LEAVEN rises to meet the needs of community

By Jennifer Wanke

	An Advent series on Catholic Social Teaching

Many of you might be surprised to learn that there are families in our community living in or near poverty. We go about our busy lives driving our children to sports events or picking them up from classes, without even realizing that the money we are spending annually on extracurricular activities could completely support a family of four for several months.

Some of these families living in poverty could be your neighbors, your friends, or even members of your faith community.

You might ask why these people can't support themselves. Many work hard to make ends meet and do support their families, but are seldom prepared for emergencies. They could be living day-to-day, just one accident away from poverty, barely surviving on a fixed income. They lack the financial resources or a support system to pay for an unexpected medical emergency, prescription medication, or an increase in utility bills. With rising gasoline prices, they may not have enough money left to pay the rent or make a car payment. While it is embarrassing to ask for help, they may have no other choice but to seek assistance to get through a crisis.

	A d v e n t
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Traditionally, families turned to their churches and St. Vincent De Paul Societies first for financial assistance if they did not have relatives who could help. Now, in addition to these groups there is a network of charities that began in local churches to help meet basic emergency needs such as food, clothing and shelter for the poor. The churches and SVDP Societies partner with these organizations to ensure that all the needs are met.

In the Fox Valley, St. Joseph Food Pantry provides food, Community Clothes Closet gives free clothing to poor families and LEAVEN assists those who have basic emergency needs that cannot be met elsewhere. These various charities are on the Midway Outreach Association Campus in Menasha, a convenient one-stop shopping location for the poor. All three of these charities began many years ago in the basement of St. Joseph Church in Appleton. They are the direct result of caring people who wanted to help neighbors and friends through difficult times.

LEAVEN spends a half-million dollars annually directly on client assistance. Like a hospital emergency room, LEAVEN serves the financial emergencies of our community's poor. It is the band-aid that stops the bleeding until other help can be arranged. LEAVEN determines who qualifies for help and what kind of help is warranted. This is possible because of the communities' capacity and willingness to care for the less fortunate.

LEAVEN was created to address a growing issue in the Fox Valley: Poor people were going from church to church seeking assistance with various issues. Some were taking advantage of the generosity by abusing the system.

Fr. Robert Udulutsch, OFM,Cap., who was at St. Joseph Parish, felt there should be a charity developed that acted as the clearing house to screen and track clients seeking assistance. He called clergy from all denominations and began a series of community meetings with businesses, individuals and service organizations that resulted in the creation of LEAVEN in 1997.

LEAVEN (Limited Emergency Assistance Valley Ecumenical Network) is a community based charity that provides emergency financial assistance to people in need when help is insufficient or not available elsewhere, referrals to other agencies and community resources, and limited advocacy and service coordination to avoid duplication of services and help to an ever-increasing number of poor people.

Some 150 volunteers and a few paid staff provide assistance with the basics of life such as housing, medications, food, clothing, transportation, and utilities.

The church has consistently taught the option or love of preference for the poor, as stated in John Paul II's encyclical On Social Concern. Paul VI wrote in A Call to Action "... In teaching us charity, the Gospel instructs us in the preferential respect due to the poor and the special situation they have in society: The more fortunate should renounce some of their rights so as to place their goods more generously at the service of others."

It is the social and moral responsibility of those of us who "have" to share our good fortune with those who "have not." This can be done by sharing our resources as financial contributors, mentors and volunteers in our community.

There are many worthwhile organizations doing charitable work in conjunction with the churches. Become part of the solution by partnering with one of them. Help turn hardship into hope for needy families living in your community.

(Wanke is executive director of LEAVEN Inc., serving Outagamie and Calumet Counties, and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago County.)