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Catholic Charities of Washington County 
Created by Dave Richards and Rob Timo
Mission Statement
The Washington County Office of Catholic Charities offers services and programs that meet important needs for individuals and families. Our services are available to everyone in the community without regard to race, religion, age, or gender
Washington Catholic Charities, Helping Everyone
Catholic Charities strives to provide services that preserve life and sustain families. Catholic Charities wants to ensure that every stage of life offers individuals a quality existence. Serving more then 90,000 individuals in 2006, Catholic Charities works in six counties in Southwestern, Pennsylvania.
Catholic Charities of Washington, Pennsylvania offers five different programs, especially for Washington County. These five programs include:
*Adoption and foster care
*Community education
*Counseling, emergency relief
*Tangible assistance
*Pregnancy and parenting
There are four more additional programs that all six Diocese of Pittsburgh offer, which include:
*Bereavement services
*Elderly services
*Roselia Center
*Refugee services
History
Catholic Charities was founded as an organization in 1910. It was originally called the National Conference of Catholic Charities. Now there are more than 1,400 agencies, institutions and organizations make up the Catholic Charities network. The Office has been in existence for nearly 96 years and offers services to everyone in the community without regard to race, religion, age, or gender. These services include Adoption and Foster Care, Community Education, Counseling, Emergency Relief and Tangible Assistance, Elderly Services and more. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday and evening hours by appointment.
Role of Organization
The Community
Catholic Charities provide many different services and programs for all people, especially parents and young children. Catholic Charities believes in the value of human life, and offers pregnant women, young mother and their other family members the support that they need. Women who are pregnant or have an infant that is under 12 months are eligible for free formula, diapers and clothing. New parents are taught skills that can help their child become healthier and happier. Catholic Charities can provide answers to general questions any time, free of charge. This is possible by the Women-In-Need Program.
Catholic Charities works closely with local parishes. They assist by helping create groups that deal with people who are struggling with the loss of a loved one. Catholic Charities also set up groups that help adults. These groups teach social characteristics that help increase the quality of life. These groups can either meet at local parishes or go directly to the person that needs help. Catholic Charities helps organize all of these events.
The Catholic Charities of Washington County is a branch of the Diocese of Pittsburgh Catholic Charities. The Washington branch can help people get the necessary program that the Washington branch doesn't offer but the Pittsburgh branch does. Some of these programs are homeless shelters and the Roselia Center. The Roselia Center offers housing to young mothers with unexpected pregnancy in a residential setting.
Washington & Jefferson College
The affiliation that Washington & Jefferson has with Catholic Charities is fairly limited. The majority of the participation is through The Newman Club. They had a diaper drive outside George & Tom's and after masses at the Emaculant Conception Church where people donated diapers and raised some money by asking for donations .
Catholic Charities Storage
They gave those that donated a prayer card with a precious feet pin to promote life. The collection of diapers and money where given to those families in need of them but who could not afford it.
Last year W &J helped put hygiene kits together with bars soap, eye drops, and washcloths to go to a mission trip to Haiti through the Newman Center located just off College Street
In March, they had the Easter Egg Hunt on the Old Main front lawn for children in the community. This is an important event for the Newman Club, because they are celebrating the upcoming or for this year it was during the Easter season.
The the biggest help that could be derived from Washington and Jefferson College would be in the form of sorters for the inventory at the Catholic Charities Head Quarters by Cameron Stadium. The inventory gets extremely cluttered around the winter months and volunteers could help to sort through the inventory to make it more accessible.
Inside look at Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities of Washington is located down on North Main Street. It is located in a large commercial building next to Cameron Stadium. Catholic Charities of Washington offers many different programs that meet the needs of many people. They implement the "open door policy" in which they never turn down anyone who walks through their doors. They do not discriminate against age, sex, religion, or ethnicity. Although affiliated with the Roman Catholic religion they never discriminate against those not of the same faith.
In their office, you can see different children and baby products donated from all over the Washington area. The local parishes are the biggest supporters. Many parishes have diaper drives in which they ask their parishioners to donate all different sized of diapers. Many other organizations that contribute to Catholic Charities include Washington and Jefferson College, The Knights of Columbus, and the local area schools and even those who have been blessed with the donations bring back clothes and toys that their little ones have out grown.
Catholic Charities of Washington is recognized by the community and will continue to strive to help those in need as long as the charitable and monetary donations continue to be given. This family of workers will continue to help those within the community as long as people continue to reach out to them for help.
Interview with Sister LoPresti on May 3, 2008
Sister LoPresti:
I am a counselor here at Catholic Charities and have clients that come to see me to discuss issues in their lives. I would like to tell you more about the meetings but have to be very general because of the confidentiality of the profession and the personal nature of the issues discussed. I have not always been a counselor. I started in ministry and slowly moved into a counselor position. I find it rewarding and fulfilling. There are some dilemmas that are faced in this profession. During a session I may have to take an urgent phone call from another client that needs my help. The client that I am with usually understands because they know they would want me to do the same thing for them if they were on the other line. Because of the confidential nature of the job, volunteering is a difficult task. We could use the most help in the area of diaper drives and inventory sorting. Things get so cluttered because of our limited space that any help in that area would be fantastic. It would be nice if people wanted to get involved in that way.
Directions
- Turn LEFT onto E BEAU ST/ PA-136.
- Turn LEFT onto S MAIN ST.
- End at 331 S Main St Washington, PA 15301-6367
Where to Start?
If you are interested in contacting Catholic Charities Washington Office please call,
(724) 228-7722 or visit their website at www.ccpgh.org.