St Amelia church assistance programs in Tonawanda.
St Amelia is a church in Tonawanda that provides some support services to the needy, low income, and poor in the parish. Applicants need to live in the immediate region in order to apply, but the church can also refer people to other regional assistance programs in Erie County New York.
The church is part of the regional St Vincent De Paul. This means they partner together to offer assistance. They offer help to pregnant women (including single moms), the homeless, underemployed and others. Whether it is a box of food, blanket for the homeless, or a few dollars to pay a heating bill, some form of assistance may be provided.
The team at the agency will both operate a pantry as well as a Mobile Feeding Service. This involves both going out to feed the homeless, and making families living in poverty aware of the food programs. It also operates year round, as shown during the winter months the food service feeds hundreds of individuals each week!
There is much help given out. The center will provide free hot, healthy meals as well as warm blankets, clothing, toilet paper soap, and toiletries. There may be some other free stuff, ranging from clothes to razors, cleaning supplies, and much more. This is given out to Tonawanda homeless and impoverished men, women, and children. Or find other ways to find free stuff.
The pantry guests are provided both a free box of food as well as a meal. They are also given a warm welcome by volunteers of the charity, and all services are explained. This will allow St Amelia staff to assess immediate and unmet needs for everything from housing to employment. Then, based on this assessment, the group will connect individuals with additional resources.
St Vincent De Paul St Amelia Thrift Store is used to help pay for the shelter, food pantry, as well as other various assistance programs and social services. It is operated by dozens of volunteers and gladly accepts donations from individuals or retail stores, provided they are in decent working condition and stain free.
The location may have something for everyone. The thrift store sells both “practical” as well as trendy designer clothing. There may also be modern or mid-century furniture, electronics, used computers, and linens for every room.
After a guest of the shelter that is part of St Amelia regional services, the client meets goal put into place and have successfully completed the case management service, the next step is the Transitional Housing Program. As part of the case management process from the shelter, participants are provided with extensive guidance, job training, food, and job placement services.
St Amelia serves as a supportive base from which to work toward securing a permanent residence. Note that the Transitional Housing Program also requires continuing volunteer work and expects residents to become active and engaged members of the community.
St Amelia of Tonawanda seasonal projects include providing holiday meals, school supplies, toys, and more to low-income families, including the following.
- Holiday Toys and Meals. There are free, full holiday dinners on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. They will be prepared and served by volunteers at the Soup Kitchen.
- Thanksgiving Baskets and Full Thanksgiving meals for families in need. Baskets are assembled according to family size, and to be eligible, there must be two or more people and they need to earn an income that falls at or below 125 percent of the poverty level.
- Home-delivered meals are available to seniors and the disabled in Tonawanda as well as other select parts of Erie County at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Emergency funds in the form of small grants or no-interest loans may be available from St Vincent De Paul St Amelia to assist qualifying clients with the cost of critical bills. There may be loans for auto repairs, vouchers to pay for prescription medications, grants for rent or energy bills, and replacement documents. A limited number of local bus tickets may be available for those who need assistance in getting to Erie County based medical appointments or job interviews.
For more information, residents of the St Amelia parish can make an appointment for a meeting at 2999 Eggert Road, Tonawanda, NY. The phone number is (716) 836-0011).
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