OREGON COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICES Catholic social agency has gifts for kids stolen | Catholic Sentinel

Catholic social agency has gifts for kids stolen

EUGENE — Last week, a rock was thrown through an office window in the Springfield Community Service Center owned by Catholic Community Services here. The rock skidded across the desk of one staff member. No entry was made during that incident. Staff cleaned the shards of glass and continued their normal routine.

At the time the rock was thrown into the office, staff members had been busy for weeks organizing and sorting donated clothing, toys, and other items preparing care packages that tailored to the needs of different families. These packages were earmarked for participants of not only Young Parents Program (Teen Housing Program) but also participants of the Latino Housing Program. Participants receive assistance to enable them to increase their income, overcome barriers to housing including language barriers, and find and maintain permanent housing.

Later on in the week, the Springfield Police Department notified Catholic Community Services of another, possibly related incident. This time, a burglar entered through an adjacent window. Gifts for about 40 low-income families had been stored in this office. These gifts had not yet been wrapped.

Before the burglar triggered an alarm, he located about 20 – 25 bags containing gifts, valued at $25 - $50 each, and stole not only these gifts, but also two computers and other things. Only a few items remained when the thief triggered the alarm and fled the scene.

The need for services goes up during the holidays; many low-income families need assistance with their energy bills, rent and housing assistance, warm winter clothing, food, sometimes just a smile from a caseworker to help them through a difficult day. As Christmas draws nearer, caseworkers hunt for donations of toys for young children, including those served by our Teen Housing Program. On average, low-income participants of this program have $200 leftover after their rent has been paid to cover food, clothing, utilities, transportation, medicine, entertainment and school supplies.

They are struggling to complete their high school education, while facing the enormous responsibilities of parenthood. Gifts for their young children are simply not something they can finance.

Word quickly got out regarding this loss and the response from the community has been amazing: cash, checks, clothing and other gifts started flowing into the agency the next day and continue to arrive. Catholic Community Services recovered its loss and then some. Ironically, the organization will be able to distribute a higher amount of gifts as a result of the support initiated by the break-in.

Perhaps more importantly, the outpouring of support created a new opportunity to spotlight the importance of the work done by Catholic Community Services, assisting individuals and families who have nowhere else to turn.