Survey details extent of aid

$1.8M benefits

clients in the 6-county diocese

Staff report

youngstown

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Youngstown recently completed the 2011 Catholic Charities USA annual survey, which collects information on services, collaborative efforts, social action initiatives, parish relationships, personnel, volunteers and finances from Catholic Charities organizations across the United States.

Six institutions in the diocese participated. In addition to Catholic Charities administrative office located in the diocesan chancery, the following provided information for the Catholic Charities USA report: Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County; Catholic Charities of Portage County; Catholic Charities Regional Agency (serving Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties); Catholic Charities of Stark County; and Catholic Charities Housing Opportunities (CCHO).

In 2011, Catholic Charities served 45,828 unduplicated clients. Seventy-seven percent reported receiving public assistance, including TANF, SSI, food stamps and Medicaid benefits. Eighty-one percent reported incomes below the poverty line, which was $22,350 for a family of four in 2011.

Catholic Charities agencies provided more than $1.8 million in direct assistance to clients last year. Twenty-seven percent of Catholic Charities’ total operating budget consisted of pass-through funds to clients from grants and contracts with government entities and other direct assistance monies from the Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church and other local sources.

Catholic Charities’ primary focus remains emergency assistance to individuals and families. Last year, 19,177 people received help with food, utilities, prescriptions, clothing and other basic needs. An additional 3,942 people accessed Catholic Charities First Step Pregnancy and Family Support, a program that incorporates material assistance with case-management services to help pregnant women and families with children from birth to 3 years old.

Financial literacy is one of the services Catholic Charities uses in tandem with its emergency assistance program. In 2011, 696 people participated in budgeting, money management and financial education classes offered by Catholic Charities.

Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB) is another service offered by Catholic Charities. OBB utilizes a computer program to help clients determine eligibility for public assistance, and then helps enroll them in benefit programs for which they qualify. OBB also helps low-income families prepare income tax returns. Last year, 101 of the 109 households accessing OBB were eligible for some type of public assistance.

Catholic Charities provided services to 2,225 older adults (age 65 and older) in 2011. Eighty-three people received guardianship services through Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County. Seventy-one people participated in Catholic Charities of Stark County’s Adult Day Services program in Louisville. Catholic Charities Regional Agency’s senior support program, which helps older adults with grocery shopping, banking, medical appointments, accessing community resources, visitation and assistance with Medicare forms, served 428 people. Catholic Charities Regional Agency’s Senior Center in East Liverpool served 24,271 on-site and home-delivered meals to 538 older adults in 2011.

Catholic Charities Housing Opportunities (CCHO) provided services to 251 people last year, including those living at Eastwood Village. The apartment complex on Youngstown’s East Side is sponsored by Caritas Communities, a partnership between CCHO and Humility of Mary Housing Inc. CCHO rented four permanent homes to low-income families in Youngstown and helped 27 people with down payments in 2011. Catholic Charities agencies provided housing counseling services to 662 people. Catholic Charities of Portage County also provided affordable housing to 26 low-income people and older adults living in apartment units owned by the agency in downtown Ravenna.

All of Catholic Charities’ programs are delivered by a staff of 61 full-time and 31 part-time employees. Volunteers numbering 124 gave 14,148 hours to Catholic Charities last year, and an additional 66 people served as directors on agency boards.

Catholic Charities USA survey also gauges local outreach efforts in the areas of mission, Catholic identity and parish relationships. About 30 maintained some type of relationship with either local Catholic Charities agency or the diocesan department of Catholic Charities in 2011. Catholic Charities provided parishes with education on Catholic social teaching and social- justice issues; collaborated with parish-based St. Vincent De Paul Societies and related activities; and offered leadership development training for parish-based social ministries.

A significant source of funding for Catholic Charities is the Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church.

For information on the survey, contact Rachel Hrbolich, associate director of social services for the diocese, at 330-744-8451, ext. 328, or visit www.ccdoy.org.