April 30, 2019
The Robert H. Spitz Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, supported Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton with a $7,500 grant to assist with case-management expenses in the battle against local poverty.
The grant helped Catholic Social Services increase its ability to offer one-on-one counseling services to Scranton clients who are homeless or on the verge of homelessness or eviction.
“Effective case-management services that aim to move clients toward permanent shelter and self-sufficiency as soon as possible help us make the greatest impact on those facing homelessness,” said Mary Theresa Malandro, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Human Services. “Our case managers are educated, highly trained and certified but often see their lives as a calling, and the services they provide for our most vulnerable neighbors are invaluable.”
Case management is among Catholic Social Services’ highest priorities, especially as the problem of hidden homelessness grows in Scranton.
Hidden homelessness, as opposed to visible homelessness, manifests itself off the streets and
finds people in hardship staying on friends’ couches, hopping from residence to residence, sleeping in vehicles or using other temporary accommodations. With proper case management, those experiencing hidden homelessness have the possibility to become high-functioning and self-sustaining.
CSS case managers help clients create and stick to workable household budgets, open and manage bank accounts, manage rent or mortgage payments and determine the affordability of housing in relation to other expenses, identify and eliminate unnecessary expenses and make proper use of surpluses by using savings accounts.
For more information about the program, contact Steve Nocilla, Diocesan Director of Housing and Residential Programs, at 579-209-9200, ext. 2103, or snocilla@cssscranton.org.