Causes:
Homeless & Housing,
Homeless Shelters,
Homeowners & Tenants Associations,
Housing Development, Construction & Management,
Human Service Organizations,
Human Services
Mission: Founded in 1945, Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg seeks to address the social service, social justice, and individual and family needs of those residing in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties. Through the delivery of a full spectrum of services, social advocacy and community convening, Catholic Charities fulfills its mission of implementing the social teachings of the Gospels so that the dignity of every person and community is promoted, restored and enhanced. The agency serves all people regardless of religious preference, race, creed, or economic circumstance.
Catholic Charities' projected budget for FY 99-00 is in excess of $5,000,000, an increase of almost 47% over FY 98-99, which evidences investor confidence in the organization.
Programs: Permanent supportive housing - bethany family apartments provides comprehensive supportive services to homeless families with disabilities leading to self-sufficiency and independent living in permanent housing. Mercy apartments, christopher center apartments and christopher family residences are for individuals and families who are stable enough to live independently with hiv/aids. A voucher program is available to qualified individuals to pay a portion of rent at an eligible property in addition to a utility allowance. Pinellas hope ii consists of 80 efficiency units and targets the special need for homeless. 30% of units are dedicated to those below 33% area median income for pinellas county. A community building is attached which provides offices for supportive services including an employment readiness program and financial management classes. 351 clients were served during the fiscal year ended june 30, 2014.
temporary supportive housing - offers a safe and supportive living environment with varying levels of support. Temporary supportive housing is available for single men in pinellas county and single women with children in hillsborough county with 24-hour staff availability for qualified individuals with hiv/aids who are homeless or at risk of eviction. There is temporary supportive housing in pasco county for homeless women with children with wrap around services. Pinellas hope was established in partnership with the interfaith community, local government, businesses and other non-profits to assist the homeless with 250 units of emergency shelter. Clients are assisted with food, transportation, employment and benefits and assistance and case management services. 1197 clients were served during the fiscal year ended june 30, 2014.
immigration and refugee services. Refugee services provide employment assessment, training, development and job placement services to refugees, identifies refugees who have been victims of torture and provides links to qualified mental health practitioners, legal interpreters and medical support services and provide family reunification cases with orientation and guidance in obtaining services such as food stamps, medicaid, cash assistance, ssi benefits ,health screening, english as a second language classes, and school enrollment for children. Immigration services provides affordable immigration services to all newcomers regardless of race, religion, sex or creed. The program provides assistance with applications such as affidavit of support, adjustment of status, naturalization, replacement of immigration documents, extension of non-immigrant visas, change of status, petitions for family reunification, political asylum and other services. 1686 clients were served during the fiscal year ended june 30, 2014.
other housing programs - ccusa provides homebuyer education and housing counseling services at no charge to prospective and existing homeowners. Homeowners are also offered help with debt and budget counseling to prevent foreclosures. Other home services include reverse mortgage counseling, debt consolidation, handicapped and disabled retrofitting and code compliance assistance. The veterans and families program provides transitional living for homeless veterans and their families as they build supports to maintain self-sufficiency and permanancy in housing and assistance in treatment and recovery. Pinellas hope medical respite partnered with the baycare health system to provide space for recuperative care to persons without homes who are too medically frail to return to the streets, but do not require further hospitalization. This 10 bed program is housed with pinellas hope and provides a space for baycare home care nurse visits. Clients are linked to medical providers and are assisted with obtaining needed medication, case management services, housing referral, meals and transportation. Largo duplex and adrian property are housing units available to low income individuals and families who are stable enough to live independently. 1087 clients were served during fiscal year ended june 30, 2014. Pregnancy,parenting support and adoption programs - trained staff and volunteers offer confidential, comprehensive sevices to adloescents, women and families facing the issues of sexuality, pregnancy and the responsibility of parenting. All services are free of charge. Services include free confidential pregnancy testing, limited ultrasound up to 12 weeks, parenting options, information on adoption, mentoring, maternity and infant supplies, community resource referral, emergency food items, pre-natal childbirth education, infant parenting classs, abstinence education and fertility care ministries. 2349 clients were served in fiscal year end june 30, 2014. Pathways to self sufficiency provides support and guidance to stabilize poor individuals and families in crisis. The pathways to self sufficiency program was developed to assist people who are in danger of becoming homeless or who are in need or emergency utility assistance. The program also provided clients with referrals to other organizations. This program served 593 clients during the year ended june 30, 2014. Other program services include respite services in citrus and hernando counties to those caring for loved ones experiencing alzheimers disease. Mobile medical services include volunteer medical professionals and staff providing medical screening and follow up medical care to low income residents on a medically equipped bus. Health promotion and disease prevention education is provided to target communities. The st andre clinic offers medical screening and follow up medical care to low-income residents of pasco county targeting presons with household incomes less than 200% of poverty level and without health care coverage. Hardest hit assists families to stop the foreclosure process. Access to recovery is a voucher program for substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support services. The hernando outreach center provides space to other agencies to provide medical checkups to low income individuals in hernando county. Citrus outreach center provides space to other agencies to provide food distribution and dental care to low income individuals and families in citrus county. 3620 clients were served during fiscal year ended june 30, 2014
