Government Failure Leads to Severe Underfunding of Catholic Charities, Impacting Vulnerable Virgin Islanders

Catholic Charities receives only 18% of promised funding for FY2024, forcing the organization to dip into reserves and halt critical outreach services. Dept. of Human Services apologizes, but blames bureaucratic delays at the Dept. of Finance

Of the $449,000 appropriated by the Legislature to Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands in FY2024, the organization reports only receiving $82,000. That figure accounts for approximately eighteen percent of funding promised to the entity.

The startling update was provided to members of the Senate Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications on Monday by Richard Bourne-Vanneck, chair of the board of Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands. Describing it as an “eighty-two per cent de facto reduction in our anticipated revenues from public sector financing,” Mr. Bourne-Vanneck told lawmakers that it has become “impossible for Catholic Charities to continue providing the daily relief needed by the less fortunate in this community.” Relying solely on private donors, he said, is not enough to bridge the gap, as public funding accounts for approximately half of the organization’s annual budget.