SANTA CRUZ >> TULSA, Okla.
— I’m a Catholic charity worker who’s in the midst of a tough year.
I have a son who’s 4.
And he doesn’t know what to do.
So my wife, who is also a nun, has asked me, “What can I do for you?”
I’m not sure if it’s because I’m an ordained priest or if I’m too overwhelmed by my responsibilities.
But it’s a question that we’ve asked ourselves for the last few years.
We’ve tried to help, but there are many, many churches that do not provide a single service for our community.
I know there are other charities that do a great job.
But, there are a lot of churches out there that do very little.
So I’m going to try to do something to change that.
But we are facing an epidemic of homelessness.
Homelessness is becoming more and more common.
And our churches are not doing enough.
I think that we need to be a little bit more inclusive and a little more supportive, but also to provide some services.
And that’s where we’re going to need to start.
A church is not a place to be homeless, but it’s certainly a place that you should go to if you’re trying to make it.
Our Catholic charities are working in so many different communities, not just Tulsa, Oklahoma.
There are a number of local Catholic charities working with a lot more than just homeless families.
But there are some of the churches that have become overwhelmed with the crisis.
And I want to make sure that we have a voice.
I want them to have a hand.
So, I’m trying to find a church that’s not overwhelmed by the issue.
I’m asking them to be more inclusive, to be better, to help people in the community, and to make a difference.
They should be a part of that, not only in Tulsa but around the country.
So in this case, we’re doing a lot.
We’re not doing everything, but we are trying.
We need your help.
And it’s my hope that you will donate to the Tulsa Catholic Charities and other Catholic charities.
We want to be able to provide a helping hand to the community and our families.
And if you can, please consider giving to TLC, which is our local chapter.
And we’re also partnering with local Catholic churches to help.
But I would like to think that you would also consider going to a shelter.
We know that the homeless population is growing, and we know that people are being turned away at many shelters.
And there are also a lot in the area that have been affected by the wildfires.
So we want to give back to the people who need help the most.
We are trying to reach out to churches and shelters and other churches to give them more information about how to best help people.
But most of all, we want people to be part of the solution.
We can do more to help if we are as inclusive as possible.
So for example, our church recently had a special service for people who are struggling.
We knew that there was a lot that needed to be done, and so we brought in the local pastor, who was a parishioner in Tulsa and was on the parish committee, and he helped us put together a very nice program that included music, family and community events.
And, we are now doing a special program for families that are homeless.
And those programs will be a great tool for people to learn how to stay positive.
And so, we hope that we can make a lot out of this.
We have been trying to get more and better support for homeless people.
And last year, we helped provide meals to over 100 families.
We also provided some food to those families that needed help.
We had a church choir that we helped sing in their area.
So there were many other things that we did, and the amount of help that we’re getting is incredible.
And these are people who have been struggling, and it’s really important that we help them.
We feel so good that we are helping these families, because we know there is hope.
And the more that we do, the more hope that God has for them, because he is good.
But they’re going through a very tough time.
And when they need the help that he’s providing, we believe in the Lord, we know he loves them.
And in this time of great hardship, we feel that we should be there for them.
So if you need help and you can’t find it, we can help.
Thank you.
And God bless you.
(Applause.)
Thank you very much.