Dec 12, 2004 / 22:00 pm
A recent survey conducted by Catholic Charities USA has revealed that the greatest needs of the clients of local Catholic charities during this Christmas season are for financial assistance, food, and housing.
"The sad reality is that more and more people are turning to Catholic Charities for help because they simply don't earn enough to provide for their basic needs," said Thomas A. DeStefano, president of Catholic Charities USA.
Of the 86 charities surveyed, 57% said that meeting people’s needs this season will be more difficult than in previous years. The report said that 74% of the charities surveyed pointed out that there are more people in situations of need this year.
Fifty-five percent of the charities also said that the economy is an influential factor and 41% say that cuts in government funding has made it more difficult to meet their clients’ needs. The biggest needs are for financial assistance (78%), food (51%) and housing (47%).