world homeless day.

Catholic Charities and Homelessness

Homelessness is never planned. But like people, it comes in many forms. Catholic Charities provides programs and services designed to meet the challenges our community members experiencing homelessness deal with, and that meet them where they are because

every human being deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect…

no matter what.

House of Charity provides meals, case management and shelter to an underserved population of homeless men and women in any condition, as well as providing a hot lunch, free hygiene supplies, a place for patrons to get mail, beds to recover from surgery or medical emergency, and a place to go when it feels like there is nowhere to turn.

St. Margaret’s Shelter provides a variety of case management and assessment services for families facing homelessness to escape violence and instability, hoping to build a more stable future. Because families are homeless, too.

Diversion/Rapid Rehousing for families and individuals seeking temporary support to avoid or exit homelessness. At Homeless Resources, every household receives Diversion services and has the opportunity to partner with a Diversion specialist to review their housing situation and create a plan to overcome their housing challenge and through Rapid Rehousing, households can access short-term financial support and case management services that help them get into private apartments and public housing.

But What Can I Do?

Catholic Charities knows that our community members experiencing homelessness require cohesive safety nets that allow them to stabilize themselves and their lives. You can help to build that net, and here are 5 ways to do so:

1. Start local. Find out what organizations and services are available in the area. Catholic Charities, one of many organizations that are working together to solve homelessness, has numerous programs and partnerships in 13 counties in Eastern WA. Each organization engaged in this work provides a critical piece of the puzzle in the pursuit of solutions to homelessness.

2. Support and donate to organizations and businesses, like Catholic Charities, that work to offer dignity to, and stabilize the lives of the homeless individuals in your community through their practices and daily operations.

3. Volunteer when and where you can. Catholic Charities has many opportunities to get involved in and build up our community through a variety of different programs.

4. Educate yourself about homelessness in your neighborhood and wider community. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out information.

5. Spread awareness. Advocate for awareness of the issues we face together. Use your platform, and talk about what you read and hear and see in our community. How does it make you feel? What strikes you? Why?

Real People with Real Lives

Homelessness is difficult to talk about. It is a complicated issue, with many nuances that are as varied as the people experiencing it. Homelessness is not always a clear-cut, or obvious, it can present in a variety of ways, and becoming homeless doesn’t always follow a linear path. Catholic Charities knows that we must welcome all of the hard questions and reasonable, intelligent thoughts of good-hearted people, and we must be open to hearing how we might find ways to serve the homeless differently. We are open to all possibilities and solutions that involve us working together to better our common home.