Catholic Charities and Santa’s Helpers

Christmas

Want to find a meaningful way to help a family this Christmas?

Are you looking for a meaningful way to help a family this Christmas? If so, Santa’s Helpers just might be what you are looking for!

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a new type of poverty to our area, since many families who have been able to make ends meet before have now suffered with the loss of income due to the COVID-19 closures. As one might imagine, the financial stress of just meeting rent, utilities and other normal expenses is tremendous on these families right now.

Besides the financial stress these parents are facing, the children have been through a difficult year this year as well, and are in need of feeling some sort of normalcy. Not being able to see their friends like they used to, attending virtual school, seeing masks instead of people’s faces, having to wear masks themselves, being unable to hug their teachers/priests at a

Keith Kellum, M.D. Nano Zeringue, M.D. Jody Simon, M.D. Janie Tran, O.D.

Christmas

their church, etc., has all brought on a different type of stress for our children that is affecting them in more ways than we will ever know. Their need for feeling the love of the Christmas season is stronger than ever before.

For many years, families/ businesses/organizations have reached out to Catholic Charities Diocese of HoumaThibodaux to find a family in need of Christmas help. The gifts the donors have given have reached deep into the hearts and souls of the families they have assisted. After all, it is more than just a toy or a gift to a child that has been provided; it is the thoughtfulness and the love shown by the donors that has let the families know that their community really does care about the burdens they are carrying and has helped to eliminate the additional financial stress the parents were faced with.

Catholic Charities has identified 215 children from 97 families who could use help this Christmas season. Please consider bringing the peace and strength of our ever loving Christ child to a family who feels tired and run down.

How to Become A Santa’s Helper: In order to become a Santa’s Helper, the family/business/organization first needs to decide how they wish to help another family in need – with toys for the children, clothes, Christmas

dinner, and/or badly needed items for the home. Secondly, they need to know if they have enough money set aside to provide these items. Lastly, the family/business/organization may call Catholic Charities in Houma at (985) 876-0490 to place their request to be paired with a family. Jennifer Gaudet, associate director of Individual & Family Assistance, will help match the group with a family that best meets the type and size family the donor is seeking to assist. Once a family is found, Gaudet will provide the donor with the details they need to go shopping or provide them with information needed to send a check to Catholic Charities where Christmas elves will do the shopping for them. The donor can either deliver the gifts to the family themselves or remain anonymous by allowing the elves of Catholic Charities to distribute the gifts to the adopted family.

In lieu of purchasing gifts, cash donations may be made to the program by sending checks to Catholic Charities Christmas Drive, 1220 Aycock St., Houma,

LA 70360. Any small donations will be combined and used to assist a family (or families depending on the amount received) with gifts when a donor does not wish to adopt an entire family themselves. BC

Your personal financial goals deserve a personal approach.

Walters & Associates

A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

985.446.1968

132 Rue Colette, Ste A Thibodaux, LA 70301 waltersplanning.com