Catholic Charities opens Milford office

By William T. Clew | The Catholic Free Press

Catholic Charities, Worcester County has opened an office and home care center at 200 Main St. in Milford.
The new office will allow Catholic Charities to become more involved in a larger, more diverse, community, according to Timothy J. McMahon, executive director.
Catholic Charities closed its office in the Whitinsville section of Northbridge, but will continue to serve that area, he said.
The new office serves the 11 towns in the Blackstone Valley-Greater Milford area, according to Danishka Valdes, administrator. She is one of two full-time staff members. There also are two part-time staff.
“We are excited to be here,” she said.
The communities served by the office include Milford, Northbridge, Grafton, Sutton, Douglas, Uxbridge, Upton, Hopedale, Mendon, Millville and Blackstone.
The office provides a wide range of services. They include a diaper service, with a 30-pack of diapers available once a month. There is clothing assistance for children and adults. Three tops, three bottoms and a pair of shoes are available for those who need them. Ms. Valdes said that the items are donated and if there is a shortage in one category a substitute may be selected from another.
The office also provides back-to-school clothing, including new shoes, backpacks and school supplies. The Lifesong Church of Sutton donates the clothing, she said.
The office provides help with job applications, seeking state or federal aid, fuel assistance, legal assistance, emergency financial utility assistance and even assistance with finding and paying for a hotel room in an emergency.
Families may register to receive toys for Christmas. Registration closes on Dec. 7, she said.
The office has a pet pantry and it is working on opening a food pantry, she said.
The office opened in May, she said, and has so far provided about 500 services. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Catholic Charities held an open house, ribbon cutting ceremony for the new office on Oct. 19.
Also, last week the Worcester office accepted a grant of $225,000 from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern together and Catholic Charities Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Cameron announced that the grant will help Catholic Charities expand its citizenship program and allow it to further support the immigrant community in Worcester County.
“I’m so thankful to Catholic Charities for their tireless work on behalf of our community. I’ve visited their citizenship programs several times and they are truly an invaluable asset to our community. I know they’ve worked hard to secure this grant and I know they will put it to good use,” said Congressman McGovern.
“With our refugee resettlement budget decimated, and the attack on immigrants at its peak, our staff have found a renewed sense of commitment,” said Ms. Cameron. “This grant provides us with the resources to refocus our efforts on one of our core missions: assisting the immigrant community, which we will continue to do no matter the circumstances.”
The grant will be used to assist lawful permanent residents work to become American citizens.