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Immigration and Refugee Services clients patiently wait for assistance. The Immigration and Refugee Program assisted over 39,000 clients in 2001.
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On October 24, 2000, Mr. Abdulzahir Turkmani arrived in the United States with 10 family members. An Afghan refugee, Mr. Turkmani had fled Afghanistan at the beginning of Taliban rule because he feared for the safety of his family. Mr. Turkmani was a General in the pre-Taliban Afghan army and a professor at the University of Afghanistan. His two sons were police officers. Mr. Turkmani stated that it took an emotional and physical toll to escape but he and his family had no choice because they were not safe. In 1995, as the Taliban took over, Mr. Turkmani bought fake passports and paid for his family to be smuggled into India. They lived in India for five years under the care of the United Nations, using the wages he had received from his retirement from the army. In 2000, the Turkmani family was relocated to the United States and put in contact with Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. Catholic Charities assisted Mr. Turkmani and his family with the transition of moving to a new country.
Mr. Turkmani now states that he is very appreciative of Catholic Charities and thanked the agency, from the bottom of his heart, for its assistance to his family. Currently, Mr. Turkmani and his family are considering moving to Las Vegas because of job opportunities there. He explained that it is not easy to start over in a new country and also thanks President Bush for his help in bringing unity and prosperity to Afghanistan. To learn more about the programs offered by the immigration and refugee services department, please call (213) 251-3471 or (213) 251-3411. |
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A Message from the Executive Director,
Monsignor Gregory A. Cox
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Frequently people ask “who comes to Catholic Charities for help?” During 2001:
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225,563 unduplicated clients received services. |
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55% of individuals served were female. |
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Of the 225,563 clients served, 93,089 were 17 years and younger. |
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87.43% of clients earned, or lived in households where the primary wage earner(s) made, under $13,000 last year. A one parent, 2 child household in Los Angeles County requires $34,839 per year to meet basic needs. |
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Last year, Catholic Charities’ community centers offered case management and emergency services to 137,790 unduplicated individuals and families. |
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A total of 2,267 homeless people, including mothers and their children, were assisted at Lancaster Community Shelter, Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Woman and Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence in Long Beach. |
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16,967 clients were provided with individual and family counseling on an affordable, fee-based-on-ability-to-pay structure. |
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The Archdiocesan Employment Youth Service (AYES) helped 2,900 young clients, ages 14-21, to receive work-based learning, mentoring and paid work experience. |
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2,015 children of working poor and medium income families participated in the before and after school Archdiocese Elementary School-Time Enrichment child care program (ADESTE). |
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Over 18,000 youngsters learned the importance of self-discipline, sportsmanship, team spirit, respect and responsibility through organized sports offered by the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). |
Because Catholic Charities’ staff knows each one of these statistics as people who are faced with overwhelming challenges, the agency is dedicated to meeting the needs of those who are disadvantaged, supporting them while they work toward more stable lives and, eventually, assisting them to sustain self-reliance. For more information about Catholic Charities, please go to our Web Site www.CatholicCharitiesLA.org. |
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