The Mother Teresa Fund for the Working Poor has been established to assist individuals and
families who, due to the extenuating circumstances of their lives, are unable to acquire the essential
necessities they or their family requires. Extenuating circumstances are often accidents, illnesses,
natural disasters or other family crises. Essential necessities that the Mother Teresa Fund will help
with may be food, clothing, medicine, fuel assistance, utilities or car repair. We provide assistance
according to the specific needs of the individual or family through gift certificates for food and
clothing or direct payment to the vendor such as the doctor or pharmacy. Families will also be given
a list of local resources that may also be of assistance to them.

Determination of eligibility will be based on the following guidelines:
a.)        One member of the family unit must be employed, and
b.)        The family unit is not receiving any other government assistance, and
c.)        The family unit resides in the towns of northern Berkshire County,  Massachusetts   including
the City of Pittsfield.            
A review of the individual circumstances will also be considered. The benefit may be limited by the
amount allocated to the fund and by number of approved requests. All requests should be directed
to either Rev. John or Sister Joan.

There is limited funding presently available. The Mission Council has committed to three or four
fund raising events throughout the year. Please remember the working poor by designating a
donation to the Mother Teresa Fund. Your tax deductible donation could provide a hard working
family with a little extra food, school clothes for the kids, professional attire for job search,
emergency medication or doctor's visit and possibly a little utility assistance. Remember, these are
hard working folks who receive no public assistance. They are desperately trying to hang on to a
little pride and self-respect. Perhaps they earned too much to qualify for food stamps. Even more
likely, they can't afford health insurance but need a doctor's advice. Sometimes they just need
occasional help to keep them from falling off the fence. Please write your donation to St. Mary
Magdalen Catholic Mission and indicate that you are designating it to the Mother Teresa Fund for
the Working Poor. Please help your hard working brothers and sisters.
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Mother Teresa Fund for the
Working Poor