Serving central and southwest Iowa for 80 years!
Last year, Catholic Charities served more than 20,000 people. 

Plans for Catholic Charities Week 2008 and No Room at the Inn, Dec. 5 & 7 are underway
No Room at the Inn is a series of events that highlight the plight of the homeless in our community. It is a major fundraiser for St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, and ultimately, a reminder of the Holy Family’s story and the true reason for the season.

No Room at the Inn begins with an opening night fundraising reception that unveils more than 200 nativity scenes from around the world. The services provided at St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, Catholic Charities homeless shelter, are highlighted at the event in an atmosphere filled with cocktails and music. On Sunday, an open house fit for the entire family again features more than 200 nativities on display as well as local choirs sharing the music of the season. For more information call Trish Radke at 515-237-5078.

Catholic Charities Flood Relief
In the devastating wake of the floods of 2008, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Des Moines provided services to people in the Dioceses 23 counties that were affected by the floods. Catholic Charities continues to assist flood victims with information referrals and mental health counseling. Mental health counseling is available at offices in downtown Des Moines, Waukee, Altoona, Ankeny and Perry.
Counselors offer suggestions on helping families cope with crisis

NEW
Central Iowa Recovery Network (CIRN) -
Catholic Charities, along with local non-profit and faithbased organizations have formed a network that provides unmet needs assistance to families in Polk County and surrounding areas that are still recovering from this summer’s historic floods. Individuals seeking assistance for unmet needs should call  2-1-1 to begin an application process with CIRN. CIRN case managers are available to assist flood victims in creating a recovery plan and matching them to available assistance and resources. Volunteers are also needed.
Click here for more information about CIRN or to sign up to register.

Have your cake and share it, too
Christiani's VIP Catering helps Catholic Charities through I DOnate Program 
Click HERE to learn more about the I DOnate Program

Events in 2008:
No Room at the Inn, December 5-7, 2008
2009

Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs, June 2009
Bishop Charron Catholic Charities Golf Classic, August 31, 2009


About Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities was born in Diocese of Des Moines in 1924 with the opening of the Christ Child Home. Since then, the agency has evolved with the times offering programs, services and support to central and southwest Iowa.Catholic Charities, a United Way agency, has is devoted to offering a helping hand plus challenging those assumptions and systems that make it difficult for individuals to improve their lives. Catholic Charities is a gem in Iowa. It offers help, and it offers hope to people of all faiths.

Programs:

Adoption  Matches birth parents with adoptive parents in an open adoption process that encourages communication and relationship building between birth parents and adoptive parents. Our staff also completes adoption searches.

Counseling Services (Des Moines region)- The counseling staff at Catholic Charities provides supportive relationships to individuals, couples and families struggling with a variety of issues. Counselors work with people of all faiths and offer services in several Des Moines metro locations. The program also offers bilingual counseling in Des Moines Perry and Osceola. 

Counseling Services (Council Bluffs region)-The counseling program in Council Bluffs provides counseling services to individuals, couples and families, with a focus on trauma, abuse, and family violence. The staff also facilitates a sexual offender treatment program. 

Hispanic Community Outreach: Facilitates full participation of newcomer immigrants and Hispanic/Latino families in their communities through advocacy, direct service and support of community initiatives. The program also offers bilingual counseling in Des Moines Perry and Osceola. En Espanol.

Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter: Provides a confidential shelter, legal advocacy, responds to rape and sexual abuse victims in the community and provides outreach to surrounding rural communities.

Pregnancy Counseling: Provides birth families and adoptive families with emotional and social support services, and assists them with planning, decision-making, legal procedures and foster care of infants awaiting adoption.

Refugee Resettlement Services: Provides newly arriving refugees with intensive support services needed to achieve basic self-sufficiency as contributing members of the community, including housing, employment and educational placement.

St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter: Provides homeless families with temporary, safe and dignified living environment and assists families as they seek housing and other resources needed for permanent stability. St. Joe’s is the only shelter in Des Moines that keeps the family unit together.

St. Mary Family Center: The largest food pantry in the city, St. Mary’s assists people needing emergency assistance of food, clothing, or finances in a social and physical environment that is respectful to people enduring severe anxiety and stress.

Volunteer Opportunties: A variety of opportunities are available to individuals and groups wanting to get involved with Catholic Charities programs. Opportunities range from serving a meal at the homeless shelter, to collecting diapers for St. Mary Family Center to volunteering to help with a special event.