Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6—The Southern Cross, October 25,1984
Confraternity Special Report
FATHER MICHAEL CERRONE, Martha and REFUGEE Hong Thi L
Steve Cruz at Oglethorpe, Ga. in June of 1984. Savannah Gardens in Septe
BY GILLIAN BROWN
Feed the hungry. Shelter the homeless. Visit the sick
and imprisoned. The gospel imperatives are very clear
when it comes to social ministry.
The Diocese of Savannah has identified this as a top
priority and Catholics in many areas are serious about
their commitment to serve their neighbors in need.
Social service centers are active in each deanery, and
the record summarized in the report published elsewhere
on this page is impressive.
Local parishes help fund social service and outreach
programs, with some assistance from the Diocesan Office
of Social Ministry, which is headed by Sr. Patricia Brown,
S.S.M.N. Sister Pat has her headquarters with others of
her Order at Fort Valley, Georgia, but she is frequently on
the move, visiting the areas of the Diocese where there are
people in need.
She is responsible for a program of outreach to
migrants, assists with refugee resettlement, serves as
diocesan director for the Campaign for Human
Development, and coordinates the work of the local
social-service/outreach programs.
Poverty is hardest on families, Sr. Pat has found from a
survey she under took when she first came to the Diocese.
Most of those who fall into the critical categories are
women and children. And for those who fall outside the
normal range of needy people (refugees, for instance, or
migrants) hardship can be extreme.
Migrant families on the move from one farming area to
another live in camps which are often delapidated and
lack adequate plumbing or electricity. When the harvest is
good, a migrant farmworker can make good money, but in
the in-between times, when work is scarce or when the
crops fail, times are hard. Too often, a migrant family can
become in debt to the crew leader, who supplies food and
other necessities. Most of the earning next pay day are
used to pay back the debt.
During the summer Sr. Pat and a group of young
helpers spent two weeks with migrant families near
Americus, putting on a program of religious education for
the children. The teens, who stayed at St. Mary’s Friary at
Americus, found it an unforgettable experience. One
17-year-old who earned his first token worth 35 cents for
picking a bucket of bell peppers, said “It’s going to help
all of us be more sensitive to other people’s needs, not to
waste things, to find out the good things about these
people and not to pity them. We need to be more
demanding on ourselves, be more self-giving toward
others.”
The Refugee Resettlement program which used to take
care of Vietnamese families coming to the Savannah
Diocese now operates on a scaled-down level, as relatives
of re-settled families are reunited after years in camps.
There is a sizeable Vietnamese community in Savannah
now, and families from other nations such as Cambodia
and Laos have also found a haven here. Hong Le, who
helps to coordinate the program in Savannah for Sister
Pat, escaped from Vietnam with her family three years
ago. She was rescued from a small boat after four days
without food. With memories like these to haunt em,
many of the refugee families have made a fresh start in the
United States and are gaining a foothold in society here
through hard work and thrift.
The plight of aliens with questionable status is even
greater, Sr. Pat has found. Ineligible for government aid,
many alien workers face great hardship and live in fear of
St. Francis Center - Valdosta
Social Awn re
On Sunday, September 23, Saint John’s Parish held
social awareness workshops after each Mass. Saint Francis
Center, which was recently renovated, also held an Open
House from 2 to 4 p.m. Saint John’s Outreach Program
includes bingo at the Lakehaven Nursing Home, Break
Bread Together, The Soup Kitchen, and the Saint Francis
Center.
Bingo is played twice a month with the residents of the
Lakehaven Nursing Home. Fifth, sixth and seventh graders
from St. John’s school participate in this program
Follow-up visits are encouraged. Sister Margaret Lynch is,
the administrator of this program.
Break Bread Together is a completely volunteer
community service project. This is a joint effort of many
of the churches in the Valdosta area. A hot-balanced
Noon Meal is furnished to 50 incapacitated low-income
home-bound people 5 days a week. St. John’s has an
extension of this program on week-ends. Volunteers take
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Office Of Social Ministry Statistical Report FY 84
During FY 84 a total of 40,118 individuals were
provided with emergency and support services through
the diocesan social service agencies and the Criminal
Justice Program.
More than 241 volunteers provided services
including:
Nursing home visits -- hospital visits --
transportation for the elderly - office work (typing,
telephones)- making up food orders - sorting clothes -
referrals to other agencies -- delivering food baskets -
birthday cakes for foster children - delivering toys and
food at Christmas - inventory at department stores (to
raise funds) - Helpline assistance - day care for
children --caring for disabled parishioners --
transportation to church/doctors/govemment agencies
- running thrift shops - serving in soup kitchen --
preparing lunch for vagrants/transients - jail ministry ~
building ramps for wheelchairs - filling out forms for
shut-ins and those unable to read or write -
distribution of government surplus cheese - record
keeping - and many others.
Some highlights of the year reported by staff
include:
Emergency food and shelter funds received:
$9,655.00 - Albany; $22,282.00 - Savannah.
- increased number of volunteer hours
-- strengthened relationships with Protestant
churches and ecumenical groups
- sponsored 11 children to Camp Villa Marie
- helped over 200 families at Christmas
- repaired over 50 homes for senior citizens
- helped 16 migrants injured in a bus/truck accident
- Prepared 4 Mexican migrant children and families
for baptism
- often had 40-50 migrants at weekly Spanish Mass
- held English as second language classes twice a
week for migrants
- after five break-ins the local community rallied to
our rescue and provided window bars and an alarm
system and donations increased by $1,000.00
- 12,371 people were served at the Soup Kitchen in
Savannah
- being able to move people to other cities to find
work
- helping unwed mothers and their children
- providing Thanksgiving Dinner for inmates
-- instrumental in earlier release program for
prisoners
-- provide transportation for families to visit inmates
Weaknesses reported by our staff include the
following:
- office is isolated from other parish staff
- in small parish, most parishioners are working and
it is difficult to get volunteers
-- difficult to track migrants because of constant
travel
- need more staff and more money
-- need more volunteer help
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