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Woman’s generous spirit inspired Harriet’s Cupboard
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Sarah Luzik , left, and Nancy Voitus , executive director of Catholic Charities Regional Agency that serves Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, take inventory at Harriet’s Cupboard, which provides personal-hygiene products, cleaning supplies and paper products for those in need. Harriet’s Cupboard was named in memory of the late Harriet Labedz , who worked at CCRA for 28 years.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
Youngstown
Harriet’s Cupboard honors the memory and legacy of the late Harriet Labedz, who worked for 28 years as a receptionist for Catholic Charities Regional Agency.
Nancy Voitus, executive director of the regional agency, said, “Harriet was a generous person. The cupboard is named in her memory.” She died in 2007.
Voitus said the agency organized the cupboard in late 2012. “It provides items not covered by food stamps,” Voitus said. “The items people get from the cupboard frees up money for other needs.”
The cupboard’s shelves are stocked with personal-hygiene items, cleaning supplies and paper products.
Clients receiving help from other agency programs also may get items from Harriet’s Cupboard. “We have a large homeless-outreach program. They need many of these things,” Voitus said, adding diapers, blankets and socks also are in demand.
Donations come from a variety of sources. The agency prepared a month-by-month list of suggested donations. Parishes in the Diocese of Youngstown, churches of other denominations, schools and community groups, all driven by social concern, collect items according to a suggested schedule prepared by the agency. This month, shampoo, condition soap and body wash are on the list.
“We just had a big donation from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Niles,” Voitus said. She added that Poland Food Pantry and St. Vincent de Paul Society also pass along nonfood donations to the agency.
Voitus said the need for help has only increased. In 2012 at the three sites of the regional agency, more than 600 homeless people were helped. Some 3,300 families received some form of emergency assistance such as food, utility and rent help. The support program for senior citizens reaches out to about 320 people.
Voitus said most assistance begins with a phone call from the person seeking help. An assessment is made and then referred to a caseworker. At an appointment, the caseworker goes over client information. In general, the agency follows federal poverty guidelines, Voitus said. But she added that the agency goes on a “case-by-case” basis and considers individual circumstances.
Catholic Charities 2013 budget is $2.1 million with funds derived from the annual Bishop’s Appeal, United Way in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, grants, fundraisers and donations.
Voitus said Catholic Charities works with other Mahoning Valley agencies to help those in need. She’s been executive director for 13 years, and in the last five years, she has seen a 30-percent increase in requests for help.
“The calls and situations are so much more complicated,” she said.
For example, she sketched out a possible situation — a medical emergency leads to the person not working and loss of income. Then that might be aggravated by a car problem and the person gets behind on utility payments. “It all piles up,” Voitus said.
People tend to deal with one issue at a time, she said. “The most serious or crucial rise to the top,” she said, adding the other situations, though becoming urgent, are put aside.
“Often by the time they call us, it’s a crisis situation,” Voitus said.