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 >

Ten months have passed since the April 20th explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. But work still remains.

If you follow news about the oil spill from New Orleans, you know that the claims process run by Kenneth Feinberg is not easy for fishing families to navigate. Most on the Louisiana coast are unable to get back to work in the seafood industry.

Catholic Charities continues to operate four oil spill relief centers on the coast: at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Port Sulphur, St. Thomas Catholic Church in Pointe A La Hache, St. Bernard Catholic Church in St. Bernard and St. Anthony Catholic Church in Lafitte. We are no longer providing case management services at Mary Queen of Vietnam in New Orleans East, but our mental health counselors are still there.

In the ten months since the oil spill,

• We have served 39,710 people* (16,071 families*). *Many individuals and families have received multiple services from Catholic Charities.
• We have provided $942,675 in total food assistance, including boxes from our affiliated ministry Second Harvest Food Bank and vouchers to local grocery stores.
• Our mental health counselors have logged 13,866 visits with those in need.
• We have given $401,002 in direct financial aid to fishing families.

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

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, more than 7,800 individuals have received emergency assistance from the local Catholic Church through Catholic Charities.  By the numbers, through June 7, 2010:

• 7,803 people (2,369 families) have received emergency assistance from Catholic Charities;
• $140,600 in gift cards and/or food vouchers have been distributed to affected families;
• 952 emergency food boxes from Second Harvest Food Bank have been distributed;
• 177 cans of baby formula have been distributed along with 77 boxes of diapers and 186 ½ packs of diapers;
• 902 people have undergone mental health assessments; and
• 737 people have received individual counseling and 58 have taken part in group counseling with Catholic Charities crisis counselors.

Those wanting to help, can make donations  directly to Catholic Charities at www.ccano.org. 

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On Tuesday, May 11, Catholic Charities and our partners will open up an assistance site in St. Bernard Parish for fishermen and their families who are in need due to the oil spill in the Gulf.

Catholic Charities’ case managers, crisis counselors, DSS, DHH and the LA Workforce Commission will be located at the following only through May 14, 2010:

Ducros Library/Los Islenos Museum
1345-1357 Bayou Road
St. Bernard, LA

Starting May 17, Catholic Charities and our partners will be located at the following:

St. Bernard Catholic Church
2805 Bayou Road
St. Bernard, LA

If you or someone you know is in need of aid, please call the Catholic Charities Care Line toll-free at (866) 891-2210.

updated: May 12, 2010