Bottom Row: Congressman Steve King of Iowa with Congressman Joseph Cao of Lousiana Next Row: Congressman Adrian King of Nebraska with Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana The Congressmen are with Operation Helping Hands volunteers and members of Congressman Scalise’s staff.
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Learn More about the Independent Living Skills Program >
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The Elliotts are Finally Home!
posted: June 18, 2009
Read about Lewellyn and Aloma Elliott’s journey from losing everything they had in Hurricane Katrina to rebuilding their home and their lives.
The Elliotts’ story >
Volunteer to help rebuild New Orleans with Operation Helping Hands >
See how many homes we’ve gutted and rebuilt since Katrina >
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Tune in to this week’s Contruyendo Nuestra Comunidad
posted: June 15, 2009
Tune in to this week's radio show "Construyendo Nuestra Comunidad", sponsored by Catholic Charities’ Hispanic Apostolate Community Services on KGLA 1540 AM, Wednesday, June 17, at 9:00am.
The topic will be workers’ rights and public safety.
Guests:
Janssen Valencia, NOPD Latino Liaison
Luz Molina, Loyola Law Clinic
Vanessa Spinazola, Probono Project
Justine Diamond, Hispanic Apostolate Community Services
Guest Host:
Vilma Lobo
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Photos from the Archbishop’s Community Appeal Reception
posted: June 4, 2009
Please click here to view selected photos from the Archbishop’s Community Appeal End of Campaign Celebration at Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes’ residence on May 21, 2009. This year’s campaign raised
$1,622,603 for the poor and vulnerable in the 8 civil parishes of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Many of our longtime and new volunteers, as well as major donors to the campaign, were in attendance.
If you would like to purchase photos from the event, please visit Pictage.
If you would like to learn more about the Archbishop’s Community Appeal, please click here.
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Sojourner Truth’s Kids Fair
posted: June 1, 2009
On May 16, Sojourner Truth Community Center hosted a Kids Fair with several community partners. Some children from the Lafitte/Treme neighborhood are photographed below, participating in a drum circle.
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ACCESS Board Celebrates Another Successful Jazz Brunch
posted: May 26, 2009
On April 26, the ACCESS Board held its annual jazz brunch to support the maternity programs of Catholic Charities at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in New Orleans City Park.
Click here to view photos from the ACCESS Jazz Brunch >
ACCESS Board President Gayle Gaubert with Vincent and Rosetta Tuminello
Learn More about Catholic Charities’ ACCESS Pregnancy & Referral Centers >
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PACE Seniors Go Fishing!
posted: May 18, 2009
Some of our PACE seniors went out to New Orleans City Park recently to have a relaxing day of fishing. PACE offers activities like fishing to seniors who want to live at home, but need a place to go during the day to receive medical care and to interact with other seniors.
PACE Greater New Orleans >
National PACE Association >
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Sojourner Truth Community Center & Good Work Network Present a Microenterprise Development Program
posted: May 14, 2009
Are you interested in...
- Developing the personal qualities needed for business success?
- Discovering what it takes to own and operate your own business?
- Learning the financial tools you need for personal and professional advancement?
- Earning business start-up assistance to help fund your business?
If so, please read this flyer and call (504) 309-2073 to register. Evening classes start May 19!
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Parish Social Ministry Training Offered by Catholic Charities USA and the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops
posted: May 4, 2009
Please join us in Baton Rouge on June 5-7 for the regional Parish Social Ministry training, sponsored by Catholic Charities USA and the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops - Committee on Life and Justice.
What is Parish Social Ministry?
Parish Social Ministry is the parish’s living witness to the Gospel through work for justice and service to the poor and vulnerable people. When your parish serves the life and dignity of the human person, meets an individual’s basic needs, advocates for social change to reduce poverty, and creates a partnership to improve the community, itperforms Parish Social Ministry.
Download the Conference Brochure >
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Upcoming Kids’ Fair at Sojourner Truth Community Center
posted: May 1, 2009
Visit Sojourner Truth Community Center on May 16, 2009 from 10 AM - 2 PM for a special kids’ fair, including games, arts & crafts, mural painting, a drum circle, food vendors, and music by the Refugee Brass Band!
Sojourner Truth Community Center is located at the intersection of North Galvez Street and Lafitte Avenue.
For more information, please contact Allison at (504) 613-0177.
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Homeless and Needy Clients participate in a Hiring Session
posted: April 23, 2009
Shirone Martin, one of our case managers at St. John the Baptist, welcomed the Human Resources Department from the under-construction Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. The HR team did a presentation for Shirone’s clients who are looking for jobs.
Find a community center in your area >
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High School Students: Sign up for SERVE Camp this summer!
posted: April 17, 2009
Catholic Charities is offering four opportunities this summer for high school students to participate in service.
June 8-12, June 15-19 & July 6-10, we are accepting students to do an entire week of service at one of Catholic Charities’ programs (Summer Witness, Second Harvest Food Bank, Operation Helping Hands).
During the week of June 22-26, we are offering a mini-camp of half service days at our Head Start centers.
Learn more about the SERVE summer opportunities >
Visit our High School Volunteer page to fill out an application >
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Helping Seniors with the Transition to Digital Television
posted: April 13, 2009
Catholic Charities, along with United Way, the Greater New Orleans Broadcasters Association, and the Jefferson and Orleans Councils on Aging, is helping to educate seniors about the June 12, 2009 total conversion from analog to digital television.
If you’re interested in helping out and don’t need a digital converter box, please visit https://www.dtv2009.gov/ to apply for a coupon. When you receive it in the mail, please send it to Catholic Charities, 1000 Howard Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113.
(Pictured at left is Don Cooper of the Greater N.O. Broadcasters Association, showing a group of seniors from the Catholic Charities Foster Grandparents Program what they’ll need to do to make their TVs digital-ready.)
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Charity Navigator Awards Another 4-Star Charity Rating to Catholic Charities
posted: April 8, 2009
Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, has awarded its highest ranking, 4 stars, to Catholic Charities for the fourth consecutive year.
This ranking means that Catholic Charities exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities.
Charity Navigator noted in its award letter that the “consistency in your rating is an exceptional feat, especially given the economic challenges many charities have had to face in the last year.”
Donate Now >
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Hispanic Apostolate Community Services ESL Newsletter
posted: April 7, 2009
Click the link below to check out the latest news from the Hispanic Apostolate Community Services - English as a Second Language and Citizenship.
ESL/Citizenship Newsletter >
Learn about Hispanic Apostolate Community Services & Immigration and Refugee Services >
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Operation Helping Hands Milestone Celebration
posted: April 1, 2009
For one afternoon, they laid down their hammers, paintbrushes and shovels and picked up forks and knives for a real New Orleans-style party.
150 volunteers, in New Orleans to help repair and rebuild hurricane damaged homes, were guests of honor at a party honoring not only them, but 20,000 like them who helped get the city back on its feet.
Volunteer with Operation Helping Hands >
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Operation Helping Hands celebrates 20,000 volunteers & 2,500 gutting/rebuilding projects since Hurricane Katrina!
posted: March 27, 2009
Below are pictures of some of our Spring Break 2009 volunteers. Thanks so much to everyone who has traveled to New Orleans in the past 3.5 years to help bring the elderly and disabled back.
Join us! Click here to a part of the rebuilding >
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Grantmakers in Health visits PACE
posted: March 25, 2009
A group from the Grantmakers in Health Annual Meeting in New Orleans visited the Shirley Landry Benson PACE Center at St. Cecilia and the proposed site for a second PACE Center on the Hope Haven campus in Marrero.
A group from PACE and GIH tour the old Hope Haven school building, the proposed site for a Westbank PACE.
HV Nagendra of Blitch/Knevel Architects shows the GIH group sketches of how the Hope Haven school building could be transformed into a PACE site.
View More Pictures of the Tour >
Learn More about PACE >
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Summer Witness sites announced
posted: March 24, 2009
This summer, Catholic Charities will sponsor Summer Witness camps for children at St. Peter Claver Church in New Orleans, Blessed Sacrament-St. Joan of Arc Church in New Orleans, Holy Family Catholic Church in Franklinton, Wesley Ray Elementary in Angie, and Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet School in Mt. Airy.
Registration is $50 per family, and registration dates are TBA. Camp fees are on a sliding scale based on family income.
More information on our Summer Witness program >
Information on 2009 Summer Witness registration >
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Read about former director of White House’s Faith-Based Initiatives’ commitment to Catholic Charities in New Orleans
posted: March 13, 2009
From the March 23, 2009 edition of America, the national Catholic weekly:
A Covenant to Serve by John J. DiIulio, Jr.![John-DiIuliobw1[1]](./John-DiIuliobw1_1_.jpg "John-DiIuliobw1[1]")
As I write this, I am two weeks away from making my 14th trip to post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. I am reflecting on how in late August 2005, four-fifths of that city was flooded when three poorly-built levees broke beneath Katrina’s blows. The resulting death and devastation made grim headlines worldwide.
So did official Washington’s shameful, almost surreal failure to rush resources to the rescue. The disaster’s predominantly African-American, low-income victims were not treated as fellow citizens. Some politicians and journalists even took to calling these suddenly homeless Americans “refugees.”
Were it not for heroics by the U.S. Coast Guard, Katrina’s initial human, property and financial toll would have been much worse. And were it not for nonprofit organizations, ranging from little local congregations to citywide operations like Catholic Charities of New Orleans, the post-Katrina recovery process would have moved even slower.
Photo courtesy of America, the national Catholic weekly.
Read More > Visit our News page >
Make your own commitment to serve in New Orleans through Operation Helping Hands >
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Free Tax Preparation Day - Saturday, March 21
posted: March 12, 2009
From 9 AM - 3 PM on Saturday, March 21, Catholic Charities will join with the IRS and other nonprofit agencies to assist with tax preparation.
Hope Haven Community Center
1131 Barataria Blvd, Marrero, LA 70072
(504) 371-7747
Find a Catholic Charities Community Center in your area >
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Hispanic Apostolate Community Services has moved!
posted: March 6, 2009
Hispanic Apostolate Community Services has moved its offices from Kenner to Metairie, and will host an OPEN HOUSE on Friday, March 13 from 2:30-5:30 at the new location:
Hispanic Apostolate Community Services
2809 Harvard Avenue
Metairie, LA 70006
Join us for food, music and fun!
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Energy Wise series at Sojourner Truth Community Center
posted: March 4, 2009
Entergy New Orleans will present an “Energy Wise” series at Sojourner Truth Community Center to help you learn how to save money on your power bill.
Please join us from 11 AM - 12 PM on March 5, May 7, July 2 or September 3 to get helpful tips from Entergy on how to cut energy costs.
Each session will be held at Sojourner Truth Community Center at 2200 Lafitte Street in New Orleans.
Call (504) 827-9963 to register.
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Open House at Incarnate Word Community Center
posted: February 20, 2009
From 3 PM - 7 PM on February 27, Incarnate Word Community Center will host an open house. Please stop by for:
- FREE Tax Preparation Assistance
- FREE Health Screenings
- Financial Literacy Information
- Sign up for Case Management or Adult Education Classes
- Information on Catholic Charities Programs
- Refreshments & Door Prizes
Incarnate Word Community Center is located at 8326 Apricot Street in New Orleans. Call (504) 861-6345.
More on Community Centers >
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Tune in to Construyendo Nuestra Comunidad
posted: February 17, 2009
Tune in to the Hispanic Apostolate Community Services’ sponsored radio show, Construyendo Nuestra Comunidad, February 18 at 10 AM on La Fabulosa 830AM.
Officer Valencia from the New Orleans Police Department will be our guest to discuss the “Dos & Don’ts” of Mardi Gras. We will also discuss the new location of Hispanic Apostolate Community Services, now in Metairie.
Immigration & Refugee Services >
Services en Espagnol >
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Love Your Heart this Valentine’s Day at Sojourner Truth Community Center
posted: February 11, 2009
Community Housing Supportive Services and Tulane Community Health Centers present Love Your Heart
Saturday, February 14 from 10 AM - 12 noon![j0433140[2]](./j0433140_2_.jpg "j0433140[2]")
at Sojourner Truth Community Center
2200 Lafitte Street
New Orleans, LA
Love Your Heart features a Tulane nurse practitioner discussing cardiovascular health and a Tulane nutritionist discussing personal nutritional counseling. The event will also include blood pressure and cholesterol screenings and samples of heart healthy food. Wild Lotus Studio will host a “Be Strong and Balanced” yoga class.
Please call 827-9963 for more information or to register. The first 20 registrants will receive a door prize raffle ticket.
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Second Collection in Church Parishes February 7-8 to benefit Catholic Charities
posted: February 3, 2009
Please give generously in the during the second collection in church parishes in the Archdiocese of New Orleans this weekend. All proceeds will benefit Catholic Charities.
Visit our programs pages to see where your money is going!
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Sign Up for Monthly Updates
posted: January 28, 2009
Sign up to receive monthly updates of what is going on at Catholic Charities and our 48 programs. We’ll keep you abreast of special news from our program sites, stories of success, and updates on our campaigns!
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Release of 2008 Client Satisfaction Survey Results
posted: January 23, 2009
About 96% percent of Catholic Charities clients surveyed were satisfied the help we were able to provide for them. To download the rest of the results from the survey, click here.
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Check Out Updated Pages
posted: January 21, 2009
Our Hurricane Recovery and Annual Reports pages have been updated.
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English as a Second Language (ESL) Tutors Needed
posted: January 13, 2009
We need your help - volunteer to be an ESL tutor! The next training date is Saturday, January 24 for interested tutors.
It is not required to speak any language other than English.
E-mail volunteerHA@archdiocese-no.org for more information or to sign up.
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Volunteer with Catholic Charities Today!
posted: January 12, 2009
If you’re interested in giving back to your community, please visit our Volunteer pages today! There are many opportunities to join the Catholic Charities family as a volunteer. We are holding Volunteer Orientations throughout the spring:
Thursday, January 22
Monday, February 9
Wednesday, March 11
Thursday, April 16
Monday, May 4
All orientations are at 6 PM at 1000 Howard Avenue in New Orleans.
Call (504) 310-6960 or email volunteer@archdiocese-no.org if you’re interested.
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Free Tax Preparation from Community Centers
posted: December 30, 2008
Catholic Charities is providing free tax preparation assistance this year.
- $41,646 household income limit
- Special emphasis on families with children
- No itemizing
- Bring your W2, ID, Social Security cards, bank information, & child care provider’s ID #
- Ask about the EITC and Child Tax credits
2 Locations (call for an appointment):
Sojourner Truth Community Center
2200 Lafitte Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 827-9963
Hope Haven Community Center
1131 Barataria Blvd, Marrero, LA 70072
(504) 371-7747
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Catholic Charities Achieves Accreditation by the Council on Accreditation (COA)
posted: December 18, 2008
We are delighted to inform you that Catholic Charities has been accredited by the Council on Accreditation. We have been working diligently toward this goal since December of 2005, when, in a post-Katrina world, we re-committed ourselves to excellence in everything we do. Since accreditation by COA covers the entire organization, this is an acknowledgment that the work we have done is based on best practice standards performed by a skilled staff providing the highest quality service at all levels of the organization.
This achievement reflects three years of work on the part of a full-time staff person, countless staff hours and the support of our Board of Directors and Mission Committee. We have become one of only twelve agencies in Louisiana to achieve COA accreditation. This designation is similar to accreditation awarded to hospitals and universities.
The journey is not over. Accreditation is a living, breathing process. As we move forward on this path, the processes implemented along the way will allow us to continue to provide the most innovative, highest quality care for those we serve.
We thank our dedicated supporters for providing the impetus that allowed us to achieve this distinguished recognition. Our successful completion of this objective and reliable verification process allows our community partners to support Catholic Charities with confidence.
Visit the COA website for more information on the accreditation process >
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After School Assembly Meets Emeril!
posted: December 9, 2008
Recently, children from the Cathedral Academy location of After School Assembly took a field trip to a demonstration presented by Chef Emeril Lagasse. The Emeril Lagasse Foundation has been generous to After School Assembly, providing for a cooking class as part of the program.
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Chef Emeril talks to an After School Assembly student.
Check out Our Programs for Children and Families >
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A Gift that Gives Back
posted: December 5, 2008
Give your friends and family a different gift this year: donate to Catholic Charities. We will send the recipients of your gift special Christmas cards acknowledging that you made a gift in honor of them. The cards feature a stained glass nativity scene from Holy Name of Mary Parish, located in Algiers, LA.
Your gift will help the poor and vulnerable in the Greater New Orleans Area. Please call (504) 592-5694 if you are interested in giving the gift that gives back this year. You can even designate your gift to go to the Archbishop's Community Appeal.
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First Lady Laura Bush visits an Operation Helping Hands site
On October 30, First Lady Laura Bush visited the home of Joretta Roman, whose home flooded in Hurricane Katrina. Operation Helping Hands volunteers have been working to rebuild the home.
Pictured with Mrs. Bush, center, are Jim Kelly, Co-President & CEO of Catholic Charities, Mrs. Roman, members of the Operation Helping Hands Team, and Gulf Coast Recovery Director General Douglas O'Dell. Photo by Chris Greenberg.
More information on Operation Helping Hands >
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Second Annual Hope Haven Clean-up Day
Representative Pat Connick hosted a special day of service to help clean up the grounds at Hope Haven in Marrero. The Hope Haven campus houses Jefferson CARE Center, Independent Living Skills program, and Catholic Charities Community Center.
If you'd like to view photos from the service day, please click here or on the photo.
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Free Equipment Available for the Deaf
Catholic Charities’ Deaf Action Center has partnered with the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf to loan hearing and speech equipment without fees to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled.
The Deaf Action Center offers the following equipment to connect those with hearing or speech disabilities to the hearing world:
- Amplified Telephone: Designed with a volume control to be increased on both the handset and the ringer
- Voice Carry Over Devices
- Light Signalers & Receivers
- TDD’s/TTY’s
- Telebraillers (TDD’s/TTY’s)
- Large Visual Display (TDD’s/TTY’s)
- Pocket Speak and Read/VCO
- Compact TDD’s
There are several requirements to receive the equipment. Please contact Michelle Simoneaux at (504) 481-0961 or msimoneaux@archdiocese-no.org or Shari Bernius at (504) 615-7122 or sabernius@archdiocese-no.org for more information.
