Dear friends,

As I look forward to the first holidays in my family’s new home here in California, I find myself thinking back on a pivotal year in my own life. Though our move from Connecticut had its share of challenges, I am also reflecting on just how much harder it all could have been... 
 
What if we didn’t have a home for the holidays? I believe no one should have to face that, but unfortunately home is tenuous for too many. 
 
Catholic Charities is unique in its scope of programs, providing many essential ways you can make a lasting difference. Through our Gifts of Hope e-series, we hope to share some of the stories of your impact on our housing solutions, homelessness prevention, immigration legal services, and more. 

These last six months have been a joy for me getting to know the donors who so generously support our work at Catholic Charities. It has been an honor to join hands with you and this team who are tackling some of the biggest issues facing our beautiful community and create a world where everyone can thrive.  

Each of you comes with an inspiring motivation to make a difference. Your work is changing lives. Thank you for welcoming me into my role as Catholic Charities Chief Development Officer, and for courageously demonstrating love for all. 

With gratitude, 

Carey Dougherty | Chief Development Officer, Catholic Charities  
Your Support Provides Lifesaving Care at Nightingale
The experience of homelessness itself can dramatically impact one's life expectancy. Tragically, chronically homeless individuals can expect nearly 30 years of life less than that of the average Californian. One reason is limited access to stable healthcare.

For even the most routine medical care, homelessness makes access to treatment exceptionally difficult. Building on decades of experience providing dignity and housing support for unsheltered individuals, Catholic Charities addresses a major point of failure for those needing care.

Caritas Center aims to break this cycle in our community. By co-locating medical services with our shelters and drop-in center at the site, healthcare is now one elevator ride away. This innovation is a lifeline for those thought to have been lost in the system.

Nightingale Recuperative Care, a shelter available in both Sonoma and Napa counties, provides a safe landing for hospital-referred individuals experiencing homelessness who need a pause to restore their health. Often, it can be a critical step on their housing journey.

With the opening of Caritas Center where Nightingale is co-located with Santa Rosa Community Health's medical clinic, we can go beyond just recuperative care by offering preventative care such as blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol tests, colon health, and other vital health screenings.
We are excited to share how we and our partner Santa Rosa Community Health have implemented this model with our peers at the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) 2024 Innovations and Solutions for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness!

NAEH is a nonpartisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. They are one of the nation's leaders in data and advocacy for our sisters and brothers experiencing homelessness.

This gathering allows us to demonstrate the strengths of Caritas Center to our peers in the field so the model can be replicated!
Home in Half the Time: Caritas Center Data is a Cause for Optimism!
Catholic Charities fully opened Caritas Center, the first-of-its-kind model for addressing the needs of Sonoma County, in January 2023. Caritas Center is a safe space for chronically homeless individuals, survivors of domestic violence, and families to receive housing-focused services that honor participants' dignity and meet their housing and healthcare needs.

Click the image below to explore our first six month's Caritas Center data report!
Making our clients smile...
Holidays are a key ingredient to making our participants' journeys just a little easier. We strive to make our holiday events the best parties in town! Halloween this year was no exception...
A huge thank you to the Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa as well as our amazing Catholic Charities volunteers and staff for making the Caritas Center Halloween Party so special!
Inspiration, Gratitude, and Impact Data - check out our 2023 Annual Report!
This past year has been a year of renewal for Catholic Charities. With the opening of Caritas Village, as well as a further expansion of services for immigrants, farm workers, and precariously housed individuals, we have felt a powerful sense of momentum propelling us into our next chapter.

Where this moment has led us is something we hope can be a model for our community and, more than that, a commitment to meaningful and measurable outcomes.

We will never stop challenging ourselves to live up to that promise each day. Behind that momentum is every supporter who has come forward to say “yes!” to housing solutions. You have said “yes!” to making Northern California a better home for the most vulnerable among us. You help us every step of the way to innovate and foster proven remedies that make a difference for all of us.

Catholic Charities goes where no one else will go. We can go where we must because you, too, have acknowledged the need. When we help our sisters and brothers in pain, we all succeed.

We thank you for being a partner we can count on to walk with us.
Want to get involved? Simply reply to this email with your area of interest or visit srcharities.org for donation and volunteer opportunities.

Are you seeking services? We are here for you! Please write to us or visit srcharities.org for assistance opportunities.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa | srcharities.org