Catholic Charities Boosts Food Distribution During Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic ramps up, the State of Florida has been  providing Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami with meals ready to eat (MREs), in order to augment food distribution programs already in place. The state's Emergency Management Operations Center has released MREs normally allocated for natural disasters to be given to families in need at the behest of the emergency management specialist of the Florida Catholic Conference.

Catholic Charities' congregate meals sites in Miami-Dade County continue to provide nutritious meals to men and women 60 years of age or older by shifting to delivered meals. The change to delivered meals also applies to Catholic Charities-affiliated adult daycare centers in Broward County, which help disabled adults and seniors who require care during the day.

In addition, Catholic Charities:

• Delivered a recent supply of MREs to Blessed Sacrament Parish in Oakland Park for redistribution in their Friday food pantry program.
• Delivered 24 pallets of MREs to the Star of the Sea Foundation in Monroe County, a charitable food bank that serves 10,000 individuals a year. 
• Delivered MREs to Three Virtues Organization, a community charitable organization under the direction of Deacon Alpha Fleurimond of Sacred Heart Parish in Homestead. 
• Provided funds for Notre Dame d'Haiti Mission to cook culturally appropriate food and deliver meals throughout Little Haiti.

Also, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, said Catholic Charities' Head Start program was providing client families with take-away meals and online learning assignments for students now-shuttered at home.

"We are not healthcare providers doing the incredible work at hospitals but we are out there as well doing our job with clients and really not knowing what their situations are, so we are working with our national organization to hopefully get some masks - that has been a challenge throughout the entire country," Routsis-Arroyo said.  

All the Catholic Charities agencies in Florida are in regular communication over the pandemic and review the situation during a weekly conference call.