Client Stories

Camila and Alejandro* were only one and three years old when their parents traveled from Cuba to the United States to find greater opportunities and a better life for their family. The children stayed in Cuba with their grandparents who loved and cared for them. However, they missed their parents and yearned to be a family again.   After making the extremely perilous journey alone through several countries, the now 11 and 9-year-old Alejando and Camila arrived [...]

Lilian was traveling to the United States from Honduras when she was separated from her mother and siblings in October 2022. After being separated, Lilian gave birth to a baby girl. She and her daughter, Gisselle, were placed under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement before coming to the International Foster Care program with Catholic Charities Dallas in the spring of 2023.  Lilian and her daughter were placed with a foster family with young children. [...]

After battling cancer for a second time, Lisa struggled with her bills. She was behind on her rent and was looking for support to help her get her finances back on track. In May 2023, she found Catholic Charities Dallas and began attending financial coaching sessions through Next Gen Wealth Academy.   Next Gen Wealth Academy helps people thrive by creating a positive relationship with money through coaching, education, and personal development. CCD offers personalized financial coaching, including [...]

When Vivian Bustamante found out she was pregnant at 17, she shared that it was like entering a new world that she did not know much about. Vivian started attending weekly parenting classes at Catholic Charities Dallas to prepare herself to become a mother.  "I wanted to understand about my baby and how they develop so I could be a better parent," Vivian said.   Vivian shared that when she first started participating, getting diapers and other items [...]

Six years ago, Bianca fled a traumatic situation in Guatemala, and came to the United States as an unaccompanied refugee minor. From the minute she entered the U.S., CCD’s Children’s Services team has provided her with support. The first step was placing Bianca with a foster family through our International Foster Care program.  CCD’s International Foster Care (IFC) program provides short- and long-term foster care placements for unaccompanied refugee and immigrant youth. A range of holistic services [...]

Levi was already a very charismatic and sociable child when he joined the Together We Learn (TWL) program in 2022. Even though he seemed mature, his teachers found his language and cognitive skills were delayed for someone his age.   However, Levi quickly adapted to the program and loved all the activities that his teacher planned for him and his classmates. By the end of Levi's first year of TWL, his language and cognitive delays were remedied, and his [...]

Relief services don't always look the same. Whether it's housing assistance, medicine, food, or financial assistance, Catholic Charities understands that the one constant must always be a quick response. No one knows the importance of a quick response better than our client, Joseph, who was living in a motorhome in south Dallas. Last August, he found himself caught in a flood after a heavy rainstorm. "I had looked out and saw that it was very heavy rain. Over [...]

The CCD Parenting in Action classes provide an opportunity for parents in the community to learn more about different topics, including communicating with children, literacy, budgeting, and more. Material assistance, including diapers, clothing, and more, is available to parents at the end of each class. Tamica and her family began attending our Parenting in Action classes after learning about them online. She initially attended because she needed diapers; however, Tamica shared the classes are helpful and convenient, and [...]

Petra plays an active role in the upbringing of her seven grandchildren, including enrolling them in our Educational Services program, Together We Learn (TWL). She appreciates the program because it allows her family to learn and prepare for school. “When they go to school, they know many words, they are more advanced,” Petra shared. She also attends TWL for herself. Prior to participating in the program, Petra did not know many English words or letters. Thanks to Together [...]

Mobile food pantry at St Francis Frisco March 30, 2020 Faith in Action CCD continues to answer the call of those who are hungry. Facing layoffs, reduced hours and general economic insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a dramatic increase in families and individuals seeking food.   This past weekend, our Mobile Community Pantry traveled to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Frisco, where volunteers distributed meat, [...]