WASHINGTON — Catholic Charities, one of the major organizations providing relief to Gulf Coast residents impacted by the BP oil spill, reports that its agencies in the region have provided services to more than 20,000 individuals and more than 7,000 families since the spill.

But many more individuals and families impacted by the spill need assistance than Catholic Charities and other nonprofits have the resources to help, said Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities USA president.

He testified at a July 20 House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee hearing to urge the federal government to take immediate steps to further assist individuals and families afflicted by the Gulf spill.

"There is a dire need to access greater funding that can be used to serve the immediate and long-term needs of the growing vulnerable population," Father Snyder said.

He urged the federal government to take steps to help the Gulf, including implementing a national disaster declaration for the area, developing a regional strategy for long-term recovery and creating a new disaster unemployment assistance program, among other measures.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., subcommittee chairman, said at the hearing, "Our neighbors on the Gulf Coast need to know that we don’t just see the television images of the spewing oil well, or the oil-soaked birds and beaches, but that we see the human faces of this tragedy."

Father Snyder noted that his organization’s efforts to raise funds from the American public have yielded underwhelming results.

That is because most of the American public believes BP is ultimately responsible for setting things right after the spill, he said.

"(People) have kind of exonerated themselves from any need to take part in relief," Father Snyder said.

In May, BP gave $1 million to the Archdiocese of New Orleans for oil spill relief, with $750,000 earmarked for the archdiocese’s Catholic Charities agency. Father Snyder said at the hearing that other than those funds, which were depleted by June, Catholic Charities has received only $37,000 in charitable donations from the public to fund relief work.

Lewis said that amount from the public was "unreal" and "unbelievable." He asked Snyder how the lack of giving and lack of funds have impacted Catholic Charities’ Gulf relief work.

"We are turning people away," Father Snyder replied. "Our reserves are not meeting the need at this time."