Don't forget ongoing needs after hurricanes, Charities officials say

Published: 2006-04-13

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Congress, the Bush administration and the American public must not lose sight of the needs of those who are still suffering from the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Catholic Charities officials told a Capitol Hill briefing April 7. "We will continue to be the best Samaritans that we can, but we need help from Washington," said Father Joe Rubio, vice president of community relations and advocacy for Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston. "We need the bureaucracy to be more responsive," he told congressional staff members at the briefing. "We cannot just conduct these fistfights in order to get the kinds of support that we need from various (federal) departments to house and feed and help people redirect and start a whole new life." Catholic Charities agencies nationwide have aided more than 300,000 victims of the hurricanes, including 87,000 children and 10,000 seniors. Catholic Charities USA has raised more than $158 million for short-term assistance and long-term recovery efforts by 75 local Catholic Charities agencies.

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