Contributions collected through the most recent Bishop’s Annual Appeal are already being put to good use, providing support to those who need it the most.

To date, $501,500 has been distributed to 48 parishes and five Catholic social service agencies that submitted applications for emergency assistance funding made available by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., through his 2012 annual appeal.

When Bishop O’Connell introduced the 2012 $8 million appeal, which had as its theme, “One Family, Our Family in Christ,” he decided that up to $1 million be earmarked for parish-based ministries and other Catholic social service outreach sites that work to serve the basic needs of the growing number of poor living within the four-county diocese. Emergency assistance includes food, clothing, emergency medicine, transportation, shelter, mortgages and utility assistance. The remaining $7 million in appeal money was directed for the funding of diocesan operations, ministries and initiatives.

The first distribution of grants, amounting to between $3,000 and $5,000 per parish or agency, took place in late October. As of February 15, $225,722 of the total $263,000 disbursement had been spent towards providing support for the needy.

The funding has helped to provide food to 5,063 families, amounting to 17,102 individuals; clothing to 92 families, for a total of 229 individuals; medicine to 18 families, totaling 27 individuals; rent or mortgage support to 192 families, or 511 individuals; utility assistance to 174 families, amounting to 492 individuals; and transportation assistance to 41 families, or 86 individuals.

A second round of grants was distributed in late February, with a total of $238,000 being disbursed to the same parishes and social service agencies to continue to aid their provision of services to those in need.

A final report on the distribution of the full funding will be made available July 15.

Grant funding provided through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal is separate from Hurricane Relief support.