Casa San Francisco to host Nov. 20 breakfast at Irish Eyes Milton

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington and its Sussex County homeless shelter, Casa San Francisco, will inform the community about the growing number of local homeless and hungry during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Nov. 15 to 23.

Catholic Charities' Casa San Francisco will host an awareness-raising breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 20, at Irish Eyes Restaurant, 105 Union St., Milton in support of the work of the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness. Tickets are $25 each, and Catholic Charities asks that attendees bring a donation of nonperishable food as well.

Those wishing to attend should visit www.cdow.org/charities.html, to purchase tickets online via credit card. Tickets can also be purchased at Casa, 127 Broad St., Milton, or any other Catholic Charities location. To make a donation of food, clothing, or other household goods, call Casa San Francisco at 302-684-8694 to make arrangements.

Each year, Catholic Charities' Casa San Francisco is home to approximately 140 people. The shelter program provides accommodations and three daily meals to 10 adults. Not only does Catholic Charities staff see to residents’ basic needs, they work with each resident to obtain income and find affordable housing opportunities. Casa residents also receive help with medications, laundry, clothing, and transportation during their stay.

One of the successes Catholic Charities has helped encourage is Joe, who aged out of foster care earlier in the year and was receiving life skills training. While at Casa, Joe worked on establishing his next steps. Living at Casa provided Joe the stability he needed to explore options and begin his path to permanent independence. Just the security of having a phone number and address allowed Joe to complete his application to Job Corp and earn his acceptance, and he can now focus on completing his education and getting job training.

Sue, who had worked in the laundry room of a nearby hotel for some time, sustained a work-related injury that left her unable to perform her duties. When she came to Casa, her workers' compensation was ending, but Sue could not return to work nor afford her rent. With the Catholic Charities case manager, Sue developed new goals, like returning to work as a certified nursing assistant. Sue’s previous certification needed renewal, and she was eager to reapply. Casa staff urged her to take that step, and she now attends recertification classes. She also received approval from the local housing authority for her own apartment.

In addition to the shelter, Catholic Charities operates an emergency food pantry, a food cooperative, and a senior food program. In total, over 1,500 families receive some type of food assistance from Casa San Francisco each year.

“Many of our neighbors continue to be at risk of losing their homes or going hungry,” said Richelle A. Vible, executive director of Catholic Charities. “It’s our hope that holding this breakfast calls attention to these difficulties, and how the services provided by Catholic Charities help. We want to foster a spirit of cooperation within the community and make it easier for our clients to find ways to become more self-sufficient.”

In the spirit of thanks and giving, each year the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness ask those concerned about the social ills of hunger and homelessness to set aside the week prior to Thanksgiving to honor National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

Catholic Charities, the charitable arm of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, through its wide range of community services, has actively worked to strengthen families, care for children, assist the disadvantaged, and build human relationships throughout Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland for over 180 years.