Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.

Our Lady of the Angels Region – Western Area

• Each year approximately 300 low-income families complete an intensive case management program, sponsored by six Catholic parishes, the City of Los Angeles, and Catholic Charities at St. Peter Claver Center. Families “graduate” when they no longer need to rely on the Center for groceries, clothing, or rental assistance.

• The Substance Abuse Program at St. Peter Claver Center provides regular weekly counseling to ten individuals. In collaboration with other agencies and schools, the program is also available to 50 teenage parolees who have to complete its requirements in order to be re-admitted to their high schools.

• St. Robert’s Center in Venice and seven Catholic parishes operate a weekend food program for low-income and/or homeless people. Over 150 volunteers take turns working on the weekends. Since 1993, more than 103,000 sack lunches were served to the homeless and more than 27,000 individuals received bags of groceries.

• Together with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, St. Margaret’s Center initiated the Commodities Surplus Food Program. Each month, about 150 people (seniors, children, and pregnant or post-partem women) receive an average of 30 pounds of additional food per person. In addition, last year the Center’s staff helped 167 families to apply for Food Stamp Assistance.

• In collaboration with the cities of Inglewood and Hawthorne, St. Margaret’s Center provides rental assistance to approximately 100 families each year and emergency motel vouchers to 100 more.

• Seven volunteers (who each work one day per week) assist the manager of St. Margaret’s Thrift Store, which serves as a source of clothing for low-income families who participate in the programs at the Center next door. It also brings in over $7,000 in revenue each month.

Alcue Jones, substance abuse specialist at St. Peter Claver Center (right), counsels a client during one of his weekly individual sessions.

St. Margaret’s Thrift Store, with its brightly colored walls and signs, is a fixture in the community, providing free clothing and household items to the Center’s clients.

At St. Margaret's Center in Lennox a young mother is served by Ana Ramirez, a former client who became a volunteer and then a staff member. Ana said: “It feels good to be able to give back after receiving help."

Robert Casillas, an AmeriCorps volunteer, has worked at St. Margaret’s Center since 2002: “I like my job because I like to be helpful and to make a difference in the world. I enjoy helping Catholic Charities in their mission.”


“ I could not hear very well, life was hard for me. Catholic Charities helped me get a hearing aid. Now my life is different, it is much, much better. I can hear; I can talk to people. It makes me so happy.” [An elderly woman, who suffered from hearing loss and was assisted at St. Margaret's Center]

Classes in English as a Second Language are offered at St. Margaret’s Center in collaboration with Centinela Valley Adult School.

A client receives groceries at the Food Pantry of St. Peter Claver Center, directed by Adolphus Clark, who said about his clients: “Their life is hard; they are often angry at life, angry at everyone around. It is great to see them leave happier than when they came in.”

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