Catholic Charities- Diocese of Tyler

Parish nursing ministry the parish nursing ministry of Catholic charities-diocese of Tyler blends the practice of nursing with the beliefs of a faith community. It is a healing ministry caring for the mind, body and spirit, to promote the overall well-being of every person. Care provided by the nurses is noninvasive.registered nurses currently serve in churches, schools and outreach centers in an interdenominational collaborative effort to encourage and support ministries of both health and healing. Our nurses appreciate that all persons are sacred and must be treated with respect and dignity as they advocate with compassion and mercy. Our rn's specialize in spiritual and physical health and wholeness. They practice in the safe, familiar and comfortable environment of the church or school community. They serve as champions for health education and counseling. Nurses guide and support the patient as they travel through the health care system serving as health educators, health counselors, referral advisors and integrators of faith and healing. Health problems related to high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity and tobacco use are becoming more common. Parish nurses can aid in early detection and prevention as the best method to decrease the consequences of these events. Nurses working in the various program ministries will see over 14,000 patients annually. Infant safety projectcatholic charities-diocese of Tyler initially established the infant safety project to help combat sudden infant death syndrome (sids). Infants must have a safe place to sleep. With no crib or bassinet of their own, infants may be more susceptible to sids. Without a crib, mothers may be prone to placing a newborn in bed with them to sleep. Also problematic is placing a new infant in bed with siblings. If the baby is unable to move about and breathe freely in their own space, the child may be vulnerable to sudden infant death. The program has expanded to include free cribs for infant safe sleep, car seats for safe travel, diapers and infant formula to qualifying families serving approximately 5000 babies throughout the Diocese.

Hunger reliefcatholic charities upholds Catholic social teaching with the belief in the dignity of every human person. Every person is entitled to have basic needs met including food, shelter, clothing, education and health care. No one should have to put a child to bed hungry or be forced to choose between food, medicine, housing or utilities.catholic charities works with over 40 partner pantries in churches throughout the Diocese providing hunger relief to hundreds of families throughout east Texas.

Immigration legal servicescatholic charities-diocese of Tyler provides immigration legal services as a way to unite families and promote self-sufficiency through low-fee legal assistance. Catholic charities may offer services at reduced or no cost if a client is over 125% of Texas free lunch guidelines. Catholic charities staff attorney and legal representatives annually assist 400 u.s. citizens, lawful permanent residents and immigrants with:naturalization and citizenship, adjustment of status, legal permanent residency, immigrant domestic violence petitions, deferred action for childhood arrivals and power of attorney for minors

Disaster relief taking the lessons learned from previous disasters, Catholic charities developed a disaster readiness program including disaster preparedness manuals for individuals, families and churches and training sessions for disaster readiness. The manuals teach preparedness response and recovery for future disasters, from the smallest to the most devastating. Catholic charities is also an active member of east Texas voad (volunteer organizations active in disasters) coalition of nonprofits with a mission of pooling resources to assist east Texas communities during disasters.