Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.

San Pedro Region

• The 39,548 unduplicated persons served in the San Pedro Region in fiscal year 2003-2004 reflected a 13% increase in comparison with fiscal year 2002-2003. Staff at the Pico Rivera Resource Center noted a 25% increase in persons needing food and basic assistance.

• About 785 families are homeless in the City of Long Beach each night. Some find shelter in the Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence, a 45-bed emergency facility where the residents are provided with care, food, clothing, transportation, and counseling. They take classes while their children attend school. This year, the Residence extended the maximum stay for their families from 30 to 45 days.

• Community Services Centers located in Long Beach, Wilmington and Pico Rivera provided basic assistance to the poor, including: food, transportation, assistance in paying utilities, clothing, temporary housing vouchers, and case management to achieve self-sufficiency. Over 50% of persons served are elderly, disabled or homeless.

• The ADESTE before-and-after-school program added a new school, Saint Peter and Paul in Wilmington, to serve children who need quality, affordable child care services. Overall, ADESTE in the San Pedro Region served 407 children in 2003-2004, a 44% increase over the previous year.

• With special training provided by United Way, Mahar House has added a Mother Read/Father Read program to promote early learning in children and a commitment to education by parents. Mahar House collaborates with five other non-profits and the Long Beach School District in offering other educational services in the area.

• Catholic Psychological Services experienced a 7% increase in the number of people seeking professional counseling.

At the Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence in Long Beach, homeless families may stay for up to 45 days, while searching for jobs, receiving counseling and training.

At the shelter, children play and ride bikes outside, because TV watching is only allowed in the evenings. The shelter’s safe and well-maintained facilities provide stable, secure conditions for families in crisis

At the ADESTE program recently introduced in St. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Wilmington, children engage in entertaining after-school activities, such as working on art projects under the supervision of well-trained staff.


Reading is serious business! The Success by Six reading program at Mahar House Community Center in Wilmington teaches mothers how to teach reading to their children and encourages them to read stories together.

Catholic Psychological Services in San Pedro offers individual counseling to adults and children. A licensed psychologist assesses the needs of her clients and addresses issues of greatest relevance to their lives, such as marital counseling, domestic violence, and childhood psychological disorders.
The installation of bunk beds at Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence allowed more people to find shelter. Families of different types and sizes (headed by single parents, disabled people or seniors) receive individualized care, with programs addressing the needs of school-children, teenagers and their parents.


“Thank you all. Prior to coming here, my family and I were living on the street and in and out of friends’ homes. Now we are off the street and in a safe haven for my three-year-old daughter. We are so blessed.” [A single mom with two children, at Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence]

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