Catholic Charities’ response team in it for the ‘long haul’

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

Anyone who lived through Hurricane Katrina almost 20 years ago can attest to experiencing a skewed sense of time.

Full recovery following a major natural disaster does not happen immediately, which is why Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (CCANO) refers to itself as a “forever” responder rather than as a “first” responder in the aftermath of hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills or any other calamity that hits south Louisiana.

Will always be there

“It’s important to know what our role is and to keep that in mind when things happen,” said Deacon Martin Gutierrez, vice president of mission and community engagement for CCANO, who has responsibility for the local church’s disaster response. “We’re not immediate responders, but we are there in the impacted areas – oftentimes, the day after. Over the last 10 or 11 years, we’ve gone into the impacted areas to do assessments and to be a pastoral presence, especially in our own church parishes.”

Deacon Gutierrez and Marianite Sister Marjorie Hebert, CCANO’s president and CEO, point to Hurricane Ida in 2021 as the latest manifestation of their organization’s role in disaster response. Now three years removed from Hurricane Ida, CCANO still is helping families displaced by the storm rebuild their homes and their lives.

“We have the experience of all the past years, and we are still in assistance mode from Ida,” Sister Marjorie said. “We’re still working with a number of families, and we’re anticipating that will run through April 2025. That has been and continues to be one of our strongest responses, which is something we’ve earned over the years.”

Deacon Gutierrez said the initial experience with Katrina and then CCANO’s response to disasters over the last two decades has allowed the church to be more nimble and efficient. CCANO has learned what its strengths are and what the strengths of other nonprofits – such as the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Second Harvest Food Bank – are in post-disaster recovery.

CCANO’s strengths

“We know there are other groups that are better at responding immediately,” Deacon Gutierrez said. “Hurricane Ida is not in people’s minds anymore, but, right now, we probably have about 20 case managers who are still helping over 600 families trying to navigate the process to get them back on their feet. Our strength is case management. That’s what we do best, and we know we’re going to be there for the long term, long after most organizations are gone.”

Internally, CCANO has responsibility for the well-being and safe evacuation of intellectually and developmentally disabled residents who live in Padua Community Homes and Padua House in Belle Chasse. There are approximately 30 residents under the Padua umbrella, and in case of a mandatory evacuation, CCANO is ready to move them to a safe haven in Bunkie (in central Louisiana) or Natchez, Mississippi.

Safe haven 

More than 10 years ago, the Archdiocese of New Orleans purchased a former supermarket in Bunkie – near Alexandria – that has been fully converted into a nursing facility complete with hospital beds and other medical equipment that can care for up to 500 people. That facility has never been used for an evacuation, but it is ready to accept Padua residents, Sister Marjorie said.

The other possible landing spot is the campus of St. Mary’s Basilica in Natchez, which has a facility available for temporary shelter. 

CCANO also has other housing programs, but those residents are aware of their need to make evacuation plans on their own, Sister Marjorie said.

Locational flexibility

One of the built-in strengths of the Archdiocese of New Orleans is the availability of more than 100 church parishes, which means emergency provisions usually can be staged close to areas that have suffered extensive damage, Deacon Gutierrez said.

“The beauty of being part of the archdiocese is that we have points everywhere throughout our area where we can set up offices long-term,” Deacon Gutierrez said. “So, we will work with Second Harvest, The Salvation Army and Red Cross. Often, we’ll identify the need and then reach out to those organizations to come in and help with what they have to provide. We also have learned to take advantage of the relationships we already have. We have to be careful not to fall into the temptation of doing things that others do better than we do. Our strength is case management.”

The “red shirts” worn by Catholic Charities staff members and volunteers is a quick way for the public to see the church in action, Sister Marjorie said.

“That presence provides a full sense of hope that somebody’s going to help them,” Sister Marjorie said. “We listen to the people and then reach out to our partners in ministry and our donors. The generosity of people just explodes. And, we’re well-received by all the civil authorities in the parishes as well as the pastors and the churches.”

With another hurricane season having begun, Deacon Gutierrez knows south Louisiana residents are overwhelmed by anxiety.

How can you help?

So, what can people do to help?

“One, pray that we don’t have to face a hurricane,” he said. “Two, financial donations can really help us make sure we have the capacity to respond ahead of time. We need support to make sure our programs continue to provide the service that is so needed, especially in an emergency situation.”

“The government, both state and national, are slower to respond with money,” Sister Marjorie said. “But, we have the strength of Catholic Charities USA. Once they know the targeted area where a hurricane has touched down, they are ready to forward some emergency funding to us immediately to get us started and provide that immediate presence.”

To help CCANO with funding for emergencies, go to ccano.org.

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