"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 [...]
On Dec. 12, the Angels of Charity – women’s auxiliary for Catholic Charities Dallas – held their annual Christmas Distribution to provide gifts to families in need. This year, along with help from staff, donors, and volunteers, the Angels distributed gifts to 526 families. Bishop Burns and Bishop Kelly were also in attendance greeting families at the event. Many children decorated signs expressing their gratitude to the Angels and Catholic Charities. Due to COVID19, families remained in [...]
Together We’re Better is a 16-week mobile parenting and early learning program designed to promote nurturing and caring parents focused on the early education of their children. This program will also work to help remove obstacles for families by providing basic needs such as food and diapers and connect them to necessary resources and services. The mission of Education Services at Catholic Charities Dallas addresses four significant community concerns: 20% of Dallas adults cannot read or write; 50% [...]
Media Contact: Jeremy Bermender jbermender@ccdallas.org 469-801-8133 office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DALLAS – December 22, 2020 –Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) and Catholic Housing Initiative (CHI), in collaboration with Dallas County and the City of Dallas, have leveraged CARES Act funds to open a new facility that will address the urgent need for housing for both COVID-impacted individuals and families, as well as the homeless. St. Jude Center-Park Central (SJC-PC) opened Tuesday, December 15 in the former Gateway Hotel, [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DALLAS (December 7, 2020) – Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) will be hosting their annual Christmas Distribution at Cardinal Farrell Community Center (321 Calumet Ave. Dallas, TX 75211) on Saturday, December 12, 2020 beginning at 8 a.m. where a total of 526 families in need will receive free Christmas gifts. The Angels of Charity and Archangel Men’s Network – auxiliary groups of CCD – will be heading the distribution alongside CCD staff and Jesuit College [...]
Media Contact: Jeremy Bermender jbermender@ccdallas.org 469-801-8133 office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DALLAS – November 11, 2020 – Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) has received nearly $700,000 in support from long-time collaborator North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) and local philanthropists Joe and Chris Popolo, Jr., to fund the capital purchase and operations of a new mobile community pantry truck and new refrigerated box truck. The new, custom vehicles will allow CCD to significantly expand its food distribution capabilities and better [...]
Hotel to Pandemic Response to Housing Solution Media Contact: Jeremy Bermender jbermender@ccdallas.org 469-801-8133 office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DALLAS – October 20, 2020 – Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) and Catholic Housing Initiative (CHI) have unveiled plans for a new project to address housing insecurity and homelessness in Dallas, on the heels of the second anniversary of their first collaboration, St. Jude Center - Forest, a highly successful permanent supportive housing community for chronically homeless seniors. As with the [...]
CCD Partnering with area counties, cities to administer financial relief programs DALLAS – August 3, 2020 – In response to the continuing financial hardships caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) has partnered with a number of counties and cities in North Texas to administer their emergency financial relief programs. Counties and cities throughout the U.S. received federal funding from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act to distribute to [...]
DALLAS – June 18, 2020 – Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) has announced the appointment of Mary Vares, CPA, to the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective June 1, 2020. Vares has nearly 20 years’ experience in executive leadership and financial oversight for non-profit organizations and private industry. Most recently, she served as financial controller for the Dallas Arboretum, managing and overseeing the annual budget process, external audits, and policies and procedures, in addition to financial reporting [...]
DALLAS – April 2, 2020 – Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) was recently selected as one of the 2020“Best Nonprofits to Work For.” The NonProfit Times, the leading national business publication for nonprofit managers, has partnered with Best Companies Group to identify nonprofit organizations where leaders have excelled in creating quality workplaces. This survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in the nonprofit industry, benefiting the industry's economy, workforce and businesses. [...]
Funds to increase access to SNAP Program, healthier food for low-income households DALLAS (March 19, 2020) – Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD) has received a $10,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation, in partnership with Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), for a region wide outreach effort to make residents aware of the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and to provide enrollment assistance to eligible low-income families and individuals, including seniors. SNAP is the nation’s largest domestic hunger safety net [...]
March 10, 2020, DALLAS, Texas – Family Gateway, which provides stability and life-changing supportive services to children and families affected by homelessness, has increased its capacity to serve more North Texas families through the opening of the new Simmons Family Gateway Resource Center. The Center, located at 1421 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, 75247, is housed in space that Family Gateway leased from the building owner, Catholic Charities Dallas. Family Gateway’s 35-room Emergency Shelter in downtown Dallas, which [...]
