From the cold depths of winter to a warm place to call home

August 24, 2015

A cold winter in Iowa brought hundreds to a Catholic Charities warming center. One of those trips resulted in Roger achieving financial self-sufficiency.

Roger had been homeless on and off and when a cold snap hit, stopped in at a Catholic Charities warming center. A staff member engaged him in conversation and found out that Roger had a check that could have helped pay for housing, but didn’t have a bank account to deposit it in.

Catholic Charities staff members helped Roger establish a financial presence and guided him in the process of finding a permanent residence. They also guided him in setting up financial goals and benchmarks for himself to ensure he was making prudent decisions and not letting himself get taken advantage of due to his generous spirit.

Thanks to the assistance of Catholic Charities case managers and the support he received from Social Security, Roger is now kept safe and warm during the cold Iowa winters and is able to afford the basic necessities of life without any difficulties. He’s grateful to feel a part of the community once again.