Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.

2001-2002 Annual Report

Catholic Charities: Providing Help. Creating Hope.

Providing Help

Over 93,000 children under 18 were served in the 2001-2002 fiscal year. Of that number, 56,024 came to Catholic Charities, with their parents, in need of emergency services - food, clothing and shelter.

“...I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me....Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-40)

In fiscal year 2001-2002, Catholic Charities offered help to over 250,000 clients in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Since 1919, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. has worked as a trusted refuge for the poor, hungry and homeless, and provided a path to stabilization, and eventual self-sufficiency, for the disadvantaged in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Realizing that material support provides only a partial solution to the concerns of the impoverished, the agency focuses on the origin of clients’ problems, and works within the communities it serves to develop programs that meet the needs of local residents and engender hope for the future. These diverse services are offered in keeping with the Mission of Catholic Charities to provide human services, empower individuals, work for positive social change and foster social justice, without regard to a client’s race, ethnicity, income, gender or religious belief.

On a daily basis, Catholic Charities helps clients in “crisis” situations: offers the working poor, unemployed, and new arrivals access to basic services such as food pantries and financial aid; supports self-sufficiency through job skills training, psychological counseling, programs to strengthen families and help the elderly; and fosters youth development by means of work-based learning and paid work experience, school readiness and organized sports. The following client stories illustrate the serious conditions clients who come to Catholic Charities face:

A mother of three came to St. Margaret’s Center in Lennox to ask for help. She had lost her job as a janitor at the airport as a result of slowdown in travel after 9/11. They had no food. While the family waited to qualify for food stamps, they received food from the Center.

Ninety-year-old “James” was confined to a rundown hotel due to age and leg problems. Staff from Catholic Charities’ Older Adult Services and Intervention System (OASIS), and youth volunteers, visited “James” and were able to get him food, clothes, and a scooter to help him get around town.

Creating Hope

“The needy will never be forgotten, nor will the hope of the afflicted ever fade.” (Psalms 9:19)

This Annual Report highlights the work of Catholic Charities in fiscal year 2001-2002. For over 83 years, the agency has been an active and well-respected social service provider in Southern California. Funds are effectively used with 90.9% going to programs and 9.1% to overhead. It is through the help of Catholic Charities that clients can find the strength to act and, in the process, create hope for themselves and their families.

If you would like a copy of this page as it appears in print, click here to download. The file can be viewed and printed from your desktop with Adobe Acrobat Reader.