Catholic Charities USA Updates on Tornado and Storm Relief

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May 02, 2011, 05:25 ET

Funds Needed to Help Local Catholic Charities Agencies Respond to the Disaster and Restore the Lives of those Devastated by the Impact

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Catholic Charities USA, the 100-year-old human services organization devoted to poverty reduction and disaster response, reported today that its agencies in tornado- and storm-impacted areas continue an almost around-the-clock provision of essential services and relief.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081008/CCUSALOGO)

As initial assessments are completed, Catholic Charities agencies are counseling victims, providing life-sustaining supplies, assisting with immediate financial needs, and interacting with local governments and insurance companies on behalf of those devastated by disaster. Catholic Charities is committed to not only the immediate short-term crisis, but also to a sustained program of case management that works with families and individuals to put their lives back together.

"To be honest, the most essential need right now is money to make it possible to do our work and take care of those in desperate need," said Kim Burgo, Vice President of Disaster Operations for Catholic Charities USA. "As with Katrina and other major U.S. disasters, people know they can count on us to make sure their gifts produce real benefit—to help all those in need," she said.

To contribute help and support to those in need in these areas and others, please go to the Catholic Charities USA disaster donation Web page.

For more information about Catholic Charities USA visit www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

Catholic Charities USA's members provide help and create hope for more than 9 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have worked to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing. In 2010, Catholic Charities USA celebrated its centennial anniversary and introduced new federal legislation – the National Opportunity and Community Renewal Act (NOCRA) – to transform the nation's approach to poverty.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA