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.
Hundreds of families benefit from our weekly food drops every month.
Feeding those in need
Mobile Community Pantries continue to support families in need
Every week, our mobile community pantries help hundreds of families make ends meet by providing fresh food and pantry staples. Our client, Lupe, has visited our location at Our Lady of San Juan de Lagos – Santa Teresita for more than six months.
Lupe says the food is extremely helpful for his family. “The eggs, and milk, the rice, the beans, the cereal for my grandson. When we get milk here, it goes a long way.”
Lupe and his wife are on a fixed income since he is a disabled veteran, and their grandson lives with them. As grocery store prices have increased, Lupe shared that it has been difficult to afford all the necessities. Thanks to the CCD mobile community pantry, Lupe can save close to $300 a month, which means his family can afford other essentials, like their utility bill.
“I love the family, the people who work in the area, the kindness. I would like to be a volunteer if I could walk.”
Tamica and her family
Connecting children and families
Parenting classes strengthen families
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 provide opportunities for her to learn more about taking care of her son. “I like the classes. They’re fun, and they have useful information. I like the interaction,” Tamica shared.
Even though she has only attended a few classes, Tamica said she has already recommended them to others because of how helpful the information is as well as how nice it is to leave with essentials, like diapers. “It helps us not have to worry about one thing so we can focus on another. It’s hard to focus on how you’re going to pay your light bill and buy diapers. Now I can pay my light bill.”
Nearly 200 seniors go to the Brady Center on a regular basis.
Spreading community
Brady Center creating community for area seniors
Loretta is one of over 200 seniors who regularly come to the Brady Center. Loretta shared, “The Brady Center has everything I was looking for in a community space. I like the exercising, the dancing, and the artwork. They take really good care of our seniors.”
At the Brady Center, seniors can participate in arts and crafts activities, Zumba and yoga classes, access mental and physical healthcare, and enjoy daily hot meals. Seniors who live within a certain distance from the Brady Center can catch a ride on the CCD bus, which is something Loretta loves since she does not drive.
For Loretta, the community she has at the Brady Center is another family. “It means a lot when people show they really care for us.”
Petra and her grandchildren are thriving in our Educational Services programs.
Fostering a love of learning
Grandmother encouraging love of learning
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 We learn, is proud of how much she has learned and has an intermediate understanding of the English language.
Petra’s grandchildren thrived in the program as well. Two of her grandchildren graduated from Together We Learn and are excelling in their classrooms. Her older grandchildren participate in the Afterschool and Summer Camp programs, and her youngest is flourishing in the Infant Class of Together We Learn.
Petra is one of our strongest advocates for our education mission, and she continues to be a role model for her family and others in West Dallas!
Educational Services by the Numbers
Data as of February 2023
Lidia enjoys taking part in all the activities offered at St. Jude Forest.
Building a community
Art brings residents together at St. Jude
The residents of St. Jude Forest and St. Jude Park Central can take part in weekly and monthly community activities. Lidia, a St. Jude Forest resident, shared the art classes are her favorite.
She tries to attend every time the class is offered, even though she says she is not artistic. In March, the group made paper flowers, and then later made clay vases for their flower bouquets. “The ladies help us to think that we don’t mess up, and art is good. We have good ladies here. It’s fun to learn from others,” Lidia shared.
While art is her favorite, Lidia said she also enjoys attending other activities, such as chair fitness. She feels the different classes give her an opportunity to focus on something other than whatever stresses she may have in life. “It’s fun for an hour. It takes your mind off whatever you have, then you can go back to the mess.”
The Community Health Clinic has served thousands in McKinney.
Answering the call for all in need
Eleventh mission for CCD
We are excited to announce the newest mission at Catholic Charities Dallas – the Community Health Clinic. Located in McKinney, the clinic has served thousands of uninsured patients in Collin County for the last two decades. CHC staff and volunteers provide primary care and treatment of acute and chronic diseases, chronic disease management services, women’s wellness services, pediatric care, counseling, and prescription assistance.
The partnership will allow current CCD clients to access medical services, if needed, while offering access to CCD’s ten other missions to CHC clients. With a common legacy of serving and empowering the most vulnerable members of the communities in which they work, CHC and CCD are well-positioned to combine resources and offer more people the benefits of a secure medical home – good health, dignity, and self-sufficiency.
On the horizon
Catholic Charities Dallas continues to do more to answer the call for all in need. Our two St. Jude Centers are also now fully occupied, which means hundreds of formerly homeless individuals now have access to wraparound services, and most importantly, a place to call home.
Phase II of our St. Jude Park Central is close to completion. In addition to 180 rooms, St. Jude Park Central is now home to a collaborative working space. A common area, drop-in rooms, offices, and meeting rooms are available, along with memberships. A coffee bar with training sponsored by Ascension Coffee is also part of the new space, along with classroom space for vocational training from Dallas College. The co-working area will offer an opportunity for the outside community to see St. Jude and interact with the internal community. The co-working spaces are also available to St. Jude residents.
In addition to the co-work and community spaces, the next phase includes plans to renovate existing space into a new Client Choice Pantry that would serve to distribute approximately 1.2M pounds of food annually, the equivalent of about 1.0M meals to individuals and families in the surrounding zip codes affected by the growing levels of poverty in our communities of service. The clients accessing the pantry would have the opportunity to access additional services made available by CCD and our other onsite partners.
The entirety of the St. Jude Park Central project is planned to be a one-of-a-kind, first-ever combination of public access, client services, residences for formerly homeless with a multitude of onsite services. To learn more about the project or to support the expansion financially, please contact Kelly Noonan, CCD Chief Development Officer, at knoonan@ccdallas.org.
Upcoming Events
- 22nd Annual Angels of Charity Mass and Luncheon
- Tuesday, May 2, at the Meyerson Symphony Center
- Featuring Guest Speaker, Rachel Bulman
- All proceeds from the event will support Educational Services
- For more information and to purchase tickets and sponsorships, please click here
- 2nd Annual Archangels Cup
- Tuesday, May 16, at the Golf Club of Dallas
- All proceeds from the cup will support Hunger Services
- For more information and to register, please click here
When we see Christ in our brothers and sisters in need, this is where the power of generosity begins. We recall the words of Christ,
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
At Catholic Charities Dallas, we witness the life-changing power of generosity every day. The contagious excitement of a young refugee family as they receive items that transform their new house into a home. The smile on the face of a child as they learn to read alongside their parents. The relief in the eyes of a person who no longer needs to worry about what they will eat that day. Although it looks a bit different each time, the impact of generosity is undeniably present in every one of these lives. We hope these stories of the transformative power of generosity within our community resonate with you and encourage you to join us in serving, educating, and empowering all those in need. Your generosity is what makes our work possible!
