Recently I had the amazing opportunity to walk in our clients’ shoes and experience poverty – for an hour. I know that a “Poverty Simulation” can never re-create fully the day-in and day-out feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and frustration our families experience as they struggle to survive. Yet it profoundly touched me and inspired me to re-dedicate myself to ending poverty right here in Santa Clara County.
People often ask me how the economic crisis is affecting Catholic Charities. I often respond, “Business is booming — unfortunately.” Last year we saw 37% more clients than the year before, and the numbers continue to climb. At the same time we are facing the challenges of cuts in government and foundation funds. Fortunately at Christmas, individual donors came through as never before. As one donor said, “I may be hurting a little, but I know the people you serve are hurting a lot more.”
Even so, we are finding we can’t meet the growing need by ourselves. We find ourselves partnering more with other organizations and churches. Catholic Charities is distributing more food and we have expanded our job training and job placement services. We are proactively supporting state legislation that will help our clients – restoring long term care ombudsman funding, expanding outreach for Earned Income Tax Credits, and supporting a new economic security standard for elders.
Our task is deep and challenging. It asks for our best. It is not enough to feed more and more of our hungry seniors; it is not enough to raise the literacy levels of our students; it is not enough for us to help people with behavioral health issues move to recovery; it is not enough that we provide safe havens from gangs for youth; it is not enough that we create a welcoming home for immigrants and refugees. We must do more. We also must question the causes of poverty in the midst of such a wealthy county, and ask how that condition of poverty can be changed by individual, community, business, and government action. Join us and be an agent for change. Help the poor hold on.
All the best!