IT’S WORKING: Catholic Charities San Antonio Lays Off Half Its Staff

 
Catholic Charities San Antonio has laid off half of its staff during a time when federal spending cuts are impacting agencies nationwide.

“For us to now have to stop all these services and stop helping people, it is very sad,” said Antonio Fernandez, Catholic Charities SA president and CEO.

The new reality has set in over the last 45 days. Out of the nearly 400-person workforce, the nonprofit has been forced to lay off about 200 people, affecting programs such as refugee resettlement services.

“We had to let go mostly in our immigration departments, but in other departments as well,” Fernandez said.

Payments from the federal government have halted since January, putting Catholic Charities SA in a financial bind. Fernandez said the U.S. government is withholding $7.6 million worth of funding that was initially approved. Two other contracts worth $60 million have been terminated.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Charities-run Migrant Resource Center phased out operations in February due to the low number of new entries of asylum seekers.

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