Thirty thousand people receive aid each year from Catholic Community Services. From food and electricity to housing and parenting classes, the service center reaches out to community members in need of assistance, tailoring the aid to the individual.
“They believe that each person has unique gifts to share. Therefore, their staff works to recognize and cultivate the giftedness in every person they serve,” according to the Catholic Charities Web site.
Catholic Community Services’ goal is to help each person obtain self-sufficiency and become participating, healthy community members.
The organization is the single largest distributor of food in the Eugene-Springfield area. Through different distribution sites, they provide 7 tons of food each week in both Eugene and Springfield, which amounts to 1.4 million pounds of food each year. The food goes to low-income families and individuals who would not otherwise have enough food and groceries.
As well as providing food, CCS provides energy assistance to low-income community members who cannot afford to pay their bills.
“A lot of people don’t have money for food, rent and energy bills,” said Ed Emonks, executive director of CCS. “Most local utilities have programs to help people pay bills and programs to encourage others to contribute to the fund for those who are unable to pay.”
One program that CCS works with is the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, which helps pay the energy bills of many of its low-income clients.
For many clients, however, having bills to pay means they at least have
a home. Catholic Community Services has a variety of housing options,
such as the Murnane Mutual Home, located near campus. The home is
for young mothers who are in substance abuse recovery programs. The home offers up to six months of stable housing while the women learn
job skills, continue their education and participate in substance recovery classes.
Other housing programs help low-income families pay rent while they work on reaching the goals of self-sufficiency.
As well as offering housing for young mothers, CCS has parenting classes that teach healthy parenting. Many of the classes guide young parents in nutrition and household management, as well as help them find jobs and homes.
“One class is for young fathers,” Emonks said. “We teach the rights
and responsibilities that come with
fatherhood.”
For many low-income people, one obstacle to employment is reliable transportation; CCS helps by providing bus tokens or bus passes. They will also donate $10 toward a Greyhound bus pass.
Other services provided by CCS
are those that many people might take for granted.
“We have a free phone and can provide information,” program coordinator Stephanie Talbott said. “We also help with things like getting prescription medications and ID cards that people need.”
Catholic Community Services has 30 paid employees and approximately 40 active volunteers.
“We run with comparatively low administrative costs,” Emonks said. “We are under 10 percent, which is pretty darn good.”
Employees are dedicated to helping low-income families.
Talbott started working for CCS two years ago.
“I was in the corporate world,” said Talbott, who was on the CCS board of directors for 17 years and has been the executive director for almost two. “It was all about cutting wages and saving money so the CEO could make an eight-figure salary instead of seven. I didn’t want to be a part of that.”

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