About
The Catholic Charities Disaster Services Program works to help individuals, families, and the community prepare for and recover from natural disasters. While there is no controlling who is impacted by a disaster, economically vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected. When local resources are overwhelmed by a natural disaster, Catholic Charities is ready to respond to the needs of survivors.
Catholic Charities focuses on the response, recovery, and preparedness phases of the disaster cycle. The initial response phase consists of staff addressing the basic needs of survivors by distributing donated items such as nonperishable food and water, cleaning supplies, and hygiene items. During the recovery phase, Catholic Charities distributes financial assistance and provides disaster case management to help families obtain safe and stable housing. Catholic Charities may assist with household expenses such as the first month’s rent, utility deposit, and costs to repair structural damage to the home.
Training and education are critical to increasing resiliency in communities and improving response efforts to future disasters. Throughout the year, Catholic Charities works with the community to conduct two types of events. Public preparedness events share information and supplies with the community while educational workshops train volunteers on how to help their neighbors after a disaster.
Catholic Charities leverages the power of volunteers through the NC Catholics Volunteer (NCCV) program. The Catholic Charities Disaster Services program manages NCCV, which provides the opportunity for individuals who can paint and swing a hammer, or those interested in learning these skills, to work on a construction site and help a family return home after a natural disaster.
More Information
Prepare
Proper preparation is vital to limiting the effects of a disaster. Remember to follow the steps below to remain safe.
Stay Informed — Stay up-to-date on storm, emergency and evacuation warnings using internet, TV or radio. (See web links below)
Store Supplies — Make sure you are ready for power outages or limited access to transportation by stocking up on items such as flashlights, batteries, blankets, prescriptions, First Aid, water and food.
Protect Property — Take steps to secure your home against wind or water damage. Locate important documents or personal items and store them in a protected, accessible area.
Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place — If an evacuation order is given, leave early and follow posted evacuation routes. Make a plan in advance in case you are required to leave your home. If a shelter-in-place order is given, remain inside your home until the warning is lifted.
Online Resources
(Click the logo to visit website)
Downloadable Resources
Respond
In response to natural disasters, Catholic Charities works to offer immediate assistance in the following ways. Responses to individual events may vary due to the scope and scale of an event.
Points of Distribution – Catholic Charities works to get life sustaining supplies such as non-perishable food and water, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, and diapers to families.
Disaster Case Work – Catholic Charities staff and volunteers work in shelters, canvass neighborhoods, and meet with families in our offices to begin assessing the impact of the disaster and making immediate referrals for assistance.
Recover
Catholic Charities is committed to accompanying families on their road to recovery following natural disasters. We accomplish this in the following ways:
Disaster Case Management – Staff work one on one with survivors to identify their barriers to recovery, identify goals, and develop recovery plans. Staff guide survivors through the complicated process to access assistance and connect them to resources in the community.
Financial Assistance – Catholic Charities provides financial assistance to help with recovery expenses such as rental payments, utility payments, and targeted home repairs.
NC Catholics Volunteer – Through the NC Catholics Volunteer program, volunteers make repairs or rebuild homes damaged by natural disasters, providing survivors with safe and stable housing.
Past Events
Tropical Cyclone 8 (2023)
Tropical Cyclone 8, a storm which never received a formal name, wreaked havoc on families in Brunswick and surrounding counties as heavy rainfall flooded streets and homes. Catholic Charities responded by providing disaster case management services and financial assistance to help families recover.
Hurricane Florence (2018)
Hurricane Florence devastated much of the Catholic Charities service area, with FEMA approving Disaster Declarations for 27 of the 54 counties served by Catholic Charities. Offices in Fayetteville, New Bern, and Wilmington, still serving families from Hurricane Matthew, quickly activated response activities to serve their communities.
In the weeks after Hurricane Florence, staff and volunteers distributed donated supplies such as food and water, cleaning supplies, and diapers to over 11,000 individuals. Staff then began working on long-term recovery goals helping families move into safe and stable housing. The NC Catholics Volunteers Program provided opportunities for individuals to contribute to recovery efforts by making repairs and building new homes.
Hurricane Matthew (2016)
In 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated many parts of eastern North Carolina. Catholic Charities responded by providing immediate assistance in the form of donated food and water, baby items, and cleaning supplies. Catholic Charities staff continue to assist families with finding safe and stable housing after being forced from their homes. The group NC Catholics Volunteer was also formed following Hurricane Matthew to provide an opportunity to help in the repair of damaged homes.
If you would like to contribute to the ongoing Matthew Recovery efforts, please visit our donation page and select “Disaster Services” from the drop down menu. If you are interested in volunteering with NC Catholics Volunteer, click here.
Volunteer Opportunities
Catholic Charities with the Diocese of Raleigh and the Knights of Columbus formed NC Catholics Volunteer to provide opportunities for individuals to support the recovery efforts following recent disasters. To learn more about how you can participate in NC Catholics Volunteer projects, please visit the program website.