ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Michelle Prockup is the director of Catholic Social Services of Baldwin County. She knows about giving help.

Prockup has had to learn some hard lessons about asking for help recently. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of last year. She’s done with chemotherapy and radiation now, and doing well, but a few things stay with her.

“It was one of those ‘aha’ moments,” she said. “I am not Catholic Social Services, I work at Catholic Social Services. That was huge and a little hurtful. I thought I could fix anything, but fixing for myself required calling on my ‘village,’ my family, friends, staff and church. I had to learn to say ‘yes’ when people wanted to help.” She especially wanted to mention her boss.

“I am thankful to Marilyn King for all her understanding,” Prockup said.

CSS, a United Way agency, offers a number of services, from emergency services that might help with food, utilities and shelter, a legal immigration program, the Angel Food ministry offering low-cost food for a family of four for $30, a thrift store, Project REACH for Baldwin County students and counseling, a program for the disabled homeless, medical funding, case management, referrals to Ozanam Pharmacy, a gift project at Christmas and disaster services.

There are more programs, and Prockup is pleased with all of them.

“I like seeing the goodness in people,” she said. And she had one point that she especially wanted to make.

“We have the best thrift shop in the area,” she said.

Prockup did not set out to become a social services director.

“I’m originally from Dothan,” she said. Wanting to be “free from Momma,” she went away to school. And failed.

“I was in debt,” she said. Prockup went to work in the religious education office of the Mobile Archdiocese. She paid off her debt and started going back to school part-time.

“I heard about the refugee program,” she said. The job, she said, was good training for Baldwin County.

While the county is comparatively well-off — “We’ve been blessed,” Prockup says — there are still needs.

“There are three things,” she said. “First, affordable housing. Second, jobs that pay enough to live on and affordable health insurance, and three, transportation. BRATS is great, but we need BRATS times two.”

She added quickly that the people of Baldwin County have been “very generous.”

“There is one lady who brings in the eggs from her chickens,” said Prockup with a smile. “I love to give away eggs.” She noted that fresh eggs, which are high in nutrition, are not in reach of many budget-strapped people.

So, her clients are all Catholic, right?

Wrong.

“Most of our clients are Protestant or unchurched,” said Prockup, adding that CSS collects the data simply for information purposes. No one, she said, is turned away because of their faith.

A handout provided by Prockup showed that of the 107 people helped in December 2010, 16.8 percent were Catholic, 20.5 percent were nondenominational, 46.7 percent were Protestant, and 6.7 percent listed “other” as their faith.