Caseworkers making house calls to remaining shut-ins

5/1/2009—Baton Rouge, LA—Over the last two weeks, 60 Brandywine residents have sought assistance from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge (CCDBR). Caseworkers were onsite today making house calls to a handful of elderly and disabled residents.

“So far, we’ve helped 33 families to relocate and disbursed $12,200 for deposits and fees,” said David Aguillard, CCDBR Executive Director. “However 27 households haven’t found alternative housing and others have later appointments—so the final total is still in question.”

“Today, our goal is the safety of the residents remaining at Brandywine,” said Aguillard. He added most who haven’t found a permanent home have moved in with friends or family, but the agency will continue to help as long as its resources allow.

Aguillard says donations from the community are still needed. “We’ll need more funds to continue the work we’ve started,” said Aguillard.
In addition to the $10K in disaster funds from Catholic Charities USA and the funds committed by the City, individuals heard about the story and donated $1,305. 

“Knowing that hard-working, kind-hearted people still care about children, elderly and disabled—that’s the silver lining in this whole mess,” said Aguillard. “Those are the innocents in this situation, but the most impacted in terms of their ability to rebound from the blow.”

CCDBR continues to work closely with East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council Member Donna Collins-Lewis and the City/Parish Division of Human Development and Service who matched the CCUSA disaster grant with $10K.

Over the past couple of weeks, case workers have met with each of the 60 heads of households. Every story is different, but all are complex and tragic. They’ve heard from owners who bought their units years ago, rightly thinking they could live out their golden years at Brandywine. Their dream has turned into a nightmare overnight.

“Many residents are challenged to find affordable housing,” said Aguillard. “Many live on fixed incomes, making most available housing out of reach.”

Call 225-336-8770 if you would like to make a donation.