Bishop Duca blesses new truck

CCDBR recently unveiled a 26-foot box truck intended to assist in distributing disaster relief materials following a disaster. The truck was purchased with funds raised during the 2016 flood earmarked for disaster preparedness through Catholic Charities USA. 

“CCDBR’s expertise in disasters is both respected and actively sought out,” said CCDBR Executive Director Aguillard. “Since 2005, our agency has been involved in or deployed to help in 23 disasters across the globe.” 

Aguillard said those disasters include 12 hurricanes, five floods, three tornadoes, tsunami, wildfire and conservation.  Although 17 of the 23 disasters were in Louisiana, mostly in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, CCDBR’s expertise has been felt from the New England states to American Samoa, Aguillard said. 

Two years ago, CCDBR relief workers responded in Lake Charles when that area was decimated by Hurricane Laura. A year later, those same workers donned their familiar green vests and loaded the visible trailers to reach out to Hurricane Ida victims throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge area. 

“Since 2005, Catholic Charities USA has provided more than $170 million dollars in donations to the Catholic Charities agencies in the state of Louisiana, who in turn, have assisted more than 1.3 million men, women and children with their disaster response and recovery needs,” Aguillard said. 

He added that of the 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, Louisiana has received human, financial and in-kind resources from 110 of those agencies, or 67% of the entire network. 

Bishop Michael G. Duca blessed the truck before he celebrated the annual Hurricane Mass on June 1 at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge. 

"Hurricane season in Louisiana is often a time of worry and anxiety for a lot of people,” Aguillard said. “We are wanting to start the 2022 season off with hope.”