Categories
On The Bricks

January 23, 2020

There are many groups in our community that help you out when you need a hand up. They are all good. They all serve their purpose. We need each one of them.

Some of these groups are very specific in what they help with like Oklahoma Panhandle Partners who helps people who are fighting cancer. And Loaves and Fishes who helps put groceries in empty pantries. And Love Does that pays for school lunches for students who get behind.

Catholic Charities is a special group that helps in ways that many others are not able to help in. When you give a dollar to Catholic Charities, 82 cents is spent on direct client services. And 78% of those clients are non – Catholic. Thirty – seven percent of those clients are under the age of 18 years. Seventy – eight percent of the clients have an annual income of less than $15,000.

Those are statistics nationwide.

In the Oklahoma Panhandle, the office located in Guymon, last year they served 294 clients with 73% non – Catholic. Receiving information or referrals were 2,403 clients. Half the clients have an annual income of less than $15,000. Client assistance and emergency rent and utility assistance given was $17,013.

The $121,593 needed for the Oklahoma Panhandle services, goes for Family Case Management, Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance, Refugee Resettlement Services, and Immigration Legal Services. This amount is garnered with 16% from foundation grants, 30% from regional parish support (money from donations in the Panhandle), and 54% from non – regional parish support.

We are lucky to have Catholic Charities working with us in our community. It is good that we have so many people devoted to making this world less harsh, to being helpful and caring.

Now, it is true that taking care of others is important and it gives our lives meaning when we do such things. There is also the fact that we must not neglect ourselves. Maybe you have determined you will make some changes in your life in 2020. It is good to do so. Stand true because it is good for you to do so.

Thought for the New Year: Start by doing one push up. Start by drinking one glass of water. Start by paying toward one debt. Start by reading one page. Start by making one sale. Start by deleting one old contact. Start by walking one lap. Start by attending one event. Start by writing one paragraph. Start today. Repeat tomorrow.