As the social service arm of the Diocese of Phoenix, Catholic Charities Community Services proudly partners with local parishes and faith communities to raise awareness of the many ways our neighbors can find help during times of need and to provide options for parishes to live out their faith with life-affirming acts of service and faith-building service opportunities.
Each parish is unique and has different needs and giftings. That’s why Catholic Charities’ Parish and Community Engagement team works with each parish to support their mission, ministries and parishioners in times of need.
How Parishes Support Our Programs
Just like parishes, Catholic Charities’ programs each have distinct needs depending on the population they serve and the services they provide. Here are some examples of how parishes are making an impact within our programs.
Supporting Foster Families and Children in Foster Care
Many parishes support our foster care program by inviting our team members to speak to different ministries about foster care. Additionally, parishes like St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church and Holy Spirit Catholic Church support our foster families with Advent giving and toy drives. St. Patrick Catholic Community and St. Francis Xavier Parish are long-time Catholic Charities supporters. Their annual holiday gift card drives bless kids in foster care and the families who care for them.
Supporting Refugees
Catholic Charities serves refugees, refugee families and unaccompanied refugee minors who come to the United States to flee danger in their home countries. Many parishes have partnered with us to welcome the stranger and love their neighbor.
Some parishes support refugee families by hosting donation drives to collect household goods, cleaning supplies and hygiene items. St. Theresa Parish, St. Timothy Catholic Church and Saint James Roman Catholic Parish all participate in Christmas giving for refugee families.
Saint Jerome Catholic Church, St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church, and St. Benedict Catholic Church have refugee ministries that will adopt a family, and others help meet the needs of families in our program through ongoing support such as volunteering, donation drives and hosting information meetings for prospective unaccompanied refugee foster families.
Helping Veterans Escape Homelessness
Parishes with a strong desire to help veterans experiencing homelessness, like the Church of the Ascension and St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, volunteer and hold donation drives for blankets and other items in our Welcome Home Kits. Parishes also give financial gifts that can help meet the needs of veterans gaining independence and moving into their own place.
Ways to Take Action
The work parishes do to support our programs should be enjoyable and bring the community together. Below are some common ways parishes contribute to our programs and have fun doing it!
Donation Drives
Parishes can support their choice of programs with donation drives. San Francisco de Asis Catholic Parish in Flagstaff has an annual coat donation drive to provide warm coats for people experiencing homelessness during the harsh winters of Northern Arizona.
Toy drives provide new gifts for children during the holidays. All Saints Roman Catholic Church provides toys for our Emergency Santa Program, allowing parents to shop for toys in exchange for volunteering in their community. Other parishes, like Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Parish in Scottsdale, support multisite programs like our affordable housing communities.
St. Helen Roman Catholic Parish holds diaper drives that benefit women who call our crisis pregnancy hotline.
Parish Ambassadors
Catholic Charities’ Champions program is a unique volunteer opportunity for parishes. Each Champion becomes an ambassador for Catholic Charities at their parish. These volunteers receive training to learn about Catholic Charities programs, keep the parish informed about upcoming events or special needs, and host a table once a month at the parish to share Catholic Charities services so that parishioners in need can be informed about available help.
Each parish can have multiple Champions or a single Champion. Champions work closely with the Catholic Charities Parish and Community Engagement team and are supplied with resources and materials as needed.
Youth Participation
Parishes can invite the Catholic Charities Parish and Community Engagement team to present to a Religious Education class on social justice issues through dynamic presentations and engage the students in charitable works of mercy by donating needed items. For example, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish supports our vulnerable youth with a Jeans for Teens donation drive.
Some schools and youth groups take part in Miracle Projects. Students learn about our programs, think of a way to raise money, then raise funds for the program of their choice. Some students create a product, others perform services, and others host fundraisers. The funds are given to the programs or used to purchase items that our clients need.
Fundraisers
Fish fries, open mic nights and bake sales are just a few of the ways parishes or specific ministries within a parish have raised money for Catholic Charities programs. St. Cecilia Circle has been one of many that have shared their talents to bring awareness and support to our pro-life ministry, Joining Hearts.
Learn more about working with Catholic Charities by contacting our Parish and Community Engagement team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit our online Parish Awareness Toolkit, which contains resources and ways to put your faith into action and meet the needs of the most vulnerable.
