With temperatures dropping and the economic downturn continuing, many families are literally finding themselves out in the cold.

St. Anthony's Outreach, a community advocacy program that helps people in our neighborhood with assistance, has found more and more people in need of help with fuel.

"As soon as it gets colder, and with the high cost of fuel, people are coming in for assistance,” said Outreach Co-ordinator Susan Paulson. “Government programs like HEAP and Project Warmth don't start until mid-November [HEAP] and Dec. [Project Warmth] so people rely on us to hold them over."

Administrative Assistant Donna Johann said, "Years ago the people that would come in would be seasonal workers out of work like Hispanic landscapers. But now people are unemployed and dangerously close to losing their homes. The middle class is the new poor, it's a difficult time." 

St. Anthony's Outreach support includes financial help, advocacy, informal counseling and food. They run an emergency food pantry that provides canned goods and perishable items.

“Food assistance is our main thing. We have at least three hundred families that come once a month, through the holidays at least another hundred,” Paulson said.

Manna Ministry is a program that involves parishioners by asking them to commit to baking two loaves of bread once a month. The bread, along with a passage from a scripture, is sold on Sunday after the 10 a.m. mass.

"Proceeds average around three hundred dollars and go directly to outreach," Johann said.

Susan and Donna are very busy this time of year. During the holidays Outreach gives out Thanksgiving/Christmas baskets and vouchers.

"We do gifting for Christmas," Paulson said. "I go through my files, I get sizes of children, put them on slips with the date they need to be brought in, it goes on the alter Thanksgiving weekend [for people to pick up] and it’s for Christmas."

With so many needy families, Outreach asks the community to adopt a particular family to help through the holidays. Local businesses help out.

"Last year the nurses at St. Charles Hospital brought us a room full of bicycles, skateboards and boots. It was truly amazing to see,” said Donna.

Through an anonymous donation, Outreach was able to set aside two $500 scholarships to help Rocky Point seniors who would not otherwise be able to attend college.

"We help the next generation to get out of poverty by providing an opportunity for an education," Johann said.

St. Anthony's Outreach includes a number of support groups; in addition to the Manna Ministry they have numerous bereavement groups that offer support and condolences to people who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

The Ministry of Praise program reaches out to the homebound, in partnership with Meals on Wheels, under the direction of the office of the aging. Outreach provides volunteer drivers to deliver meals to homebound seniors in the Rocky Point area.

For some who are homebound this may be the only interaction they have with another person. The volunteers provide needed social contact and truly donate not only their time but their humanity.

St. Anthony's Outreach coalesces and distills information and programs being offered by government agencies, local business as well as its parishioners to assist the community where it finds the need.

Johann said, “A good example is: the cable bill is not a necessity. We help people determine the difference between a want and a need. What can you get by without. You can get by without TV, but you can’t get by without heat.”

There is a bulletin board outside the office with a list of upcoming events, housing availability, tax help and job opportunities.

Paulson, who has been at Outreach for twenty years, said, “Our mission is to try to help financially, physically and spiritually anyone who comes to our Outreach.”