Meet Dayana

Dayana is a Honduran mother who, while pregnant, was forced to leave her country with her husband and their six-year-old daughter.

This Honduran family is marked by the violence they suffered in their country. They also have a deep pain that they will never be able to forget. The death of one of their daughters at age 18 months.

“If you don’t have money and if you’re low-income, the children die,” she explained. Dayana and her husband found out that their young baby girl had leukemia, and was essentially denied health care due to their financial status which cost their daughter her life.

However, two years after arriving in the city of San Francisco and experiencing homelessness for almost six months, Dayana and her husband, together with their two girls, eight and two years old, and the baby she is expecting, now have a roof over their heads. Dayana says this is thanks to Catholic Charities San Francisco, which offers resources for people who require housing assistance, food, immigration resources, or other types of support.

Catholic Charities San Francisco currently has a monthly capacity to serve ten families who are living on the streets and have spaces with approximately 35 beds. However, getting help often means being submitted to a waiting list, and the process can take a few months. “I’m very happy, really. Yes, already having my own place, well, it’s a great blessing from God.”

Meet Lisa Marie

Peer Support at Carmelita Women’s Home

Lisa Marie Riley shares her experience and hope with the women at Catholic Charities’ Carmelita Women’s Home in San Francisco. Catholic Charities San Francisco teamed up with Marin County to open Carmelita House, a safe and supportive home that provides eight women with trauma treatment through holistic healing services. Take a look at Lisa Marie Riley’s story from NBC Bay Area to see how she has benefitted from the Carmelita House and is helping other women improve their lives too.

Meet Elizabeth

Teacher at TICDC

When Elizabeth’s daughter Alexa began attending Treasure Island Child Development Center, Elizabeth shared her dream of becoming a teacher with staff who set her up as a teacher’s aide while she completed her certification. When Elizabeth became pregnant with another child, TICDC staff came up with a plan that allowed her to teach the youngest age group so she could be with her new daughter while teaching.

“I think this is the most important thing that has happened in my life, to have this opportunity to work and have my child in the center. Being a single mom with two kids, pregnant, with no job, it was really hard for me…now I really want to thank Catholic Charities for the opportunity to have this job and support my family.”

Meet Sonia

Catholic Charities Access Point Bayview Client

“I was pregnant and living in my car. I had no idea where to turn, and thank goodness I found Catholic Charities. Their caseworkers helped me get temporary housing and access to baby clothing and diapers while I got back on my feet. My daughter was born in a safe environment and is thriving. I am so grateful to Catholic Charities.”

Meet Mark

Catholic Charities Derek Silva Community Client

“I have lived at Derek Silva for a long time and am a compulsive hoarder. I like my apartment and like that it is full of good things but I recognize that it is too full and that it is causing me serious trouble. But I could not stop my hoarding. The case managers helped me to try to get on top of my compulsion and did so without judging me or pushing me, and introducing me to programs that help with hoarding, which allowed me time to understand my compulsion and begin to manage it. “

Meet Andrea

Former Catholic Charities Client

Andrea was 16 when she had her son and faced the daunting challenge of raising a child on her own. It was not easy. She reached out to Catholic Charities and received help that enabled her and her son to remain housed and together. She shared her story publicly, for the first time, in this video at our Loaves & Fishes Gala in the hopes that she will inspire others to reach out when they need support. She certainly inspires us!

Meet Lawrence

Catholic Charities Client

“We didn’t have much for Christmas but we had each other and we had our own place. It was so warm and so nice – just me and her. The SF HOME team went above and beyond, working after-hours with the landlord to make sure we didn’t spend a day on the streets after my certificate expired. I was so appreciative of that push. It makes me so happy to see her happy. I want Catholic Charities to know they really helped me.”

Meet Frankie

Former Catholic Charities Client

Frankie lives with HIV/AIDS and was on the streets before he became a resident at Peter Claver Community. He shares, “I have no family to turn to and had no resources when I got here. I was living on the street and barely surviving. Now I have the care I need and a roof over my head. The folks at Peter Claver truly care and I’m grateful to Catholic Charities for the help.”

Meet Paul

Catholic Charities Edith Witt Community Resident

Paul worked hard his entire life at the local grocery store, serving others in his community. He didn’t have enough at retirement to make ends meet and now resides in our Edith Witt Senior Community.
“I’m so grateful to Catholic Charities for the resources they provided. Now I can focus on my health and my grandchildren without worrying about having a place to live.”

Paul

Resident at Edith Witt Community”

Meet Jeremiah

By the time Jeremiah found himself at Catholic Charities St. Vincent’s School for Boys, he had lived with seven foster families and at two residential centers. He was nine years old. After four years at St. Vincent’s, he moved in with his supportive foster parents. He went on to attend high school and college and now has a successful career in the financial services industry. He is grateful to Catholic Charities for changing the course of his life and has spoken about his positive experience at St. Vincent’s on several occasions. He is a stellar example of the impact Catholic Charities has on the many people it serves as they navigate some of life’s most difficult challenges.

Meet Darren

Just before the pandemic hit, Darren completed his Master’s Degree and started a job as a consultant. COVID swiftly wiped away the work opportunity he so looked forward to and he was left unable to pay his rent. Luckily, Darren got in touch with the Catholic Charities Emergency Relief Program in the Tenderloin. The team connected him to resources that helped him recover the months of back rent he owed and also secured three months in advance.

Darren, who immigrated to the U.S. from Trinidad by himself, had no family or friends to lean on for support when things got hard. “Catholic Charities was my support network that I didn’t have anywhere else,” he says. “They were encouraging throughout the entire application process. Catholic Charities was a lifeline.”

Now, Darren is once again focused on his career without the worry of losing his home.

Long-Term Volunteers

START

Check our website for some opportunities, please contact us for newly added opportunities.

Step 1

Set up an account by completing our basic application.

Step 2

Contact Darlene Wilson, Volunteer Manager at Volunteer@CatholicCharitiesSF.org or call 415-972-1371

One-Time | Special Events | Corporate Group Volunteers

START

Check our website for some opportunities, please contact us for newly added opportunities.

Step 1

Set up an account by completing our basic application.

Step 2

Contact Darlene Wilson at Vlunteer@CatholicCharitiesSF.org or call 415-972-1371

Long-Term Volunteers

START

Review our volunteer opportunities, please contact us for newly added opportunities.

Step 1

Set up an account by completing our basic application.

Step 2

Contact Darlene Wilson, Volunteer Manager at Volunteer@CatholicCharitiesSF.org or call 415-972-1371

One-Time | Special Events | Corporate Group Volunteers

START

Review our volunteer opportunities, please contact us for newly added opportunities.

Step 1

Set up an account by completing our basic application.

Step 2

Contact Darlene Wilson at Volunteer@CatholicCharitiesSF.org or call 415-972-1371

Long-Term Commitment (3 Month Minimum)

Our Aging Support Service programs function on the belief that seniors are more likely to thrive when they live among friends and family and participate in their own communities.

Catholic Charities’ OMI Senior Center, assist seniors and disabled adults to maintain their independence by providing a program of activities, socialization, a hot meal, assistance, and support in a safe and engaging environment to prevent isolation and institutionalization.

The OMI Senior Center help the consumer at every point in the spectrum of care, whether it is for outreach or resource information, they receive guidance and support.

Program/Activity Assistants lead a variety of activities and provide assistance with activities of daily living for the physically/cognitively impaired older adults we serve. They work as a team, promoting independence and enhancing the participant’s experience in the program.

What you will do:

• Help set up tables and serve snacks and/or lunch as applicable.

• Duties will include greeting and welcoming clients in the reception area.

• Assist in the oversight of the facility; upkeep and supplies.

• Assist with our weekly food pantry distribution.

• Assist with the daily lunch sign-in sheet, activity sign-sheet, and electronically scanning senior gold cards.

• Attend meetings and training programs, as requested.

• Perform general clean-up of the reception area.

• We encourage volunteers to share their special talents or hobbies, as they might be incorporated to enhance our activity program.

Preferred Skills:

• Enjoys working with the senior community

• Patient, friendly and flexible

• Detail Oriented

• Being bilingual in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Tagalog is highly appreciated but not required.

If interested, please respond to the listing by contacting Darlene Wilson at Volunteer@CatholicCharitiesSF.org

Long-Term Commitment (3 Month Minimum)

Our Aging Support Service programs function on the belief that seniors are more likely to thrive when they live among friends and family and participate in their own communities.

Catholic Charities’ OMI Senior Center, assist seniors and disabled adults to maintain their independence by providing a program of activities, socialization, a hot meal, assistance, and support in a safe and engaging environment to prevent isolation and institutionalization.

Volunteers are needed to assist with greeting and registering seniors attending the OMI Senior Center program. The Volunteer helps the Program Director and OMI Staff greet program attendees and register them for the activities they plan to participate in during their program visit.

What you will do:

• Duties will include greeting and welcoming clients in the reception area.

• Assist with daily activity sign-in sheets, lunch sign-in sheet, and electronically scanning senior gold cards.

• Attend meetings and training programs, as requested.

• Perform general clean-up of the reception area.

Preferred Skills:

• Enjoys working with the senior community

• Patient, friendly and flexible

• Detail Oriented

• Being bilingual in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Tagalog is highly appreciated but not required.

• Demonstrates the necessary attitudes, knowledge and skills to deliver culturally competent services and work effectively in cross-cultural situations.

If interested, please respond to the listing by contacting Darlene Wilson at Volunteer@CatholicCharitiesSF.org

Long-Term Commitment (3 Month Minimum)

Volunteers are needed to assist with the program’s weekly food distribution to seniors. The Food Pantry Volunteer helps the Program Director and OMI Staff oversee the implementation of the food pantry distribution.

What you will do:

• Duties will include: organizing and distributing food items dropped off at the center from the SF Food Bank

• Carry and sort food items.

Preferred Skills:

• Enjoys working with the senior community

• Patient, friendly and flexible

• Detail Oriented

• Available Thursday mornings

• Able to lift up to 10 lbs.

• Being bilingual in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Tagalog is highly appreciated but not required.

If interested, please respond to the listing by contacting Darlene Wilson at Volunteer@CatholicCharitiesSF.org

Gifts that benefit your heirs

Charitable lead trusts

Charitable lead trusts share trust income with a charity over a period of years.  Donors fund a charitable lead trust by transferring cash or other assets to their trust.  The trust will then make payments to charity on a fixed schedule for a term of years, such as the life of one or more individuals.  When the trust term expires, the remaining trust assets are transferred to non-charitable beneficiaries – usually going back to the donor or family members.  Charitable lead trusts may produce tax deductions for donors and may reduce estate and gift taxes to heirs. 

Gifts of retirement plan assets

Naming Catholic Charities as a beneficiary of your retirement account can be an easy way to make a legacy gift and reduce taxes to your loved ones.

If you leave your retirement plan to your children, they will have to pay income tax on its distribution.  Catholic Charities does not pay this tax, so 100% of your gift will be used to support its mission.  Here’s an example of what this can mean to your heirs: 

A widower died and left his $300,000 house to charity and his $300,000 retirement plan to his relatives.  He should have done just the opposite.  The relatives had to pay income tax on the $300,000 in the retirement plan, an $80,000 cost to them.  If they had received the home, and the charity had received the retirement plan payment, no one would have paid income tax. 

To make a gift of retirement plan assets, simply ask your plan administrator for a beneficiary designation form and name Catholic Charities as a primary or contingent beneficiary of your retirement account. 

Gifts that reduce taxes

Impact of CARES Act on fundraising and nonprofits

How the CARES Act impacts donors and charitable giving in 2020

Universal charitable deduction for donors who do not itemize

           Donors who do not itemize can deduct cash gifts to public charities of up to $300 per taxpayer or $600 per married couple.
           Cash gifts include those made by check, credit card, electronic funds transfer, or payroll deduction.

Increase in AGI limit for donors who itemize

           Donors who itemize can deduct cash gifts to public charities of up to 100% of their adjusted gross income (AGI). While this
           deduction is reduced by other itemized deductions, any unused deduction can be carried over for up to five additional years.

Increase in limit on cash contributions from corporations

           Corporations can give up to 25% of taxable income in 2020 for cash gifts to public charities. While other charitable
           contributions reduce this limit dollar-for-dollar, cash contributions more than the 25% limit can be carried over for
           up to five additional years.

Suspension of Required Minimum Distributions (RMD)

           The CARES Act suspends RMD for 2020 from IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s and other defined benefit pension plans. This change
           helps retirees who would have had to take larger-than-expected distributions or face penalties.

IRA “Rollover” gifts & IRA gifts by designation

IRA “Rollover” gifts allow donors, 70 ½ or older, to use IRA assets to make charitable gifts. IRA Rollover gifts are immediate distributions from a donor’s IRA account made directly to charity – that count toward a donor’s required minimum distribution or RMD.  By reducing taxable income, IRA Rollover gifts can lower a donor’s tax bill and may help donors avoid Medicare high-income surcharges.  And, as IRA Rollover gifts pass tax-free to qualified public charities, 100% of your gift to Catholic Charities can be used to help our brothers and sisters in the Bay Area.

To make the process of giving from your IRA easy, we have an online resource that allows you to give from your IRA to Catholic Charities. Or, if you would prefer to complete the gift offline, you can download the forms you need. This resource works with all major IRA custodians. Give from your IRA today.

As retirement assets are taxed differently, IRA’s left to loved ones can actually become a tax liability.  Leaving some or all of your IRA to a good cause, like Catholic Charities, and other, less tax-vulnerable assets to family or friends can reduce this liability for your loved ones.  Simply ask your plan administrator for a beneficiary designation form and include Catholic Charities to receive a specific percentage of your account or as a contingent beneficiary. 

Gifts of appreciated stock

When you donate appreciated stock, bonds or mutual funds you’ve owned for more than a year, you’ll receive a tax deduction for the fair market value and avoid capital gains tax.  Your deduction may provide you with additional tax savings if you itemize. 

If you use appreciated stock to fund a charitable gift annuity or charitable trust, you won’t owe capital gains tax when those assets are sold – and you’ll receive an immediate tax deduction – while creating a stream of income for yourself and/or your loved ones.

Gifts that pay you income

Charitable Gift Annuities

Charitable gift annuities provide donors with guaranteed fixed payments for life and an immediate income tax deduction while allowing them to make a significant gift to a good cause they care about.

Gift annuities are easy to establish and can be funded with a minimum gift of cash or stock of $20,000.  The annuity rate is based on your age.  Typically, you must be at least 60 when payments begin.  Gift annuities can provide lifetime payments to one or two people.

Gift Annuity Example: Mary Richards, age 75, funds a $25,000 charitable gift annuity contract to benefit Catholic Charities.  Her annuity rate is 6.2%, giving her annual payments of $1550 for her lifetime.  Mary also receives a tax deduction she can use if she itemizes.  And Catholic Charities will receive much-needed financial support to continue to serve vulnerable communities in the Bay Area.

Charitable Trusts

Here’s how a charitable trust works in 3 steps:

Step 1:  Donors make irrevocable transfers of assets to their trust

Step 2:  The trust begins to pay income and provide tax benefits

Step 3:  When the trust ends, what remains in the trust account goes to charity

With charitable trusts, donors can convert assets into lifetime income while saving on taxes.  And they’ll have the satisfaction of providing significant support to good causes like Catholic Charities.

Assets used to fund charitable trusts (cash, stock, or real estate) are sold and invested to pay income to one or more income beneficiaries for life or a term of years.  Your trust can also pay income to your heirs for life or for a term of years.

Owners funding charitable trusts with appreciated assets like stock or real estate bypass the capital gains tax they would have owed had they sold these assets outright.  If the assets are highly appreciated, this benefit of charitable trusts can be significant. 

And, as assets used to fund charitable trusts are no longer part of the donor’s estate, charitable trusts can reduce or eliminate estate tax.  When the trust expires, the remainder is distributed to one or more good causes named by the donor. 

Gifts that cost you nothing now

Simple gifts in your will or living trust

The most common legacy gift people make to support the work of Catholic Charities is a gift in their will or living trust, also known as a charitable bequest. There is no need to write a check now and your assets remain entirely under your control during your lifetime. To make a charitable bequest, consider adding language like this to your will or living trust:
I give { ___ percent of my estate, OR description of asset, OR _____ dollars } to Catholic Charities, a California nonprofit corporation, 1555 39th Avenue Francisco, CA 94122 (Tax ID: 94-1498472), for (check one) ☐ its general use OR ☐ for the following restricted purpose: ___________________________________________________________________________ .  (If you wish to restrict your gift, please contact us to ensure Catholic Charities can fulfill your wishes.)  Thank you for supporting our mission with your legacy gift!

Create your gift today

If you are ready to include a gift to Catholic Charities of San Francisco in your will or trust today, use our free, online resource. We’ve partnered with FreeWill to give all of our supporters the ability to create their plans online in only 20 minutes.

Prefer to finalize your plans with an attorney? FreeWill can also be used to create a set of documented wishes to bring to the lawyer’s office, saving you time and money on attorney fees. Get started on your plans.

Easy beneficiary designations

Some assets, like life insurance policies, IRA’s, 401k’s, bank and brokerage accounts, and donor-advised funds can be easily given to charity – once you no longer need them – by designation.

Life insurance:  You may have a life insurance policy you purchased years ago and no longer need.  You can name Catholic Charities as a full, partial or contingent beneficiary of your policy. You can also sign over a fully paid policy and receive a tax deduction for your gift.

IRA, 401k’s and other retirement plan assets:  As retirement plans are taxed differently than other assets, they can become a tax liability when inherited.  Designating Catholic Charities as a beneficiary of these assets can reduce or eliminate this liability.  You can include Catholic Charities on the beneficiary designation form to receive a specific percentage of your account or as a contingent beneficiary.

Bank & brokerage accounts:  Assets like certificates of deposit, savings bonds, bank and brokerage accounts can become wonderful charitable gifts – once you no longer need them.  Simply name Catholic Charities as the pay-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) beneficiary.

Donor-advised funds:  Final distribution of DAF’s is controlled by beneficiary designation.  You can easily name Catholic Charities as the successor of your DAF account – or a portion of the account value – leaving the balance in your DAF to allow children and grandchildren to continue your philanthropy.

Meet Colin

Catholic Charities Assisted Housing & Health Client

“Catholic Charities Assisted Housing & Health Program makes my overhead manageable while I tend to complications from a time taxing chronic health condition. Their care has been empowering and enables me to meet my hierarchy of needs, contributing to my capacity to self-actualize and be successful in my life pursuits.”

Meet David

Catholic Charities 10th & Mission Client

“Thanks to Catholic Charities, my family can stay in our home, pay our bills, and eat on time.”

Meet Alex

SF Boys’ Home Client

“I’m so grateful to Catholic Charities for the resources they provided. I am finally turning my life around and seeing a future for myself.”

Meet Yohan

CYO Client

“I have never seen my sister Natalie laugh in school as much as she laughs here in the program.”

Meet Tina

CYO Client

“This is the best part of my weekend! I love that I can see my friends and coaches and play a real game together.”

Meet Vanessa

CYO Client

“I’m learning skills I can’t get anywhere else and they are helping me reach my goals so someday I might get a college scholarship for sports.”

Meet Rosita

CYO Camper

“This is my very first time ever at summer camp so I was a little nervous about sleeping outside. But with everyone around me I felt really safe. It was a ton of fun.”

Meet Alicia

Daughter of Client at Catholic Charities San Francisco Aging Support Services

“My Mother has done so much for me in my life. It means the world knowing she is being cared for with the love and support she deserves.”

Meet Betty

Daughter of client at Catholic Charities San Francisco Aging Support Services

My family is so grateful for Catholic Charities. The challenges of caring for a loved one with dementia can be overwhelming. We know that my mom is in a safe place with caregivers who respond to her needs with compassion and kindness.

Terms & Conditions:

Donation Refund Policy

We are grateful for your donation and support of our organization. If you have made an error in making your donation or change your mind about contributing to our organization please contact us. Refunds are returned using the original method of payment. If you made your donation by credit card, your refund will be credited to that same credit card.

Automated Recurring Donation Cancellation

Ongoing support is important to enabling projects to continue their work, so we encourage donors to continue to contribute to projects over time. But if you must cancel your recurring donation, please notify us.

Privacy Policy

1. What Information Do We Collect? When you visit our website you may provide us with two types of information: personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected on an individual basis and website use information collected on an aggregate basis as you and others browse our website.
2. Personal Information You Choose to Provide We may request that you voluntarily supply us with personal information, including your email address, postal address, home or work telephone number and other personal information for such purposes as correspondence, placing an order, requesting an estimate, or participating in online surveys. If you choose to correspond with us through email, we may retain the content of your email messages together with your email address and our responses. We provide the same protections for these electronic communications that we employ in the maintenance of information received by mail and telephone.
3. Website Use Information Similar to other websites, our site may utilize a standard technology called “cookies” (see explanation below, “What Are Cookies?”) and web server logs to collect information about how our website is used. Information gathered through cookies and server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our website, and the sites visited just before and just after ours. This information is collected on an aggregate basis. None of this information is associated with you as an individual.
4. How Do We Use the Information That You Provide to Us? Broadly speaking, we use personal information for purposes of administering our business activities, providing service and support and making available other products and services to our customers and prospective customers. Occasionally, we may also use the information we collect to notify you about important changes to our website, new services and special offers we think you will find valuable. The lists used to send you product and service offers are developed and managed under our traditional standards designed to safeguard the security and privacy of all personal information provided by our users. You may at any time to notify us of your desire not to receive these offers.
5. What Are Cookies? Cookies are a feature of web browser software that allows web servers to recognize the computer used to access a website. Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored by a user’s web browser on the user’s hard drive. Cookies can remember what information a user accesses on one web page to simplify subsequent interactions with that website by the same user or to use the information to streamline the user’s transactions on related web pages. This makes it easier for a user to move from web page to web page and to complete commercial transactions over the Internet. Cookies should make your online experience easier and more personalized.
6. How Do We Use Information Collected From Cookies? We use website browser software tools such as cookies and web server logs to gather information about our website users’ browsing activities, in order to constantly improve our website and better serve our users. This information assists us to design and arrange our web pages in the most user-friendly manner and to continually improve our website to better meet the needs of our users and prospective users. Cookies help us collect important business and technical statistics. The information in the cookies lets us trace the paths followed by users to our website as they move from one page to another. Web server logs allow us to count how many people visit our website and evaluate our website’s visitor capacity. We do not use these technologies to capture your individual email address or any personally identifying information about you.
7. Notice of New Services and Changes Occasionally, we may use the information we collect to notify you about important changes to our website, new services and special offers we think you will find valuable. As a user of our website, you will be given the opportunity to notify us of your desire not to receive these offers by clicking on a response box when you receive such an offer or by sending us an email request.
8. How Do We Secure Information Transmissions? When you send confidential personal information to us on our website, a secure server software which we have licensed encrypts all information you input before it is sent to us. The information is scrambled en route and decoded once it reaches our website. Other email that you may send to us may not be secure unless we advise you that security measures will be in place prior to your transmitting the information. For that reason, we ask that you do not send confidential information such as Social Security, credit card, or account numbers to us through an unsecured email.
9. How Do We Protect Your Information? Information Security — We utilize encryption/security software to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information we collect from unauthorized access or disclosure and accidental loss, alteration or destruction. Evaluation of Information Protection Practices — Periodically, our operations and business practices are reviewed for compliance with organization policies and procedures governing the security, confidentiality and quality of our information. Employee Access, Training and Expectations — Our organization values, ethical standards, policies and practices are committed to the protection of user information. In general, our business practices limit employee access to confidential information, and limit the use and disclosure of such information to authorized persons, processes and transactions.
10. How Can You Access and Correct Your Information? You may request access to all your personally identifiable information that we collect online and maintain in our database by emailing us using the contact form provided to you within the site structure of our website.
11. Do We Disclose Information to Outside Parties? We may provide aggregate information about our customers, sales, website traffic patterns and related website information to our affiliates or reputable third parties, but this information will not include personally identifying data, except as otherwise provided in this privacy policy.
12. What About Legally Compelled Disclosure of Information? We may disclose information when legally compelled to do so, in other words, when we, in good faith, believe that the law requires it or for the protection of our legal rights.
13. Permission to Use of Materials The right to download and store or output the materials in our website is granted for the user’s personal use only, and materials may not be reproduced in any edited form. Any other reproduction, transmission, performance, display or editing of these materials by any means mechanical or electronic without our express written permission is strictly prohibited. Users wishing to obtain permission to reprint or reproduce any materials appearing on this site may contact us directly.

Meet Leo

Center for Immigration Legal & Support Services Client

It is a crisp, spring morning, and 18-year-old Leo sits at his home desk, signing in to his first online class of the day. At the beginning of the school year, this would not have been possible – the communal living residence where he and his father share a room did not have reliable internet service. Thankfully, the Catholic Charities team leading the Catholic Accompaniment Reflective Experience (CARE) funded by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stepped in, connecting Leo to a hotspot which enabled him to attend school regularly.

Leo entered the United States as an unaccompanied minor, seeking asylum from an unstable political situation in Guatemala and distressing long term child labor exploitation. He arrived after an arduous and dangerous journey from his home country to be reunited with his father. It had been 14 very long years since Leo had seen and embraced him.

Like many children who flee peril in their own countries, Leo came to the U.S. seeking safety, refuge, and a better life. CARE has been instrumental in helping Leo get the support he needs to thrive. Through CARE, he receives mentorship from a student at the University of California, Davis, for help with schoolwork and social integration, and is making strides learning English. He was also able to see a dentist recently, something he had never done before.

Carlos Garcia, Catholic Charities Program Director of the CARE program, says, “Leo is one of the most determined, responsible, and focused people I’ve worked with in the CARE program.” While attending online school, Leo also managed to secure a job, helping his family financially. “He is very motivated by school, aspires to go to college, and wants to contribute to his and his father’s situation and his new country” explains Carlos.

Since its inception, the Catholic Charities CARE program has served roughly 140 unaccompanied children and their families. Carlos and his team work around the clock to ensure they are all supported in sustainable, impactful ways including receiving support to addresses the traumatic aspects of their past and current experiences. This means that even after they are strong enough to fly on their own and no longer rely on CARE, they remain lifelong members of the CARE family.

“It’s wonderful to see Leo a little less guarded,” says Carlos, “and starting to trust that people want to support him with no ulterior motive.” When entering a country that exhibits mixed messages of acceptance, it can be understandably hard to discern whom you can rely on. For these children, having the support of dedicated Catholic Charities partners like Carlos and the CARE program makes all the difference.

Meet Daughter of Senior Client

Adult Day Services

“I can’t believe you’re open, I can’t believe you’re doing this for us again.”

Meet Rosita – Age 10

CCCYO camper

“This is my very first time ever at summer camp so I was a little nervous about sleeping outside. But with everyone around me I felt really safe. It was a ton of fun.”

Meet Tina – 5th Grade

CCCYO Athletics participant

“This is the best part of my weekend! I love that I can see my friends and coaches and play a real game together.”

Michele Griffin-Young

Project Homekey client

“And I just can’t tell you how much it helped to keep us going as long as we did. It was really incredible.”

Meet Maria

Emergency Relief Program client

“I would have had no idea these rental and housing assistance services were available if Catholic Charities and La Voz Latina hadn’t knocked on my door.”

Meet Lawrance and daughter Lanaya

SF HOME clients

“We didn’t have much for Christmas but we had each other and we had our own place. It was so warm and so nice – just me and her.”

“The SF HOME team went above and beyond, working after-hours with the landlord to make sure we didn’t spend a day on the streets after my certificate expired. I was so appreciative of that push.”

“It makes me so happy to see her happy. I want Catholic Charities to know they really helped me.”

Meet Carla

SF HOME client

Meet Rosa

Unaccompanied minor and CILSS client

At just 15 years old, Rosa made the courageous decision to walk more than 1,600 perilous miles from Honduras to the United States – alone.  Facing life-threatening abuse and persecution in her home country, she left everything behind seeking a chance at a safe life. Walking for weeks to cross the borders of Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, she finally made it to the United States. Her sole contact in the U.S. was her aunt, who lived in San Francisco and had fled similar circumstances. After settling in and breathing in the new air of safe harbor, Rosa reached out to Catholic Charities for immigration support. Salomé Ragot, Legal Assistant at Catholic Charities Center for Immigration Legal & Support Services (CILSS), began working with Rosa to secure her right to asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in the U.S.

Preparing an asylum case is an arduous process that takes both time and emotional bandwidth. Since Rosa’s arrival in the U.S., Salomé Ragot has been helping her gather the copious documentation needed to prove she qualifies for both asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status – the latter of which is given to Unaccompanied Undocumented Minors (UUMs) fleeing abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

While gathering documentation for evidence that supports an asylum case is laborious, an integral part of the application is perhaps even more difficult: preparing a declaration. Applicants must provide an account of why they fled their country of origin and why they are afraid to return, which often involves recounting their traumas. Revisiting difficult memories and creating a coherent narrative from complex experiences takes courageous vulnerability. Determined to reach her goal of a safe and stable life, Rosa harnessed her inner strength even through these most challenging moments. The fact that CILSS is known and respected in the community for its culture of trust also reassured her. In fact, it was through a friend at high school, who was also a UUM and whom CILSS was representing, that Rosa learned of Catholic Charities.

Salomé and the entire team at CILSS are more than aware of the sensitivity required to approach asylum cases. “Salomé made me feel very safe,” Rosa says. “I could really trust her.” Salomé’s approach focuses on setting clear expectations and simplifying the complex immigration process for her clients. “As an organization, we strive to build strong relationships with our clients and show them that we are their biggest advocates. Whenever anything comes up, Rosa knows she can always rely on us,” explains Salomé. Salomé’s words ring true when one day, Rosa shares with Salome that she was targeted because of her gender and sexual identity. That information, in turn, will make her asylum case stronger, since sexual persecution cases carry their own weight in the U.S.

While Rosa and Salomé wait for the Department of Justice to review her application, they have applied for and received a work permit and social security number for Rosa. This has allowed Rosa to support herself financially. Now a senior in high school in San Francisco, she is thriving and living in safety and with support. She has excellent grades and her teacher is encouraging her to apply for scholarships to college. “I want to become a doctor,” she says.

Thanks to Salomé, the rest of the team at CILSS, and Rosa’s courage and resiliency, her future now holds possibilities for fulfilling her aspirations.

One day, a year after her arrival in the U.S., Rosa sits in Salomé’s office, recounting her journey. “I think I am brave,” she says with a relaxed smile, knowing now she is safe in a community that has her back. That community is Catholic Charities.