Catholic Charities in and around the areas of Louisiana and Mississippi affected by Hurricane Ida — one of the most powerful storms to hit the continental U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — are collecting donations as they prepare to help with the yet-unknown damage caused by the late August storm.
After the Supreme Court overturned a national moratorium on evictions from rental properties imposed by the Centers for Disease Control amid the Covid pandemic, the president of Catholic Charities USA says it’s now crucial to educate local Catholic charities, landlords, and renters on how to access the billions of dollars of rental assistance available from the federal government.
What had been separate Democratic and Republican coronavirus relief bills became a bipartisan effort thanks to Congress’ Problem Solvers Caucus, according to a lobbyist for Network, a Catholic social justice lobby.
The president of Catholic Charities USA said the agency would turn to Capitol Hill to get a pandemic relief bill passed after it called President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend talks on the legislation “heartless.”
Officials reported that at least 12 people had died as Tropical Storm Laura lashed Haiti and the Dominican Republic with strong winds and torrential rains, causing widespread flooding in low-lying communities.
Across the country, Catholic dioceses, parishes and other church-run entities say the federal emergency “bridge loans” they applied for and received have helped keep much-needed ministries functioning during this coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn that has resulted.
A second Florida-to-Bahamas round-trip humanitarian cruise was set to sail the weekend of Sept. 14, weather-permitting, carrying supplies, transport specialty personnel, power generators and volunteers.
