NATCHEZ &8212; A child no more than 8 years old walked into the Guardian Shelter with his mother and sibling the other day, still emotionally shaken and unsure of their safety.

&8220;He had tried to stop his father from hurting his father and had sustained an injury in the process,&8221; said Martha Mitternight, executive director of Catholic Charities in Natchez, which operates the shelter for battered families.

&8220;He told the lady working (at the shelter) that night she was like his grandmother. Then he asked if it was true that his daddy couldn&8217;t come into the shelter. When she said yes, you could just see him relax. Then he said, &8216;I think I&8217;m going to like it here.&8217;&8221;

It&8217;s not an uncommon story for the personnel at Catholic Charities to tell: a woman and her children flee an abusive husband and, leaving with nothing, must be provided everything.

&8220;Most importantly, we can provide a safe and secure place for families to catch their breath and take a look at how they can change their lives,&8221; Mitternight said.

In this and a variety of other situations, the nonprofit &8212; which benefits from Catholic Diocese funding, grants, United Way funds and other donations &8212; steps in to fill the needs.

And despite its name, it steps in no matter whether the person in need is Catholic or not.

Another myth: Catholic Charities and other agencies helping those in crisis need help from the community during Christmas most of all. While the holidays get people in the giving spirit, Mitternight said the agency can use the assistance of the community year-round.

&8220;As always, each program can use cash donations,&8221; Mitternight said.

And those cash donations can be used to match grant funds Catholic Charities gets from other sources, leveraging one dollar into two, three or four in some cases.

The agency&8217;s services include the following:

4The Guardian Shelter, which provides food, shelter,

clothing, medical care and other services for battered families throughout the area.

People are allowed to stay 30 days at the shelter itself and, after that time, are assisted in finding housing, whether in on-site apartments or at other locations.

4Services for other specific populations: In addition to the Guardian Shelter and Guardian Sexual Assault Center, the agency has other programs to deal with needs of other specific groups.

In the Healthy Start program, social workers go throughout Adams, Jefferson and Claiborne counties to help young women prepare for motherhood.

Clients learn about pre- and postnatal care and can continue to receive services until the child is 3 years old.

The Peaceful End program helps older people be safe and get good nutrition and medical care.

4Emergency services: funding for such needs as rent, utilities and groceries.

4Counseling services, including alcohol and drug counseling.

Most recently, Catholic Charities started its newest offering, a long-term recovery program for hurricane victims.

The program provides case management services and financial help to people relocating to this area or provides transportation for those who have found homes elsewhere.

In addition, the agency keeps a listing of homes and available jobs offered by organizations and individuals outside the Miss-Lou.

Money donated to Catholic Charities can be used in any way the donor sees fit, Mitternight said.

&8220;We will honor whatever restriction the donor wishes to place on the gift,&8221; she added, noting that community has always been generous with its giving when asked to contribute.

However, money isn&8217;t the only thing the agency needs. In fact, a current list of needs shows everything from hygiene products for the shelter to kindergarten mats for its day care.

Perhaps most importantly, the agency&8217;s Guardian Sexual Assault Center needs volunteers to be trained for responding to emergency room calls. &8220;We see people under lots of stress and really needing help,&8221; Mitternight said. &8220;When realize what a burden they&8217;re living their lives under, it makes us even more determined to do our jobs and to do them well.&8221;