United States Region

Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the Network of Scalabrini Centers and Parishes in the United States assist with the distribution of food, medicines, quarantine supplies, financial aid to cover housing expenses for families and homeless, as well as support with utility bills. Staff members and pastors devote efforts to remotely, by telephone and social networks, offering information on health insurance (applications, renewals), COVID-19 tests orientation, unemployment application, local benefits, and mental health and counseling support to individuals, women, and the elderly. Sadly, the number of calls about domestic violence has increased during March and April.

Underserved populations, irregular migrants, migrant workers and their families in the United States continue to be targeted for revictimization and social and economic exclusion. Unfortunately, federal and state relief is for some, but not all. Medical coverage, unemployment insurance benefits, and other income aids exclude a large section of the noncitizen population and more than 4 million immigrant workers, typically unauthorized, who pay income taxes but use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) rather than Social Security numbers. Scalabrinian centers continue working for and in the communities and struggle every day to validate and advocate for their rights in times of pandemic.