We recently finished preparing our annual report for our last fiscal year (which ended June 30), and I was again impressed, moved and even blown away at how many people Catholic Charities helped this past year.

We helped more than 167,000 men, women and children in that year, more than any other pre-pandemic year in the agency’s history. Such great works of love living out the gospel are only possible thanks to your support and our amazing staff and volunteers.

Our plate is fuller than ever responding to the needs of the community. In addition to our ongoing food programs, shelter operations, health care and mental health assistance, job programs, and more, we have been asked to take on additional responsibilities helping immigrants being bussed to our area from Texas, Arizona and, in some cases, Florida.

About 10,000 people have arrived by busses since the spring, and I’m happy to report that 80 percent have found their way to locations where they have family, friends or others to help get a fresh start in our country. All were documented immigrants seeking asylum because of dangers and political issues in their home countries.

The steady flow of people arriving in our area began on Good Friday, which was April 15. Since then, we have been lobbying and cajoling governments to get involved. Our pleas fell on deaf ears for a time, but in early September D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared the situation a public emergency and released $10 million to create an Office of Migrant Services to assist with the influx of immigrants.

Catholic Charities was asked to help take care of about 25 families from Venezuela who were bussed here. That number grew to 100 families within a week and 200 families within two weeks. Those families are being given room and board in local hotels by the D.C. government, and we are handling the case work – helping the families get acclimated, enroll their children in schools, get work permits and look for jobs, find places to live. It’s a substantial amount of work and effort for our team to assist the many who have been bussed here.

I view this as our sweet spot at Catholic Charities. When people come to us, they need basic help like food, shelter, clothing and health care – the necessities that many of us take for granted or enjoy in abundance. We say “yes” and help however we can.

The fact that the city came to us and asked us to be a lead agent helping those who come our way is a great compliment to our Church here in Washington and to Catholic Charities itself. It is also an acknowledgement to our faith and Jesus’ command to care for the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and all who are in need. While the extra work is difficult and stretching our staff even further, I am thrilled to say that we’re making progress in helping more individuals who are in need.

We are also able to serve record numbers of people thanks to so many of you who step in to help. While writing this article today, I was approached by representatives from the Father’s Club at The Heights School that wants to cook Thanksgiving meals for 200 people. This was another reminder of how much people want to help and make a difference.

The Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s sisters, have been serving about 200 meals every Monday to the Venezuelan families that were bussed here. Sister Tanya asked us if we would be able to do a coat drive for the children as we get ready for colder weather. We did one at St. Bartholomew’s, where I reside, and received a couple hundred coats through our school, religious education program, and the parish as a whole. Another local parish, St. Mary’s in Rockville, has also picked up the charge and is collecting coats as well.

There are more opportunities than ever to get involved and help our brothers and sisters in need. These efforts can be a regular commitment or help address a specific need like a home-cooked meal, a coat drive, or any basic response that helps people in our city be fed, clothed and treated with dignity in a way that speaks to the care we have as a Church and as a community.

While I struggle with the approach to immigration that has brought so many our way, I do not struggle at all with the belief that once people are in our midst, it’s the job of Catholic Charities – and therefore my job – to assist in any way we can.

We would love to have you join us. We have a very strong volunteer office at Catholic Charities, and I know they will help find places for families and individuals to share their time, talent and treasure. You can find more information at www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/volunteer. You can also email volunteer@cc-dc.org or call 202-772-4394. We welcome any and all opportunities to partner with you in caring for those less fortunate than we are.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m even more aware of how blessed I am. I suspect you are as well. Maybe the holidays this year could become even more important to you and your family as you find ways to give back, to help those in need, and to let the light of Jesus shine forth through you to so many who are reaching out for assistance in this time and place.

(Msgr. John Enzler, the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, writes the “Faith in Action” column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard newspaper and website and for the archdiocese’s Spanish-language El Pregonero newspaper and website.)