New Orleans diocese gets $15 million ‘recovery’ grant

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New Orleans has received the largest single grant in its history — $15 million from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation — to oversee a collaborative of nonprofit organizations that will provide direct assistance, counseling and job force training to coastal Louisiana fishing families affected by the 2010 BP oil spill.
The grant, announced Sept. 7, was part of the original $100 million in funding that BP gave to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation in 2010 to establish a fund targeted to help oil rig workers and oil rig supply companies affected by the spill.
But because the demand for that funding was far less than anticipated, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation transferred $75 million to establish a “Future of the Gulf Fund,” which will fund the efforts of local nonprofits to help people, wildlife and the environment in the Gulf Coast area, said John Davies, president and CEO of the foundation.
Altogether, Davies announced $18 million in grants Sept. 7, with Catholic Charities receiving the lion’s share for an 18-month program that will allow the continuation and expansion of its Spirit of Hope Collaborative.
The $15 million is dedicated for specific purposes, said Gordon Wadge, president and chief executive officer. Spirit of Hope will help oil spill families gain access to mental health and career counseling; offer direct assistance for food, utilities, housing and transportation; and provide job training for fishermen who might want to begin other careers.
The $15 million grant is believed to be the largest single donation in Catholic Charities’ history, Wadge said.