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Mission Statement || Services
In the nineteenth
century, New York was the chief port of entry for immigrants to the United
States. The Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, followed rapidly by the
Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Queensborough Bridges, making Brooklyn attractive
to newcomers. With the connection of the two sides of the river by subways,
beginning with the Interborough in 1900, new immigrants flowed into Brooklyn and
Queens.
The Church responded to the needs of
these immigrants and their poor and ill. By 1899, the Church ran 13 child-caring
institutions, three houses for the aged, four hospitals, and several benevolent
societies.
In 1899, Bishop McDonnell appointed Father
(later
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Contact us
191 Joralemon
St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 722-6008
Fax:
(718)
722-6220
E-mail:
webmaster@ccbq.org
Hours: 9-5 M-F
| Monsignor) William J.
White to be the first director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Brooklyn,
a post he retained until his death in 1911. He had deep concern for the poor,
almost all of them members of immigrant families. In response to their needs, he
directed groups of volunteers to organize educational and recreational
activities in several parish centers to assist them.
Catholic Charities was legally incorporated
in 1917. Over the years, Catholic Charities adapted its services to the
needs of the people of Brooklyn and Queens.
Through waves of immigration, war, the
Depression, and health emergencies, Catholic Charities has continued to
coordinate the social services of the Diocese and to deliver service to those
who need it most.
Today, the Diocese of Brooklyn is as
diverse as ever. The Church continues to open its doors and hearts through
Catholic Charities' 180 programs and services.
Services
 From one end of
life to another, for those in need and those who can help, in emergencies and
for help with planning, in your home or at our centers, Catholic Charities
offers caring, commitment, and community to people in Brooklyn and Queens.
Among our 180 programs you will find aging
services for those who have lived long and worked hard; homes and educational
programs for the developmentally disabled; counseling and prevention programs to
ensure the mental health of all our neighbors; housing for seniors, families,
and those with special needs; homeless services for those who are without jobs
and resources; health assistance for pregnant women; a variety of services and
outreach for refugees; Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) leagues and games for
youth; initiatives for those seeking employment and help in finding a job;
refugee services to help those new to this country find their way.
Your doorway to any of these services is
one of our four family centers. But you don't have to have a family to come.
These centers provide crisis intervention for families and individuals, case
management, emergency food, advocacy, support groups, information, referrals,
budget counseling and short-term counseling. For youth in the Diocese, Catholic
Charities also supports Scouting, which you can read more about in the
Scouting Section . The goal of our centers and all
our services is to help our neighbors lead independent lives of dignity and
self-respect. Stop in or call to find out how to begin.
Family Centers
Brooklyn East Family Center
1987 Flatbush Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11234
(718)
677-9848
Brooklyn West Family Center
191 Joralemon St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718)
722-6001
Queens North Family Center
23-40 Astoria Blvd.
Astoria, NY 11102
(718)
726-9790
Queens South Family Center
90-39 189th St.
Hollis, NY 11102
(718) 217-1238
Mission
Statement
Catholic Charities of
the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens sees its mission as sharing in the promotion
of unity among all persons by seeking to develop caring communities.
As a
service agency, and as a coordinator of other Catholic agencies, Catholic Charities
uses its commitment to service as a vehicle for the promotion of participation
and involvement of people in the service of others. By bringing people together
to know, to experience, and to reflect upon the needs and the issues of
their local communities, the agency seeks to raise consciousness, to encourage
input and involvement in addressing needs and to generate responses that draw
people together and promote the caring, unity and witness which characterizes
the Christian ministry of service.
The
agnecy seeks to create among staff a community of caring and sharing made up of
people who seek to reach out to the poor, sick, aged, developmentally disabled
and isolated.
In the delivery of
this service, the values of quality performance, responsiveness to local need
and preservation of the basic dignity of each individual person are paramount.
Programs must be directed not only toward the alleviation of individual misery,
but also toward changing the forces which cause such misery, and toward advocating for
justice and for systemic change where such is needed. In effect, to promote a
social order which enhances human development. "The glory of God is people fully
alive."
The agency recognizes
in its mission a special call to promote family life and to help our neighbors
cope in this turbulent society. It likewise recognizes a call to aid all parish
communities in their ministry to the suffering and needy of their parish and to
living out the social call of the Gospel.
In summary, the prayer of Jesus, "That all may be one," formulates
our call, justifies our existence, and motivates our efforts toward unity as a
prime value.
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