Emergency Client Assistance

Around 3 a.m. one night, the lives of our client “Anita” and her four-year-old daughter “Felicia” were changed when an unexpected fire destroyed their home. They woke from a deep slumber to find their apartment flooded with water and smoke and the building engulfed in flames. Felicia and Anita were the last two people to be rescued by the fire department; they lost everything except each other. Worse still, Anita does not have family to whom she could turn for support. She is a single mother, working 40-plus hours a week to cover their living expenses. Being displaced by the fire was a terribly traumatic situation, and Anita and Felicia had no control over it. Anita came to Catholic Charities through a referral for help from her parish, St. Pius, to our City Southwest regional director at St. Gall parish. Since the fire, Anita and Felicia were staying at an Airbnb. The City Southwest regional director, the Resurrection Project, St. Pius, and Catholic Charities collaborated to transition the small family into stable housing. The Resurrection Project committed to finding a safe apartment, and Catholic Charities helped Anita with the security deposit and first month’s rent. Soon after, she and Felicia received the keys to their new home.