It’s 6:00 am and Mark Herrera is already hard at work tending a grill and assembling dozens of hot meals. Each day is different, but this particular morning’s breakfast consists of bread, cheese, hot coffee, and soup. This food will all be gone in a few hours, handed out for free to anyone who stops by Catholic Charities in Gallup, NM, where Herrera oversees the morning meal program.
Many of the people who come to eat here are homeless, but he has recently seen a large uptick in families, children, and teens.
“It’s getting pretty bad,” he says. “Pre-COVID, we used to serve 40 people. Now I’m doing 300, 400 people.”
It isn’t just Herrera and his team here in Gallup who are adjusting to a larger client base – across the Diocese of Gallup, the five agencies run by Catholic Charities have each seen a huge increase in demand for services. The recent government shutdown also highlighted the stark need for private charities and organizations to step into the gap left after many Americans had benefits like food stamps withheld.
“Some of our programs do rely on government funding so we haven’t been able to get that reimbursed, but we still have to provide the services, so that’s been a challenge,” said Vicki Trujillo, director of Catholic Charities in the diocese. “This year has been the biggest ever, even with COVID. I mean, we’ve seen a big increase in need [during] COVID, but there was money coming in. Now, it’s like a huge increase of people needing services, but no money coming in.”
Many charities and nonprofits across the United States are struggling following the Trump administration’s cuts to social services programs. Catholic Charities has itself been a target for some Republican politicians who accuse the organization of facilitating illegal immigration along the United States’ border with Mexico.
But in the Diocese of Gallup, the five agencies primarily help to feed the homeless and to connect families to resources for housing, utilities, and food assistance. When Catholic Charities provides immigration services, they focus on helping clients to navigate the immigration system legally, providing translation services and assistance with paperwork.
And when the funding cuts come, they impact the poorest and most vulnerable.
“We come across a lot of families that are homeless living in their vehicles,” said Erica Cardona, director of emergency services. “I would say from infants all the way up to 13, 14 years old. They have babies and we feel so bad for them. We do what we can. A lot of times, we don’t have the funding, but we’ll get them a night [in a motel] just to get them out of the cold. It’s heartbreaking because no child should be sleeping in their vehicle.”
Catholic Charities’ Farmington branch runs a “Drexel House”, four units of transitional housing for families – but this is not nearly enough to meet the local need for housing. Other agencies in Holbrook, AZ and Pinetop, AZ provide food boxes or hot meals for hundreds of clients – mostly families. The fifth location, in Grants, NM, has a behavioral health center with a packed caseload of over 40 clients.
“We have two therapists and we do contracts with the county of Cibola drug court,” Trujillo said. “And we have a community services program where we have clients that are employees. [The therapist] follows them, helps them get on their feet – whether it’s with housing or taking them to appointments.”
Trujillo also noted that Catholic Charities bases their services on the local community’s need. Since Gallup already has a successful food pantry, the agency there focuses instead on providing hot meals, emergency services, and clothing and hygiene kits. Many of the people who come for a hot meal – especially women – ask Herrera for a kit, and he or one of his team will assemble a bag with supplies like socks, underwear, feminine products, and toothpaste. Some branches have supplies for families with infants and toddlers: diapers, wipes, and baby formula. And each winter, Trujillo oversees a winter coat drive to help their clients stay warm in winter.
Even though the end of the government shutdown provided a bit of relief, Trujillo and her staff don’t foresee the need for their services winding down anytime soon – or much of an increase in funding.
“People can’t afford to donate because they’re having to pay their own bills and take care of their families. So we’ve seen a decrease in donations also.”
But they will continue to keep their doors open, despite the struggle.
“I feel very blessed to be working here. It’s definitely humbled me,” said Cardona. “When I leave work, it’s a good feeling knowing that I did what I could to help. Whether it was a mother with formula and diapers for her baby or the homeless, providing them with the sack lunch, or someone that was about to get their utility shut off. We did what we could so that they can keep the heat on in their home for their family.”
In the Diocese of Gallup, the five agencies run by Catholic Charities are located in Gallup, NM; Farmington, NM; Grants, NM; Pinetop, AZ; and Holbrook, AZ. Each one is in year-round need of volunteers and of donations – monetary, non-perishable food, or clothing and hygiene items.
And even with the increased demand, those who find themselves in need of help are not turned away.
“We serve everybody,” Trujillo said. “We do have certain requirements. Like for Gallup, you have to live in McKinley County for our services. In [Farmington], you have to be a resident of San Juan County, things like that. But it’s open to Catholics, non-Catholics. We do not discriminate. We welcome everybody.”