A Vietnamese fishing family receives aid in St. Bernard's Parish.

A guest post by Catholic Charities of New Orleans.

CitizenGulf’s National Day of Action will help to support fishing families in coastal Louisiana through starting a Catholic Charities After School Assembly program in the affected area.

You might wonder why we are asking for donations for an after school program. How can that help the situation in the Gulf? Though we plan to provide this program for children, After School Assembly has proven to be a family strengthener. When children are educated and cared for in a safe and no-cost environment, it reduces the stress of the parents and the stress on the family. Because we consider the oil spill to be an economic mental health crisis, we are trying to help families through many varied services.

We have helped hundreds of families along the Louisiana coast with necessities, such as food and emergency bill payment, but they will continue to need our assistance as they struggle to regain their lives and livelihoods. Despite the fact that many of our fishing waters have been reopened and despite media reports that fish are considered safe to eat, many fishermen do not believe that the waters are safe and have not started fishing again.

We started After School Assembly after Hurricane Katrina to fill a need in our community. Many childcare facilities had been wiped out after the storm, and parents needed to know that their children were in a safe environment so that they could good go back to work and help our region’s economy to rebound. And we went further than simply providing childcare; our After School Assembly program provides tutoring and homework help, nutritious after-school snacks, art and other activities.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has given Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans another opportunity to help individuals and families in need. Our work not only addresses the most urgent needs like food and rent, but also has the potential to positively affect the health and safety of the entire family through our After School Assembly program. Thank you for opening your hearts to our community.