When a natural disaster occurs in the United States, electronic donations may be made and parish collections may be directed to Catholic Charities USA. They and their member agencies respond to immediate emergency needs for such necessities as water, food, shelter, and medical care, as well as to the long-term need to rebuild and recover after widespread destruction. They also assist the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with the pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church. Their contact information follows:  www.catholiccharitiesusa.org, Catholic Charities USA, P.O. Box 17066, Baltimore, MD 21297-1066 - 800-919-9338

When a disaster happens in another country, collections and individual donations should be directed to Catholic Relief Services (CRS):
www.crs.org, Catholic Relief Services, P. O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21297-0303 - (Please write the specific incident in the memo line) -1-877-Help-CRS

In some instances, such as the case of Hurricane Dorian, both domestic and international aid are desperately needed.

The important thing is not the way people participate, but rather that they do. The people of God in our Diocese are always incredibly generous in responding during these difficult moments.