Financial Assistance

Grants keep economic woes at bay

Sarasota/Bradenton--With the aid of area foundations and community organizations, Catholic Charities of Sarasota and Manatee counties will be able to assist additional individuals and families who are in an economic crisis and seeking help for basic necessities such as paying their mortgage or rent, or utility bills, or medical expenses and prescriptions. The added funding comes just in time.

According to Mary Koctur, Director of Social Services for Catholic Charities, the current state of the economy is causing many people who normally would not be asking for financial assistance to come to the agency for help.  “We are seeing a 75 percent increase in the number of people contacting us for help compared to last year,” Koctur said.

The Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness awarded Catholic Charities $25,000 in May to provide financial assistance to clients in Sarasota County and help prevent homelessness. The Manatee Community Foundation provided the agency with an $11,352 grant for rent and utilities and another $1,092 for medical and prescription expenses for the working poor of Manatee County.

Two community programs in South Sarasota County have given Catholic Charities funding to assist needy residents living there. Royal Venice, once a non-profit group working to create affordable housing, now has shifted its mission to foreclosure prevention. Responding to the needs of the community, the group has dispensed $40,000 to Catholic Charities to help clients from losing their homes. The Knights of Columbus Sugar Bowl Program also continues to raise donations for families who fall on hard times and come to Catholic Charities looking for financial assistance.

“More and more working families that are living paycheck-to-paycheck, are coming to Catholic Charities for help,” said Koctur. “They need to get past a problem such as a car repair, or one parent loses a job, or an injury or illness that keeps one parent from working. These are people who have not come to us in the past because they used to have the extra money to get through a small crisis, but now they don’t because the cost of living has gone up.”

Koctur stressed that if clients do not receive the assistance to overcome a one-time financial obstacle, money problems can escalate and become serious where the individual or family may face homelessness. “Some of these families that are at risk of becoming homeless have been living in their homes for years,” said Koctur.

The elderly population also has been affected by the economy. For example, Koctur said she recently helped a woman who relies on her children to pay for a portion of her expensive and numerous prescription medications. The current economy has made it difficult for them to assist her with the cost of her much needed medicines.  Another elderly client was a grandmother who recently received custody of her grandson. She was feeling the pinch of food, gas and utility costs going up and added to her living expenses by taking care of her grandson. Catholic Charities gave her short-term financial assistance to help her get by until she starts receiving custody payments.

 “There is such a great need right now in Sarasota and Manatee counties. We are grateful to receive these grants from area foundations and organizations, because when clients are in trouble now we are able to quickly expedite the services to prevent further problems such as eviction, utilities being disconnected or skipping medications,” said Koctur. “A major part of providing financial assistance also is collaborating with other agencies to help the client receive maximum help. It takes everyone’s involvement to keep our community strong.”

For more information about the Financial Assistance Program of Catholic Charities in Sarasota and Manatee counties, please call 941-379-7997.