Community Success Stories Assistance In A Time Of Need

Our Weirton office received a desperate call from a single father who was trying to make ends meet since being laid off from his job with the oil and gas industry. A few months ago he was making great money, paying off debt, and supporting his son independently through that income. Unfortunately, as frequently happens with the oil and gas industry, he was laid off because a job was completed earlier than expected. Because he had only worked there for a few months, he was ineligible for unemployment. Immediately following the layoff he was injured and was beginning to see medical bills piling up, as well. When he called us, he was overwhelmed and even embarrassed to be utilizing the help of a social service organization. Our Case Manager reassured him that we completely understood and we were there to help. We invited him in for an initial appointment to learn about our services and he decided to enroll in Case Management. He was then guided through the process of enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helped to pay off some of the bills that were mounting and assisted with his job search and building a resume while working with a local temp agency. He is now employed again, but our work is not done. Catholic Charities continues to work with him to build a savings account and pay off debt so if any unexpected events occur in the future he will be financially stable enough to overcome the situation.

 

-Catholic Charities of WV