Meet Claudia
When Claudia moved to southeastern Wisconsin with her husband and their five-year-old daughter, she was pregnant with her second child. Immersed in an unfamiliar place, a different culture, and a drastically different way of life, Claudia didn’t know who to turn to for help. The family had no insurance and had not visited a doctor’s office during her pregnancy. Claudia and her husband were uneasy. “Where will we go when it’s time for the baby to come?” they thought.
She was referred to Nancy, a bilingual Outreach Case Manager at Catholic Charities. Although it was difficult to talk about her situation, it helped Claudia to speak with someone in her own language who listened to her story. First, Nancy began helping her find insurance coverage. Nancy and Claudia visited a clinic in the area that week and scheduled an appointment for the following Monday. During her appointment, to Claudia’s surprise, the doctor said it would soon be time for her baby to be born.
That night at the hospital, her son Hugo was born.
In the months following Hugo’s birth, Nancy continued supporting Claudia and her family. Catholic Charities provided baby clothes, a stroller, and other supplies. She is tremendously grateful for Nancy and Catholic Charities for the compassionate care and help she received.
Meet Robert
Robert found himself making more and more visits to the hospital for emergency care. His heart problem and other disabilities that he managed everyday were getting worse. He was referred to Catholic Charities by his doctor when it became evident that his financial and living situations were putting his health at further risk. He was sleeping on the floor which put a strain on his heart each morning. Catholic Charities’ outreach case manager, Tedricka, worked to find solutions to Robert’s most immediate needs. Tedricka helped his family make a plan to improve Robert’s health and access a bed, food, and safer living environment. “These weren’t hard things to fix, but they affected his health so greatly,” Tedricka recalled. To Robert’s family, a bed meant more than a comfortable place to sleep. It meant the possibility of many more years of good health for their grandfather, peace of mind, and a strong beginning to each day.
Meet Josephina
Josephina’s husband died several years ago in a traffic accident leaving her to raise their five children on her own. When she was in need of support and resources, she turned to Catholic Charities. Our bilingual Case Manager has been working with her over the past year to connect her with resources for clothing, food, help with translating at medical appointments, as well as meeting with school and other community agencies. Josephina often felt overwhelmed about her husband’s death and raising her family on her own, but she knew that our Case Manager was there to help her and provide support. Josephina and her family are now living with more stability and are hopeful for the future!
Meet Brigida
Brigida is a single mother who works hard to provide for her children while inspiring them to stay motivated so they all might find easier days on the road ahead. When Brigida contacted Catholic Charities, she was suffering from multiple health issues, raising her two children, and working whenever possible.
The Coronavirus Pandemic left the family struggling financially and with the fear that the situation would only worsen, she reached out to us for help. When she reached out, Brigida was in need of food, money, help to create a plan to better her financial situation, and resources that might get her through these difficult times. Brigida was connected with Laura, an Outreach Case Manager who listened to her immediate needs and found solutions to help. Laura was able to provide her with financial aid that could be used to pay bills, buy food, or provide necessities for her and her children. Laura also helped Brigida enroll at a community clinic, so she was able to get the medical care that she needed, which eased some of the concerns for her own health and safety through the COVID-19 outbreak. She also helped her create a plan to better her financial situation and ultimately become independent from the program.
Brigida says Catholic Charities provided her with services that were “lifesaving at a very rough time, when my kids and I were most in need.” Despite her recent hardships, Brigida was able to continue to provide constant support and care for her children, while inspiring them to do well in school and set goals for their futures so they will not struggle in the way their mother has.