Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Social Concerns emergency assistance.
A combination of one time financial aid and referrals are provided by Social Concerns, which is a service of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The charity and its staff will also advocate on behalf of the poor and families facing poverty. Everything available is limited, but the staff do their best to meet the needs of the low income and struggling.
Some of the assistance is seasonal, in particular the Christmas Caring program or school supplies that may be offered from the church. Also, aid is generally offered first come and served to those that qualify, so Social Concerns will unfortunately need to turn many Waseca County families away. Or, they may offer referrals to those that are struggling and need help.
Direct service is when the non-profit may be able to provide financial assistance to the needy and qualified low income families. A major component of this is referrals, and Social Concerns will work towards putting qualified clients in contact with other local non-profits and charities in Waseca or other nearby counties. That will be done when someone doesn’t qualify for any other form of financial support.
There is information on shelters, emergency aid, and other options. Additional resources for the needy are available at local food pantries, churches or charities. So residents do have choices available to them for help, whether it is food, housing, or something else.
Another resource is the Emergency Basic Needs program. This is when the Social Concerns Committee passes out vouchers for families and people in need of one time help for their bills or maybe rent. As part of this application process, an interview and intake will need to be done by volunteers of the church.
The types of assistance that is available is wide ranging. Emergency needs can be free food or clothing. For people seeking help in getting to work, there may be gasoline vouchers or bus tokens. While very limited, there may be emergency money to pay rent or a portion of an energy bill. Other financial aid from the Emergency Basic Needs program can be help for paying water bills, holiday help (as noted below), and discounted prescriptions.
Social Concerns Committee will advocate as well, and they try to help qualified residents access resources such as food stamps or low income housing. The aim is to offer short term support as well as ensure the long term challenge of the Waseca County family is addressed.
A soup kitchen will serve free community meals to the low income and homeless. Volunteers assist by cooking and serving food from the local Soup Kitchen, which is usually located at churches in the region, including Sacred Heart Catholic. Not only can someone get a meal, but there may also be free baked goods. coffee and breads are available. Those that are homebound may have a meal delivered to them as well.
During the holidays, Social Concerns Committee administers Adopt a family for Christmas and more. There may also be free Thanksgiving meals and Turkeys served too. The non-profit will provide food vouchers for families in need at Christmas, and using donations from people in Waseca County, there may be free gifts and toys too.
The main holiday resource from Sacred Heart Catholic Church is the Christmas Caring program, and as resources allow it provides holiday food assistance to people facing poverty as well as other low-income families served throughout the agency service territory. Other items may be winter coats, boots, hats, and related items. There is also help for families referred from diocesan parishes and schools in the area.
Other aid and guidance is offered too from the non-profit, with the goal of self-sufficiency and stability. Case managers coordinate education and advocacy about social justice issues, offer referrals to job training centers, and address other social issues.
Location is Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Or stop by at 111 4th St. NW Waseca, Minnesota 56093, telephone 507.835.1222.
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