Catholic Charities West Virginia Receives Grant from Catholic Charities USA to Strengthen Long-Term Disaster Recovery Efforts

SUMMERS COUNTY W.Va. (Hinton News) – Catholic Charities West Virginia (CCWVa) is proud to announce it has received a generous grant from Catholic Charities USA to support outreach and disaster case management efforts for individuals and families affected by Hurricane Helene, primarily in Mercer County, with outreach extending to surrounding areas.

This grant enables Catholic Charities West Virginia to deepen its mission of walking with people in their time of greatest need by providing compassionate and coordinated long-term disaster recovery services. The funding will support direct outreach to impacted individuals and expand training opportunities in Disaster Case Management for individuals across the state.

“We are grateful for the support of Catholic Charities USA, which empowers us to better serve West Virginians who are still struggling after disasters,” said Mark Phillips, President and CEO of Catholic Charities West Virginia. “One of our goals is to accompany people—we want to make sure we are walking alongside people to help them return to lives that are stable, happy, and healthy.”

While West Virginia has a strong and generous network of community and parish-based support for meeting immediate needs, such as muck-out efforts, water distribution, clothing, and food, coordinating long-term recovery remains a significant challenge. Many survivors with severe home damage find themselves displaced, living with relatives or in temporary housing, and struggling to navigate the complex recovery process.

Currently, there are very few trained Disaster Case Managers in the state. With this grant, CCWVa aims to increase the number of trained case managers, placing them within organizations throughout West Virginia. This will build a strong foundation of preparedness so that, when disasters strike, trained professionals are ready to mobilize immediately and help survivors navigate the long-term path to recovery.

As part of this initiative, CCWVa will hire new case managers and a construction manager to support rebuilding efforts. These positions will be funded through a combination of resources, including this grant, funding from state and federal agencies such as FEMA, and the generous support of parishes throughout West Virginia.

For more information or to learn how you can support or get involved, visit www.ccwva.org.