Not having resources to care for your family is distressing. Give to our CCEAF collection at your parish on February 15 and 16.
By Susan Walker
It’s a simple truth: poverty is hard. It is hard on a person in every culture, every city, at every age. No matter the time of year, not having the resources to care for yourself or your family is distressing, but in the winter months, this lack of resources becomes even more devastating. Lack of food, water, shelter, hygiene, and heat creates even more dire consequences.
Our client Carol found herself in this same situation. When her marriage fell apart, she struggled to maintain a home for herself and her daughter, Kara. Slowly she fell further and further behind, and eviction forced them to take shelter in a run-down motel. Eventually, money ran out and their nights were spent in the car. It’s a cold and risky place to be.
“I was frantic about our safety,” Carol said. “It’s one thing for me to be homeless, but I couldn’t bear the thought of putting Kara in danger, with nowhere to be safe, no place to call home. We were cold. We were hungry. I was terrified.”
She called Catholic Charities. “I couldn’t hold back the tears when I told my story to the staff – and they were able to immediately help us. That night was the first full night’s sleep I had gotten in over a month.”
These stories are all around us, and it is why faithful believers throughout our diocese support the Catholic Charities Emergency Assistance Fund (CCEAF) second collection. Families in crisis come to us every day and the funds you place in the collection basket at Church are transformative to them, providing the simplest luxuries like food, water, shelter and hygiene.
This year’s CCEAF collection will take place February 15 and 16. Please help our cause through the donation envelope in your parish stewardship packet or make a credit card donation on our website. Every dollar makes a difference.
To learn more about Carol and Kara’s story, visit www.helpkaranow.com.
To donate online, click here.
