Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri opening district office in Cape Girardeau

Catholic Charites of Southern Missouri will soon open a Cape Girardeau office to help connect local people in need with services that can help them.

"We want to work with people who are falling through the loopholes," said Kyle Schott, a parishioner at St. Mary Cathedral who also serves on the board of directors for Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri.

"One of the things we have the advantage of, being associated with the Catholic Church, is that we are not profit-driven. We may be able to help people who won't be able to get help anywhere else," Schott said.

A former pizza restaurant across William Street from St. Mary's Catholic Church was recently purchased by the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and is being renovated to provide an office for Catholic Charities. The property is also used as additional parking for those attending church services.

Catholic Charities will hire a regional director to work out of the new Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri Eastern Region office in Cape Girardeau providing case management and counseling services in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison and northern Scott counties, Schott said.

"We want to provide organized professional social services to the people within the diocese," said Schott, who himself is a licensed counselor. "That's for anybody that's in need. Not just Catholics."

Case managers will seek to help people with immediate needs such as food and shelter, but also assist them with things like financial management and access to continuing education.

Schott said the organization hopes to have a director in place to begin working in September.

This new Cape Girardeau office for Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri has been planned for several years, Schott said. Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri was formed in 2008.

About 60 percent of dioceses in the U.S. have a locally operated Catholic Charities affiliated with the national organization Catholic Charities USA, Schott said.

St. Mary's food pantry will relocate to the Catholic Charities building, allowing the ministry to expand, Schott said.

St. Mary's food pantry serves more than 800 families a month, said volunteer Donnie Schuck. The food pantry has outgrown its current location near Old St. Vincent's Church on Spanish Street.

The food pantry will continue to be operated by St. Mary's. The new case worker, however, will be able to assist pantry volunteers in providing additional services to those who benefit from this ministry.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent Address: 615 William St., Cape Girardeau, MO