On June 17, we hosted a Family Fun Day in partnership with St. Anthony Catholic Church in Lafitte for fishing families in the community who are still suffering from the 2010 oil spill. Above, Fr. John Ryan of St. Anthony, a community member, Catholic Charities mental health counselor Larry Carbo and a Lafitte firefighter enjoy the day.

Please visit us on Facebook to check out more photos of Family Fun Day.

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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Catholic Charities will provide free tax preparation for those in need of assistance in New Orleans on Friday, February 18. Please click the links below for more information on how to make an appointment and what to bring.

8:30 AM – 12 noon at 1000 Howard Avenue >

1 PM – 4 PM at St. John Community Center >

Catholic Charities will also provide free tax preparation for those in need of assistance in oil spill-affected areas on an ongoing basis. Please click the links below for more information on how to make an appointment and what to bring.

Mondays & Tuesdays from 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM at St. Anthony in Lafitte >

Thursdays & Fridays from 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM at St. Patrick in Port Sulphur >

Renowned pianist George Winston will perform a benefit concert on February 19 for families we continue to help in the aftermath of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

George Winston in concert
Saturday, February 19 at 7:30 PM
Roussel Hall on the campus of Loyola University New Orleans
$40 reserved seating/$20 Loyola student & staff seating
Tickets are available here or by calling (504) 865-2074
Non-perishable donations for Second Harvest Food Bank will be accepted at the door.

Since the oil spill, we have provided $860,403 in food assistance and $378,787 in direct financial assistance to 39,630* fishermen and their families along the coast. Our mental health counselors have logged 13,588 visits with those struggling to cope with the disaster. Our case managers continue to help fishermen with the often-confusing and time consuming claims process.

George Winston plays more than 100 solo piano concerts a year in America and beyond, inspired by the seasons. These concerts feature a variety of styles, including his melodic folk piano, stride piano, New Orleans R&B piano, Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts pieces, songs by The Doors and more. His new cd is titled Love will Come – The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Vol. 2.

The Executive Director of our Office of Justice & Peace, Tom Costanza, is in Washington, D.C. today to testify in front of the U.S. Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Disaster Recovery on the effects of the oil spill on fishing families along the Southeast Louisiana coast.

The hearings begin at 12:30 CST and are streaming here >

Since the oil spill on April 20, 2010, Catholic Charities mental health counselors have logged more than 13,000 visits with those struggling to cope with the effects of the spill. Our case managers continue to work with families through the claims process, and given families $356,718 in direct financial assistance.

Our first Family Fun Day for families affected by the oil spill was such a great time, we’ve decided to host another one. This Saturday, November 20, we’ll be in the parish hall at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Lafitte, LA.

Come out for free food, music, games, prizes, a space walk, massage therapy, acupuncture and more! Since Sir Saint visited our last Family Fun Day, this time, Gumbo will share in the excitement.

Join us from 12 noon – 4 pm this Saturday, November 20 at St. Anthony, 2653 Jean Lafitte Blvd. in Lafitte. Bring the entire family.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans continues to respond to the needs of the fishing families and communities affected by the oil spill through the direct services of Catholic Charities and its affiliated ministry, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.

Together Catholic Charities and Second Harvest have partnered with Church parishes, local governments, state agencies, United Way of Greater New Orleans, other area non-profits and the New Orleans Saints.

Catholic Charities and Second Harvest have been on the ground providing help and hope in our response to the oil spill since the days immediately following the April 20^th Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Through November 15, 2010:

• Catholic Charities has provided emergency assistance to 37,251 people* (14,738 families*) and distributed $845,100 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 12,286* people.
• Catholic Charities has also distributed $317,651 in other direct assistance (rent/mortgage assistance, utilities, medication, etc.) and $31,267 in baby supplies (diapers and formula).

At Catholic Charities’ five Oil Spill Relief Centers, families can receive direct assistance, case management services, crisis counseling and emergency help and supplies: 

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

Families in need can also call our toll-free Catholic Charities Care Line: 866-891-2210.
For information on a food relief agency in a local community, contact our
Second Harvest Food Bank at 504-734-1322.

For the second year, Pictage, Inc. has partnered with us to provide free professional photography sessions to our clients and the wider community. If you were impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav or Ike, or the recent oil spill, you are eligible for a free family photo session.

The session is Thursday, November 11 from 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Jean Lafitte Civic Center in Lafitte, LA. If you would like to sign up, please call Sara Galliano at (504) 906-6128.

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 >

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.

More than twenty of the country’s most notable jewelry artists have come together to support victims of the oil spill in the Gulf through Catholic Charities.

The diverse group of jewelers has organized a charity auction on eBay to raise money for our relief efforts. Please click here to visit the eBay site, Jewelers for the Gulf.

Photo: Color of Water Series Pendant by Chris Hierholzer

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.

As the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico stretches into a third month,  more fishermen and their families find themselves caught in an economic and mental health crisis.   Those needing crisis counseling can get it, free of charge, at any of our five oil spill relief centers.  Catholic Charities Care Line, 1-866-891-2210, is available 24 hours a day.  The National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), is also available 24 hours a day.

Since May 1, almost 14,000 individuals have received emergency assistance through Catholic Charities.  By the numbers, through June 28, 2010:

• 13,696 people (5,203 families) have received emergency assistance from Catholic Charities;
• $236,900 in food vouchers have been distributed to affected families, $72,840 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;
• 353 cans of baby formula and 966 packages of diapers have been distributed;
• Total food assistance: $401,370
• 2,667 people have received individual counseling and 58 have taken part in group counseling with Catholic Charities crisis counselors;
• $115,948 in direct assistance and baby supplies has been distributed to families;
• $1,044,423 raised;
• $855,316 spent.

Those wanting to help can make donations to the Catholic Charities Oil Spill Relief Fund by clicking the link to the right.