Support the homeless, veterans, and others through the Diocesan Ministries Appeal

Catholic Family and Community Services is a helping hand at every stage of life, with an emphasis on low-income families.

The needs can be complicated, but the charity’s mission is simple: “We fill in the gaps that people oftentimes may fall through,” says Joseph Murray, the executive director.

Catholic Family and Community Services is one of the three agencies of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Paterson.

It operates four preschools in Paterson, helps with medical needs, stable housing for homeless veterans, and activities for senior citizens.

But the greatest need at year’s end is donations of food for the food pantries, says Murray, who notes that the end of the year is always “a very difficult and challenging time.”

The charity used to help, on average, 5,000 families a month with food insecurity at its pantries in Paterson, Franklin, and Dover. That was before the Covid pandemic. Since then, the number has swelled to 20,000 families, and that shows no signs of abating.

“It’s definitely a strain on our resources,” Murray told The Beacon. “The community has done a tremendous job in helping us fill our gap.” However, there are no reserves of donated groceries. “Whatever has gone in has gone out right away.”

There was also help for a family who had one of their twin sons with a cancer diagnosis at age 4. With a combination of radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and surgery, “they feel he’s going to be OK,” Murray said. But “it’s still a financial burden for them.”

For veterans who may have been served with eviction notices or are already homeless, the charity has one staff member who works full-time on the streets. There’s a “housing navigator” just to deal with red tape at bureaucracies.

Senior citizens were especially hard-hit during the worst times of pandemic isolation. A program coordinator developed activities with the simple goal of aiding social interactions. “Just to get them to break out and start engaging once again,” Murray said.

State and federal grants help fund some programs, but overall, “there’s never ever enough money,” Murray said. “Collaboration with all our parishes allows us to live our mission.”

Support Catholic Family and Community Services by participating in the Diocesan Ministries Appeal. Parishes will also benefit through the appeal’s rebate program. To make a donation or pledge online, visit 2022appeal.org or call 973-777-8818, ext. 218, for more information.