Celia Mendez with Catholic Charities (center) and Deacon Jesse Hinojosa (right) prepare donations for distribution to those in need after Hurricane Harvey as Ofelia Castaneda from Nuestra Senora de San Juan de Los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia Church volunteers to help.
Contributed photo
When the outer bands of Hurricane Harvey began to hit the Coastal Bend on the morning of Friday, Aug. 25, Robert Garza (not his actual name) had a sinking, dreadful feeling as he fled Port Aransas for the Rio Grande Valley. He stopped to take one last look at his house and remembers thinking it might be the last time he would see it standing. Almost 50 years of his family’s memories could possibly be gone when he came back.
Not only did his family’s home suffer major damage, evacuation expenses took a personal toll on his finances, as well.
“My family spent over $1,000 on hurricane expenses, including hotel rooms, meals while we were away and food that had spoiled in our refrigerator during the power outage,” he said. “In some ways, we still have not recovered financially from the storm.”
That is where Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi has been able to step in with financial assistance.
“Catholic Charities helped me catch up by paying one month of my rent,” Garza said. “I can’t begin to explain how much this assistance means to me.”
Catholic Charities USA has given a major gift to Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi to be used for those financially devastated by Hurricane Harvey. The funds must be used by Dec. 31, so there is limited time to apply and receive aid.
Since the hurricane, Catholic Charities has assisted 2,850 households and 11,400 individuals. The tons of supplies they have distributed to hurricane survivors is staggering: 60 tons of food, cleaning supplies and hygiene items; 18 tons of water and two tons of clothes. Relief assistance to those in the Diocese of Corpus Christi affected by Hurricane Harvey is not over.
“In order to assist as many people in need as possible, we require applicants to provide proof of storm related damage or storm related economic hardship. Things that qualify as proof include photos of property damage, a letter of denial from FEMA or denial of coverage from an insurance company,” said Linda McKamie, executive director at Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi.
For Mayra Flores, assistance from FEMA was non-existent.
“They offered me a few hundred dollars for thousands of dollars worth of damage,” she said. “I live [in Corpus Christi] six blocks from the bay. I lost my entire roof and everything throughout the house had water damage. I was beyond heartbroken. That’s when a friend at St. Thomas More Church recommended I call Catholic Charities.”
Catholic Charities provided Flores with all the building materials needed to fix her home. Now, she is working to find the funds for the labor, which is not covered by assistance from Catholic Charities.
“I couldn’t believe it when I was told Catholic Charities would help me. Nobody has ever helped me like this before in my life. I was in shock,” Flores said, overcome with emotion.
Other types of assistance includes help for individuals who lost their job due to a business that has not reopened since the storm; they can seek assistance with rent, groceries, a utility bill or other common expenses.
“In that situation, we would accept a letter from an employer stating the business has suffered hardship because of the storm,” McKamie said.
Although direct cash assistance is not available through this grant opportunity, McKamie said Catholic Charities would make a rent payment, pay for childcare or purchase building materials, if necessary requirements were met.
McKamie added Catholic Charities is here to assist those affected by the Hurricane Harvey because of their mission, which is “rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to provide service to people in need.” Help is available to the general community, not just Catholics.
“We have been blessed with an abundance of gifts to be used to provide people with disaster assistance, and it is our goal to distribute a large portion of these gifts to qualified individuals and families prior to the holidays, hoping to restore joy and stability,” she said.
Individuals and families financially devastated by Hurricane Harvey can apply for assistance by contacting Catholic Charities at (361) 884-0651 or www.catholiccharities-cc.org. Applications must be submitted by Dec. 31 in order to recevie assistance.