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Catholic News Herald

Serving Christ and Connecting Catholics in Western North Carolina
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061420 St Matthew Catholic ChurchCHARLOTTE — Five major gifts totaling $250,000 are going to five Charlotte-area charities serving on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, from the largest Catholic parish in the United States.

St. Matthew Church is giving $50,000 each to Crisis Assistance Ministry of Charlotte, Loaves & Fishes, Roof Above (formerly known as Urban Ministry and Men’s Shelter of Charlotte), Union County Crisis Assistance and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Charities that provide relief to individuals and families in need in our community have seen a decline in donations due to the economic impacts of the pandemic, while at the same time facing a dramatic increase in people coming to them for help.

That makes charitable giving even more critically needed at this moment, said Father John Allen, parochial administrator of St. Matthew Catholic Church, “when the need for God and for the virtues of charity, humility and civility have never been greater.”

“Such a gift is only possible because of the faithful stewardship and sacrificial giving of our parish family,” Father Allen said of his south Charlotte parish, which has a membership of nearly 12,000 families.

The gift will enable Catholic Charities to continue serving people “living on the peripheries,” providing food aid, mental health counseling and other vital social services, said Dr. Gerard Carter, executive director and CEO.

“This funding is especially indispensable at this point in time as we actively provide direct services to those impacted by COVID-19,” Carter said. “As we unofficially say, ‘the world may have been on pause’ but the work of Catholic Charities has continued every single day since the arrival of coronavirus in our state.”

“What a wonderful gift St. Matthew has provided at a time when we are seeing unprecedented needs across this city, not only for shelter but for food, health care and emergency financial assistance to help people stay in their homes,” said Roof Above CEO Liz Clasen-Kelly. “At Roof

Above we remain committed to ending homelessness in our community, and generosity like that of St. Matthew will put us one step closer to realizing that aspiration.”

— Catholic News Herald