Loving Our Neighbors in Need

Every day, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Des Moines, bears witness to the unseen strength of our neighbors striving to overcome life’s challenges. While many of us rarely think twice about the luxury of air-conditioned homes, cruise-controlled cars or savings accounts, countless individuals and families served by Catholic Charities live without these comforts and focus instead on meeting their most basic needs.  

Catholic Charities steps in to bridge this gap. Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, the organization serves the Diocese of Des Moines through vital programs and services, including counseling, community resource coordination, domestic violence and sexual assault shelter and advocacy, an emergency family shelter and a food pantry.

With a mission to Empower Individuals and Strengthen Families, Catholic Charities serves all in need with dignity and love.

In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27). When Jesus is asked, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), he responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan – showing us what it truly is to love our neighbor.

A neighbor is more than someone living next door. It’s every person, especially the lost, the struggling and the forgotten.

Catholic Charities follows the example given to us by the Good Samaritan. Fueled by passionate volunteers and a dedicated staff, the organization serves our neighbors in need by feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, comforting the afflicted, uplifting the lost and much more with true mercy.

But this cannot be done alone.

The financial support provided by parishioners and donors is crucial to the work being done at Catholic Charities. Responding to the Catholic Charities Annual Appeal provides an opportunity to create exceptional life-changing experiences that foster growth and self-sufficiency for those who are struggling. This could be the person sitting quietly in the back of a parish, a co-worker facing hidden challenges, or the family next door. Often, the individuals receiving support are not visible in the community.

Catholic Charities offers a pathway for donors to be like the Good Samaritan. Support from generous donors directly impacts the lives of so many across the Diocese. Each gift, no matter the size, provides critical services for someone in need.

The needs of the community are ever-changing. Catholic Charities actively looks for ways to better care for clients by meeting them where they are and providing them with what they need to succeed.

In the last 12 months alone:

Each year brings more individuals and families in need of support, making the work of Catholic Charities more essential than ever before.

In many ways, Catholic Charities serves as the hands and feet of Christ, going to the margins to care for some of the most vulnerable. Donor support allows the organization to reach further, offering an encouraging and uplifting hand to those who might otherwise feel forgotten.

The Catholic Charities Annual Appeal fuels the organization’s essential programs and services. Every donation makes a difference. Every gift sparks a change. Every dollar has an impact. This financial support enables Catholic Charities to operate effectively and compassionately.

Catholic Charities says ‘yes’ to the Gospel call to love our neighbors – every neighbor – just like the Good Samaritan. Together, we can build a community, rooted in compassion, mercy and hope – where no one is left behind.

To support Catholic Charities’ programs and services throughout the Diocese of Des Moines, visit catholiccharitiesdm.org/annual-appeal.