About Catholic Charities

Our Mission

Catholic Charities provides and advocates for the physical, emotional, and social needs of the poor and vulnerable in Northwest Indiana meeting them right where they with the help they need, creating hope for a brighter future regardless of their religious or ethnic background.

Population Served

Catholic Charities focuses on individuals and families who are at the edge between poverty and basic subsistence level and/or those who are marginalized in our society and community, and can encompass more than the financial situation. Services are provided to those who need support in order to move above their current situation.

Approach

  • We build upon people’s strengths and address interpersonal relationships and environmental barriers that inhibit growth.
  • We provide services that increase a client’s sense of competency in coping with life challenges and environmental demands.
  • We provide services drawing upon a client’s social support network and advocate for social changes that limit opportunities for growth.

Our Core Values

In order to remain faithful to our mission, Catholic Charities is guided by a set of Core Values. They are our organization’s public testament regarding our ethical and moral responsibility for the services we deliver. Every day, we promise our clients, employees, donors, board members, volunteers, funding partners and the community that we will strive to be an agency of excellence. Our promise is evidenced in our commitment to these core values:

Respect

We believe that people are the cornerstone of our mission. We hold the rights, values, beliefs and property of others in high regard, and we express that regard with an attitude of mutual esteem and admiration. When respect is incorporated into one’s attitude, caring for “the least among us” and contributing to the common good naturally follow.

Compassion

We regard all people as equals. It is critical to the mission of Catholic Charities that each of us journey with our clients, our employees, our volunteers, and our board members. This compassion inspires a desire to relieve the suffering of others.

Competence

We are committed to bringing out the best in each individual. We encourage decision-making, self-determination, creativity, and accountability for our clients and ourselves. Not only do we expect competency from our co-workers, but we also expect our clients to grow in competency. Competency fulfills our desire to become an agency of excellence.

Stewardship

We take moral responsibility for the management and prudent use of time, money, talents, and other resources in our work. As stewards, we are accountable to all stakeholders for the resources they have entrusted to us in order to carry out our mission.

What We Believe

At Catholic Charities we embrace Principles of Catholic Social Teaching:
  • We believe in the dignity of every person.
  • We make a choice and exercise an option to serve poor and vulnerable people.
  • We believe that all persons have rights and responsibilities.
  • We promote the call to participation in family and community.
  • We provide service to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, or disability.

Our History

Our Catholic Charities member agency was founded in 1937, with a mission to be a social service arm of the church, serving the poor and needy. In 1957, we expanded our programming and services to meet the changing needs of the people who live in the four counties of the diocese of Gary. Since then we have been known as Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary, proudly serving Lake, Porter, LaPorte, and Starke counties. Today, Catholic Charities is a social service 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our Community Outreach, Food Pantry, Women’s Care Center, Immigration Services, Affordable Housing, and Financial Workshops programs provide help, create hope, and serve all in Northwest Indiana, regardless of religious or ethnic backgrounds.