Helpline 866-223-7500
Helpline 866-223-7500
Maria and her son, Juan, share a moment at the park. Through early-childhood support services, Maria gained the tools to help her son grow and connect. Maria remembers what it felt like to not have answers. She knew her son Juan needed support. However, she didn’t know where to turn, what steps to take, or how to help him communicate and connect with the world around him. Like many parents in Irving and [...]
Molly stands outside the Marillac Community Center, where she found the resources and community she needed. "I do things I would never ordinarily do at home, like talk to people or get to know people." - Molly For many older adults living on a fixed income, even a small reduction in Social Security benefits can create impossible choices, especially when it comes to food. In Dallas and across North Texas, seniors are quietly facing [...]
Dallas, TX — October 23, 2024 - Catholic Housing Initiative (CHI), together with Catholic Charities Dallas, is proud to announce the grand opening of St. Jude Center-Vantage Point in North Dallas. Permanent supportive housing and services is provided at the new facility to address homelessness in the city. St. Jude Center-Vantage Point is a home for 136 residents ages 18 and older. CHI acquired and renovated the former hotel property, transforming it into a safe, welcoming community. [...]
Scott and Sarah have always felt a calling to foster children. The couple, who have six biological children, have fostered several times and hosted international exchange students. After living outside of Texas for several years, the family moved back to the Dallas area in 2017. "One Sunday, soon after moving back to Texas, Sarah mentioned getting back into foster parenting," Scott said. "That very day, Catholic Charities did a presentation about International Foster Care after Mass. It [...]
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 [...]
Jane* had been homeless and living at the Austin Street Shelter when she was introduced to Catholic Charities Dallas for the first time. After spending more than three years in shelters and on the streets, Jane was overjoyed with the opportunity to move into St. Jude Forest. St. Jude Center Forest Lane opened in August 2018. The center has 104 efficiency, residential units for individuals who are 55 and over. Jane was among the first residents to [...]
Dariana registered at her community school in January 2022. However, since English was her second language and she struggled with reading, she was enrolled in kindergarten instead of first grade with other students her age. At the end of the school year, Dariana had not progressed as she should and needed to repeat kindergarten. After seeing her daughter's challenges in the classroom, Dariana's mother began looking for an after-school tutoring program. Dariana started attending CCD’s After School [...]
At Catholic Charities Dallas, we know from experience that even the smallest act of true generosity can change a life. Our clients’ incredible stories are proof of the impact generosity has on the lives of individuals, families, and our entire community. Click the button below to read the latest issue of our Mission Moment! Read the Mission Moment
Omid grew up in Afghanistan and lived with his father, stepmother, and extended family. He never imagined leaving, but when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, 14-year-old Omid decided to flee to escape the turmoil and upheaval in the country. Omid and his friends were able to board an outgoing plane during the evacuation, which took him to Qatar. He stayed on a military base there for 15 days before coming to the United [...]
Susana has always believed in helping her children learn and grow. She is the mother of two young children and is expecting another child. Susana was thrilled to learn about the Together We're Better (TWB) program several months ago and immediately signed up to participate. Together We're Better is a mobile 16-week program that equips parents of children under five with the necessary parenting tools, hands-on literacy experiences, case management, and free basic needs (diapers and food) [...]
The Community Health Clinic (CHC) has provided compassionate and high-quality health care to vulnerable and underserved families in Collin County for nearly 20 years. Last spring, CHC and Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) formed a strategic alliance to allow for the sharing of administrative resources, expertise, and personnel, creating economies of scale while also increasing access for both organizations’ clients. Juanita is one of the clients CHC has served over the years. When Juanita's husband passed away, her [...]
Aida faced a challenging situation when she arrived in the United States from Cuba while eight months pregnant. She needed to find care for herself and her baby quickly. Luckily, she learned about Catholic Charities Dallas's Parenting in Action classes in October 2023 and began attending them. Aida was also eligible for services through our Refugee Health Promotions Program (RHP). This program teaches clients how to navigate the healthcare system, including how to apply for health insurance, [...]
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 [...]
Catholic Charities Dallas’ Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program is a long-term assistance and support services program that houses chronically homeless clients. EHV provides intensive case management to support, refer, and work toward housing stability. When Antonio Moore first connected with Catholic Charities Dallas in March 2022, he had been homeless for years and was living in the Meyers Jeffries encampment in South Dallas. While living in the encampment, he met a member of the city of Dallas’ Street [...]
Catholic Charities Dallas’ International Foster Care program provides foster care and independent living placement to Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in the Children’s Services program, primarily aged 14 to 21. This week, our International Foster Care program held their Summer Life Skills Camp for unaccompanied refugee and immigrant youth in our care. The camp is a unique opportunity to provide our young adults with lessons about life skills they’ll need to become confident and independent members of our society. At [...]
The CCD Brady Senior Services empowers adults 60 years and older to maintain their independence by providing services that focus on health and wellness for aging adults. Located in West Dallas at the CCD Marillac Community Center, Brady Senior Services offers a safe and loving community for seniors during the week. That community and support doesn’t stop when the doors close. Our client Tim, who has participated in our senior services programs for the last six years, knows [...]
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 [...]
Photo of Children's Services client, Tiblets Abreha, who arrived at Catholic Charities Dallas five years ago as an Unaccompanied Refugee Minor from Eritrea. She is now a cross country runner at the University of North Texas. Today we are talking with Angela Fox, who leads the International Foster Care program at Catholic Charities Dallas. Angela, thank you for meeting with me today to talk about the International Foster Care program? Thank you, [...]
"My name is Gina Garcia, and I am a wife and young mother of two children. Two months ago, I went to Catholic Charities Dallas food distribution after disaster had struck – my husband had lost his job and fell into a deep depression, and I did not know how I was going to provide for my family or pay our rent and utilities. We are so grateful for all the help that we received especially the fresh foods like [...]
"I moved to Dallas with my two small children to escape an abusive situation and for a fresh start for us. Before I came, I landed a job with Dallas County Tax Office and moved here two days before I was supposed to start. Then, the day I was supposed to start my 6-week training downtown, I was informed they were shutting down government offices do to Covid-19 so all recruitment and hiring was stalled. I came [...]
Originally from Eritrea (located in East Africa), Tiblets arrived at Catholic Charities Dallas' Children's Services five years ago as an Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) at the age of 14. As part of the International Foster Care program, she has lived with foster parents who not only provided her with basic necessities but also many opportunities to take part in new life skills such as cultural activities, support for social integration, and educational training. In 2020, Tiblets took [...]
Angelica studied special education and graduated as a technician in speech therapy with a degree in Psychology. Angelica put these skills to work by opening a clinic to help young people in need. Despite both parents working (including her husband Alvaro), in mid-2020 her entire family was exposed to COVID-19. They were unable to attend work under quarantine restrictions, suffering significant financial setbacks. After hearing about Catholic Charities Dallas, Angelica sought out assistance and received help with [...]
If you had to choose between paying your rent or buying groceries for yourself, which would you pick? Decisions like this were a reality for Amir after losing his job and only having a small amount of funds remaining in his savings account. Additionally, Amir's family did not live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with him -- he was alone. By God's grace, Amir had a friend who noticed his struggle and encouraged him to visit [...]
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, [...]
1421 W Mockingbird Lane
Dallas, TX 75247
Central Service Center
Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Helpline 866-223-7500
Catholic Charities Dallas is a Texas nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization.
