >

Recently, three young men (seated in the photo) from the New York area cycled from New York to New Orleans to raise money for Catholic Charities’ oil spill relief efforts on a trip they called “Ride to Heal.” The trip took about 20 days, spanned 1,500 miles and raised $10,000 for families still facing economic uncertainty in the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

These three young men visited the Catholic Charities oil spill leadership team on Tuesday. Since May 1, Catholic Charities has served 35,277 people and our mental health counselors have logged 10,829 visits with people suffering from the spill.

Catholic Charities is offering a uniquely New Orleans way of helping out residents affected by the oil spill. It’s called the Shrimp Boot Fundraiser and now through October 23, you can purchase raffle tickets online for the opportunity to win one of our celebrity designed and autographed shrimp boots.

For more information please visit the New Orleans Home + Interior Show website and click on the white shrimp boot.

Although our funds for oil spill relief are exhausted, we are still working in our 9 sites on the Louisiana coast to help fishing communities affected by the disaster.

Through August 9, 2010:

• We have provided emergency assistance to 22,260 people* (8,578 families*).
• We have distributed $587,247 in food vouchers to affected families and $78,770 in emergency food boxes from our affiliated ministry Second Harvest Food Bank.
• Our affiliated ministry Second Harvest Food Bank has distributed about 391,086 pounds of food (about 305,000 meals) to its member agencies in 11 Louisiana parishes affected by the oil spill.
• We have distributed 393 cans of baby formula and 1,051 packages of diapers.
• Our mental health crisis counselors have provided crisis counseling to 7,301 people.
• We have distributed $207,044  in other direct assistance and baby supplies to families.

Families in need can visit one of our oil spill relief centers or call the toll-free
Catholic Charities Care Line: 866-891-2210

We are operating five oil spill relief centers in the affected areas:

• St. Bernard Catholic Church in St. Bernard
• St. Thomas in Point-a-la-Hache
• St. Patrick in Port Sulphur
• Mary, Queen of Vietnam in NO East
• St. Anthony in Lafitte
• We are also providing counseling information and referrals at four additional sites along the Louisiana coast, including Venice, LA and Breton Sound.

*Many individuals and families have received multiple services from Catholic Charities.

In order to serve the fishing communities affected by the oil spill, Catholic Charities and our affiliated ministry Second Harvest Food Bank have partnered with Catholic Church parishes, local governments, state agencies (DSS and DHH), and other area non-profits.

At our five oil spill relief centers, families can receive food vouchers to local grocery stores, case management services, crisis counseling and other emergency supplies. 

Through July 21, 2010:

• We have provided emergency assistance to 18,541 people (6,983 families).
• We have distributed $371,500 in food vouchers to affected families and $78,540 in emergency food boxes from our affiliated ministry Second Harvest Food Bank.
• Our affiliated ministry Second Harvest Food Bank has distributed about 296,289 pounds of food (about 230,000 meals) to its member agencies in 11 Louisiana parishes affected by the oil spill.
• We have distributed 393 cans of baby formula and 1,051 packages of diapers.
• Our mental health crisis counselors have provided crisis counseling to 5,843 people.
• We have distributed $180,355 in other direct assistance and baby supplies to families.

We are operating five oil spill relief centers in the affected areas:

• St. Bernard Catholic Church in St. Bernard
• St. Thomas in Point-a-la-Hache
• St. Patrick in Port Sulphur
• Mary, Queen of Vietnam in NO East
• St. Anthony in Lafitte
• We are also providing counseling information and referrals at Breton Sound and Venice, LA.

If you need help, please call the toll-free Catholic Charities Care Line at (866) 891-2210.

Click here to make a donation to our Oil Spill Relief Fund >

Since May 1, almost 17,000 individuals have received emergency assistance through Catholic Charities.  By the numbers, through July 9, 2010:

• 16,703 people (6,288 families) have received emergency assistance from Catholic Charities;
• $370,600 in food vouchers have been distributed to affected families, $75,030 in emergency food boxes from Second Harvest Food Bank have been distributed at the relief centers, in addition to regular distributions through the SHFB partner pantries in the area;
• 393 cans of baby formula and 1,051 packages of diapers have been distributed;
• Total food assistance: $445,630
• 3,524 people have received individual counseling and 60 have taken part in group counseling with Catholic Charities crisis counselors;
• $147,107 in direct assistance and baby supplies has been distributed to families;

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the Catholic Charities toll-free Care Line at 866-891-2210.

Director Spike Lee, third from right, with Catholic Charities clients

Director Spike Lee interviewed a group of Vietmanese-American fishermen who have been left unemployed by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  The fishermen are receiving services through Catholic Charities oil spill response center in New Orleans.