Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fall River is marking 100 years of service with a Centennial Gala on Oct. 22 in Dartmouth.
The organization serves 28,000 people annually across Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands, according to a community announcement. Founded in 1924 as a welfare and adoption agency, Catholic Charities now provides services that include emergency shelter, food assistance, immigration legal services and mental health support through parish-based programs.
The agency says its work continues to center on three priorities: feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless and welcoming the stranger.
The Solanus Casey Food Pantry in New Bedford distributes more than 600,000 pounds of food each year and serves more than 650 households, according to the announcement. The pantry records more than 31,000 visits annually and provides weekly food deliveries to more than 70 homebound residents. Staff also assist participants with SNAP benefits and connect them with health services, including screenings and vaccinations.
Catholic Charities also operates several shelters and housing programs throughout the region.
St. Joseph's House in Hyannis provides emergency shelter and a day program that includes meals, hygiene support, case management and housing navigation services.
Grace House in New Bedford serves as an emergency shelter for women. Ascension House in Attleboro provides emergency shelter for adults, while Sister Rose House in New Bedford offers emergency shelter and coordinated support services for men.
The Youth and Young Adult Transitional Housing Program, known as YYAP, assists individuals ages 18 to 24 with housing support and wraparound services.
Central to those efforts is the H.O.U.S.E. Program, which stands for Helping Others Until Self Empowered. The program provides emergency shelter, housing search assistance, housing stabilization services and up to two years of post-placement support for families in Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton and Attleboro.
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