Affordable housing, assistance for the elderly, services for immigrant families, supervised activities for latchkey children, prison ministry – these are just some of the increasing human service needs identified by attendees at the six consultation forums Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington held during the month of July. The forums are only one part of the process Catholic Charities is undertaking as it seeks to better identify, understand and address the diocese’s anticipated human service needs through the next five years.

"We know that as this community grows, the needs will continue to grow," said Stephen Luteran, executive director of Catholic Charities. "The importance [of these forums] is that it creates an opportunity for people to let us know what they’re experiencing on a day-to-day level, and where the unmet needs are. Then we’re able to set a course to address these areas."

Serving the human service needs of 21 counties and seven cities for the next five years is no easy task. And if Catholic Charities is to fulfill its vision of responding effectively "to the challenges of ever-changing economic, demographic, and social trends," its staff know they need to hear from the public; thus, the importance of surveying people throughout the diocesan community.

As Margaret Brewer, chair of the Planning and Development Committee for Catholic Charities, explained, "The first step in any planning is research." As part of that research, Catholic Charities first distributed 500 surveys to individuals in the Catholic community, local government agencies and nonprofit organizations asking their views on anticipated needs and emerging trends. These surveys are currently being sorted and tabulated. Under Brewer’s direction, Anne Murphy, director of parish social ministry and a member of the committee, planned and organized the consultation forums to obtain additional information from community stakeholders, who include members of the faith community, public sector, corporate community, and human service organizations.

Members of the Catholic Charities board of directors and senior staff also attended the meetings to gain a more personal awareness of these issues. The forums were held from July 9 through July 28 in Alexandria, Sterling, Culpeper, Arlington, Manassas and Fairfax. Notices were sent to parishes, government agencies, social service providers and other organizations.

"It’s our way of letting the community know we care about what they think," Murphy said. She called the process a "two-way street," in that it requires the cooperation of the community to make Catholic Charities aware of human service needs, but it also raises awareness of Catholic Charities and its presence throughout the diocese as it strives to fulfill the Church’s mission of social justice. "This agency is the diocesan’s tool to reach those in need," she said. "It’s the Catholic community responding to basic human needs, regardless of religious affiliation."

At the consultation forums, Murphy split attendees into small groups to discuss two basic questions: what are the most urgent unmet human services needs and what are the emerging trends likely to have an impact on the community? Murphy then ensured that all issues were thoroughly discussed and she recorded each of them for use in the long-range plan.

The number one issue diocesan-wide was affordable housing, not only for low-income residents but also for the "workforce" population, the public sector employees.

"Housing always comes up as the number one issue," said Luteran, who also serves on the planning committee. Although Catholic Charities is slated to receive some funding from the bishop’s recent capital campaign to help with housing issues, Luteran said that in order to make affordable housing a reality, "it will take working with other groups within the community to make that happen."

An emerging trend identified at the forums is the increasing number of newcomers from other countries. Forum attendees believe the ability to provide services to the immigrant population is not being met. Another emerging trend is the growing elderly population. As baby boomers age, there will continue to be an increase in the needs of an older adult population, especially as they try to "age in place." The increasing number of working families, or "splintered families," is also a concern in the diocese, especially in Culpeper, where more families are moving to find affordable housing but, as a result, spending less time home with their families.

In addition to the information garnered from the consultation forums and written surveys, staff members have collected demographic data from county governments and funding sources of human service needs. These data will be combined, evaluated, and then used to shape the planning for the kinds of services and service sites that will become part of the long-range plan. The planning committee will spend the remainder of the calendar year drafting a long-range plan; they will seek board approval of the plan, send it to Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde for his approval and then use the plan to help guide activities and actions Catholic Charities takes over the next five years beginning in 2006.

Once the plan is approved, Brewer explained, "We will monitor the continuation of the plan so it doesn’t just sit somewhere." Past long-range plans had specific timeframes, which, she said, "kept everybody focused."

Other board members serving on the committee include Michael O'Rourke, associate director for finance and administration; Pat Mudd, associate director for clinical services; Eliana Turina, associate director for community services; and Jeanne Spaeth, communications director.

This is the third formal long-range plan the Planning and Development Committee has developed to address the human service needs of the diocese. The first, Vision 2000, was developed in 1995, and the top concern then, as now, was the lack of affordable housing. As a result of the plan presented in 2000, Vision 2005, Christ the Redeemer House and St. Isidore the Farmer Counseling Center have opened to serve human service needs.

Catholic Charities wants to inform those who have not yet completed their surveys that it is not too late to respond. Those who were not able to attend any of the forums but would like to offer comments should email or write to Catholic Charities. Anne Murphy can be reached at a.murphy@ccda.net.