This is a repost from the Catholic Herald. Original Article is Here: https://catholicherald.org/local/coalition-receives-state-support-to-serve-the-disconnected/
For many people, Christmas is a time of joy — a coming together of family and friends. But for those in our midst who are isolated — such as some elderly, disabled and homebound people — feelings of loneliness and its detrimental health effects may be even greater than at other times of the year.
Fostering a social connection and a sense of belonging among isolated people in the community — not just at Christmas, but all year long — is a focal outreach effort of Mother of Perpetual Help in West Allis.
“The initial idea was to reach out to senior parish members — many who had become disconnected from the church after COVID, but also for other reasons,” said Fr. Matthew Perumpil, M.I., who serves as pastor of Mother of Perpetual Help. “For example, they may have moved to a senior home or are unable to come to church due to health issues.”
Under Fr. Perumpil’s leadership, the parish quickly got to work identifying those who had become disconnected, and established a pastoral ministry team to serve them. Sr. Lincy Augustine, S.J.T., joined the team to lead this effort.
“We’ve been finding people in different ways,” Sr. Lincy said. “Some we cold-call, using the directory, but they might not answer the phone — so we knocked on doors. We met with parishioners in other ministries and groups and asked: who used to come and who is no longer coming? These are all ways we establish a connection.”
Fr. Perumpil estimated there are between 60-65 parishioners who are considered homebound, and another 20-30 who are partially limited for another reason — for example, they can no longer drive. Fr. Perumpil recognized that these numbers are only increasing — not only in his parish but across the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. After initial discussions with leaders from other parishes, he realized that many do not have plans in place to reach out to the elderly who have become disconnected.
“These are people who supported the parish all their lives. Now is when they need the parish to reach out to them the most,” Fr. Perumpil said. “However, the only way we will know someone needs help is if they tell us. Many people won’t tell us they are struggling because they don’t want to feel like they are being a ‘burden.’ Then other people won’t ask if a person needs help because they don’t want to seem nosy. It’s really a mindset that needs to change.”
As a member of the Mission Team at St. Camillus Life Plan Community, which provides services to older adults, Fr. Perumpil is keenly aware of the detrimental health impacts of social isolation and loneliness on older adults and people with disabilities. In recent years, the issue has become a public health concern — and the State of Wisconsin is taking notice. Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services funded a statewide grant program focused on addressing the epidemic of loneliness and isolation among older adults and people with disabilities. Seeing an opportunity to build from the work he had started in his own parish, Fr. Perumpil approached Kelly Gaglione, who serves with him on the Mission Team at St. Camillus, and they wrote a proposal to form a faith-based Coalition to Address Social Isolation and Loneliness.
“Much to our delight, the state not only awarded us one of the grants but said very specifically that the coalition had a unique ability to reach older adults and people with disabilities that others do not because it is based upon a high level of trust that is already present due to longstanding past membership, and well-known community institutions,” said Gaglione, Director of Mission Initiatives and St. Camillus Serves at St. Camillus.
Members of the coalition include the Archdiocese of Milwaukee; parishes in West Allis, Wauwatosa and New Berlin, including St. Therese, St. Barnabas, St. Vincent Pallotti, St. Jude, St. Joseph, Christ King and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; West Allis Senior Center; West Allis Health Department; the Wauwatosa Health Department; St. Camillus Life Plan Community; and Catholic Charities.
The grant has helped accelerate the outreach under way at Mother of Perpetual Help and foster opportunities to share ideas with other parishes looking to start or enhance their outreach to the lonely and isolated. The congregation has already established Ministers of Care, a group of about 26 senior ministry volunteers who visit parishioners identified as homebound/isolated. The frequency and duration of interactions vary depending on the needs and interests of the individual. Some volunteers offer transportation to Mass or social events. Others make home visits, which can include bringing Holy Communion and praying together, as well as friendly conversation over cookies.
The program has been received with great enthusiasm by both volunteers and participants. One homebound member stated, “Thank you very much for remembering me! Thank you for the extra efforts and the time to make us feel wanted.”
Senior ministry volunteers are similarly uplifted by the experience and the newfound friendships they are developing. Some even say it is their “mission” in retirement.
“Many volunteers do not see it as ‘service,’” Sr. Lincy said. “They find that making the visits is a joy — and they are uplifted by the visits on the days when they struggle in their own lives. This causes the volunteers to question, ‘Who is really serving who?’ We all serve each other.”
The state’s goal is to keep people healthy and happy in their home settings, which is where most want to be anyway, and reduce dependence on state supported programs.
“The whole idea is to create a replicable model to address social isolation and loneliness in older adults and disabled individuals that could be used for a variety of parishes across the 10-county archdiocese and beyond,” Gaglione said. “Just sharing ideas within the coalition is valuable. There is so much we can learn from one another, and we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
If you’d like to learn more about the ministry, contact Mother of Perpetual Help Parish at [email protected].