If you are affected by flooding and need assistance, please reach out to your local Emergency Management agency first; then your personal insurance company; next the Red Cross; then our agency. Staff will access your situation and see how we can help.
Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene has brought devastation and life-threatening conditions to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Whole communities are flooded, and millions are without power. Catholic Charities agencies in communities devastated by Hurricane Helene are putting disaster response plans into action, and their sister agencies are mobilizing to assist with food, water and shelter, as well as long-term assistance after the storm has passed. If you're able, please make a gift today in support of families and individuals whose lives have been upended by Hurricane Helene. 100% of donations go to helping those affected by this disaster.
How Can I Receive Assistance?
Please contact one of our offices or contact your local Catholic parish to receive more information. Trained staff members will be available to take your information, assess your emergent need and walk you through initial steps toward recovery. They will help set you up with a St. Lawrence staff member who will walk with you through your disaster recovery process.
Our Disaster Relief services responds quickly to local disasters. We meet with both individuals and families to help assess their immediate needs. We provide gift cards to local gas stations, grocery or department stores; helping those in need to replace clothes, food and gas. We look at immediate needs of housing and transportation on a case-by-case basis. We also help develop a long-term recovery plan. Additionally, we assist individuals and families in making connections with government and community resources in order to obtain disaster funding. For other Disaster Assistance, please see below.
Natural Disasters
A natural disaster is a major event caused by natural processes of the Earth; local examples include floods, mud slides, extreme snowfall/cold and tornadoes. Our Disaster Recovery Assistance is available to ALL community members in need.
Disasters can happen in a moment and can overwhelm anyone. We can help put your lives back together and are available for all those in need. You DO NOT have to face a disaster alone! If you have recently been affected by flooding please contact our helpline listed above.
House Fires
After a fire, we work with the family to develop a plan for recovery and provide some targeted assistance to move towards recovery.
Collaboration
During a Federally declared disaster, we works with FEMA to ensure disaster victims apply for the assistance available at the national level. Catholic Charities is a member of the WI State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). We work with local COAD/VOAD’s as well as long-term recovery committees. We work on coordinating services, providing long-term case management and looking at individual and family needs.
If a disaster occurs, but does not meet the level of individual property damage for the President to declare a Federal disaster, we continue to work with the local groups, agencies and long-term recovery committees to assist those in need.
Want to Help?
During a disaster, volunteers can help by going door-to-door, handing out relief station information cards, joining a clean-up team, or running a disaster relief station.
Wisconsin Emergency Management
Region Directors serve as the Wisconsin Emergency Management representative in all emergency management issues at the regional level by managing, directing, coordinating and monitoring a variety of programs including those of the Division, other state agencies as well as county municipal and tribal agencies. The Region Directors work with County and Tribal Directors on all phases of emergency management – Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Mitigation, as they plan for and react to natural and man made disasters.