BELMONT — During this past year of pandemic, Catherine’s House has continued meeting the needs of vulnerable women and children – remaining open as a place of hope, safety and healing despite increased demands and challenges.
Catherine’s House serves women and children facing homelessness due to domestic violence, unemployment or underemployment, the shortage of affordable housing, unexpected tragedies, and the lack of a support network.
Catherine’s House provides a range of individualized services including housing, financial literacy, parenting support, job-seeking assistance, supportive counseling from a licensed clinical social worker, stress management and more.
Throughout the pandemic, Catherine’s House has continued without pause this “mission of mercy” to assist women and children.
Exacerbation of substance use disorders, mental health diagnoses, and a surge in domestic violence has led to a “pandemic within a pandemic.”
The number of Americans experiencing depression and anxiety reached an all time high in the first six months of the pandemic. Recent research shows 51 percent of adults reported that stress was impacting their mental health. With the fallout from the pandemic, the reality is we all need more support than we have ever needed.
The most vulnerable do not debate the severity of the pandemic. In the Charlotte area, encampments for the homeless sprang up due to social distancing protocols in homeless shelters that reduced their capacities. Additional barriers included joblessness and limited access to resources as daily shelters closed or scaled back their services. People had to transition to virtual care for mental health care, and then often found themselves disengaged from services even as they experienced increased symptoms. Stimulus checks, although they were needed, have not helped more people get access to affordable housing. In fact, housing and socioeconomic barriers that already existed became nearly insurmountable for many.
The effects of quarantine also created physical and emotional isolation that led to many people having feelings of despair. Other people experienced a rise in intimate partner violence and abuse. Financial instability, unsafe housing, violence, lack of childcare and poor social supports make the shaky ground even worse for some. Many shelters saw an increase of more than 40 percent for domestic violence related calls.
The staff at Catherine’s House has maintained operations even as they have been personally impacted by the pandemic. They have been among the support professionals who have ensured that the under-served are not forgotten in the midst of this worldwide crisis.
Catherine’s House remains dedicated to meeting the pandemic stress and the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable and marginalized women and children. Learn more online at www.catherineshouseinc.org.
—Jane Cacchione, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Jane Cacchione is the development director for Catherine’s House, a transitional home for women and children who would otherwise be homeless. Based in Belmont, it is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy.