Salley Zgolinski has been the director of community services for Catholic Charities for five years. But until now, she has never seen a greater need to help individuals pay for food, rent, and other necessities.

“It’s heartbreaking to hear the fear in their voice, and the frustration,” Zgolinski said.

According to Zgolinski, the requests are typically for a few hundred dollars to cover unpaid bills. But due to the pandemic, and some being unable to work, requests are now in the thousands. This time of year, she says the top need is utilities.

“Just not having your heat is enough to be a health hazard,” Zgolinski said.

With the need growing, the announcement that the National Grid Foundation is providing $250,000 to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany comes as a huge relief for case managers like Zgolinski.

That doubles the amount they received last year.

“While in the past, we may have helped a family with $250, we might be able to help them with, say, $350,” said Jack Simeone, chief program officer for Catholic Charities.

He became involved with the funding program when it started over a decade ago. Simeone estimates the record amount will help 750 households this year in the 14-county region.

“As we meet with families and hear their stories, they really are, literally and figuratively, stretched beyond the means that they have in front of them,” Simeone said.

For those that need the assistance, Simeone says they can call their county-based Catholic Charities office. Zgolinski says the sooner individuals reach out, the better.

“We don’t pass judgment. We want people to reach out to us and address the problem before it becomes really too big to address,” Zgolinski said.