by Katie Patrick
We never know when disaster will strike. Watching the news it can seem like it’s one tragedy after another: earthquakes, floods, and fires. We see families whose possessions were destroyed, left behind, washed away, or gone up in flames. It’s impossible to replace family heirlooms, but it is also frustrating to be stranded without a clean pair of clothes and a pillow to rest your head on.
At Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska, we work together to respond to the needs of the community even, or rather, especially, when they need us the most. One of the ways that we are able to do this is through our new Divvy cards which were recently given to every employee at CSS. The Divvy Business Card is a smart corporate credit card that pairs with our financial software at CSS, to fully automate the expense-management process for our agency. In other words, this little credit card allows our staff who may be working remotely, on the road, or relaxing at home on the weekend, to respond to a crisis immediately. What used to be a system of paper check requests and laborious charts of program codes and project codes only available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, is now an app.
The flexibility of this new digital system recently enabled our staff to help a family whose home burned down in southwest Nebraska. Our emergency services coordinator was able to connect with the family in the hours after the house fire, which occurred over the weekend. The family lost many things in the fire, including essentials like pants, shirts, coats and personal care items.
While we quickly prioritized the more significant needs, we also grabbed a couple of books, a bag of toy blocks, and two stuffed animals for the little toddlers in the family. Though not familiar, these smaller things are often the ones that can make a scary or uncertain situation feel less so. They distract us, comfort us, and remind us that in times when we need it most, our family, friends, neighbors, and community will be there.
So long as we are able, through your generous donations and your prayers, CSS will continue to be there for the community in great ways, and in small ways too. Thank you and may God bless you!
