ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — The building does not look like much, a few offices in front of a thrift store on Highway 59 in Robertsdale, but to people in need, that building is golden.

It’s called Catholic Social Services of Baldwin County. And while the services there are affiliated with the Archdiocese of Mobile, a person in need does not have to be a Roman Catholic or a Christian to get help, but must be a resident of Baldwin or Escambia (Ala.) county, says Gloria Hehman, a case manager with the organization.

She sees some truly desperate cases.

“We are an emergency aid office,” Hehman said. “We can help with food, rent, utility bills.” She added that through Project Reach, some needy students can get their school supplies and special school fees paid.

“We also have a Christmas program,” said Hehman. “The children get three presents, and lots of food.”

The organization and the Ladies of Charity also sponsor an “Adopt a Grandma-Grandpa” program that seeks to provide 160 Christmas “Senior Bags” containing things like puzzles, candles, boxes of Kleenex, bath wipes and other little luxuries and necessities to area nursing home and senior complex residents. Call Joanne Steward at 965-6789 for more information

The need in Baldwin County has been increasing. And the United Way agency has seen more people coming to their door.

“The need has really increased during the past three to four months,” said Hehman. “The need has been with food. There have been increasing prices, but income is staying the same.”

“The need has been increasing over the past few months,” agreed Stella Knight, another CSS case manager. She has been with the organization for seven years.

“We went back,” said Knight, “and now we are seeing 50-60 people a week, especially families looking for food. We used to see 25-30 people a week. The price of gas has gone through the roof. We are talking to people who are working at gas stations and retail shops.”

CSS is still feeling the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

“We were a disaster center,” said Hehman. “The place practically had a revolving door. We still see the results of the storm, but it’s a different kind of need now.”

The organization gets its food and other resources from a variety of sources.

“We get food,” said Hehman, “from churches and some private donations allow us to purchase food. We also get help from the food bank in Mobile. Tommy Cain’s grocery stores donates a lot of good, but out-of-date food. We also get leftover bread from Panera.”

Sometime, it’s the simplest thing that brings home the plight of needy families.

“I gave a little girl, 10 or 12 years old, a big uncut loaf of bread,” recalled Hehman. “You would have thought I’d have given her a treasure. You don’t realize how hungry families are.”

Hehman has been with the program 17 years.

“The Ladies of Charity started a thrift operation, that grew into the store (behind the offices),” said Hehman, adding that the store, now a part of Catholic Charities, sells clothing, dishes, small household appliances, furniture, shoes and is a “great resource” according the Hehman, for CSS, especially for families who have lost everything to a storm or fire. CSS also offers counseling services.

The typical family Hehman sees is a working family.

“I don’t see a lot of families that are not working,” Hehman said. “What we see are people who are working, and caring for themselves. Then they have a crisis, or there is some emergency, or they have just been laid off. At first they are embarrassed, and they say they “never thought they’d be in this place.” They hate to ask (for help) and we know it is a temporary problem, We’re all just a paycheck away from this sort of trouble.”

While CSS can help, the help is limited and temporary. Hehman says much of her job is connecting families with other social service agencies.

“When we start to see someone more than one time in a month, we start the process of getting other support,” said Hehman.

Hehman added that the agency will help people fill out the application for food stamps, help with the gas needed to go and apply for food stamps, and give information on free and low-cost medical clinics.

Knight is finishing up the details of an immigration program that will assist legal immigrants with the often confusing process of obtaining American citizenship.

“We are still deciding what to charge,” said Knight. “The office has been accredited with the Board of Immigration Appeals. “Our focus will be on family-based immigration.” The Baldwin County office will coordinate its efforts and fee structure with sister agencies in Montgomery and Dothan.

Legal immigrants will be able to access services such as updating visas, and applying for citizenship, Knight added. The program will formally open “in the next couple of months, after we iron out a few details.”

“People want to update their visas, and now want to become citizens,” said Knight. “It can be a long process.”

Catholic Social Service of Baldwin County is located at 23010 Highway 59 North in Robertsdale. The phone number is 947-2293, and it can be reached via e-mail at cssbald@gulftel.com.