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Diocese of Davenport 
Catholic Charities
780 West Central Park Avenue
Davenport, IA 52804

Catholic Charities Provides Local Pandemic Support

By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger

Seven parishes that participate in the Hispanic Ministry Leadership group received $11,000 collectively in COVID-19 relief grant funds from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Davenport to respond to urgent needs during the pandemic.

“We have been able to help people pay their bills. I had a lady come in Tuesday (Aug. 18) and she told me she had COVID twice and couldn’t work. When I said we would cover the bill, she was so grateful,” said Father Guillermo Trevino Jr., referring to St. Joseph Parish in West Liberty, where he serves as parochial vicar. He delivered take-out food to the porch of another family in town suffering from COVID-19. The Catholic Charities money made the assistance to both households possible.  Read more...

We have an incredibly rich tradition of addressing direct needs of people and with peace and justice efforts through the Office of Social Action. Early on, the Diocesan expression of response to direct needs as well as peace and justice was a Catholic Charities. 40 years ago assisted by its national leaders, the United Way of the Quad Cites conducted a study of the human needs and community services in the area which included our diocese. Among its conclusions were that the Catholic Charities was understaffed and attempting to provide too broad an array of services that in some cases duplicated the efforts of other service providers. They recommended that the Charities be dissolved and the services be merged with what is now Family Resources. As Monsignor Mottet recalls, he and Bishop O’Keefe sweated over the study for two years before deciding that they would not be good neighbors unless they cooperated with the study. Learn more about Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Davenport History

Services Available:

• Disaster Preparation and Responses: Assist parishes in disaster planning and work with county or community disaster recovery organization in time of disaster to facilitate recovery. 

• Immigration Services: Provides assistance in navigating the immigration process to families and outreach to communities for immigration information and assistance. 

• Jail/Prison Ministry The Jail / Prison Ministry allows parishioner's to volunteer in local correctional facilities by bringing the message and love of God to inmates.
  
  Catholic Charities also supports the works of volunteers committed to Restorative Justice. As an example, volunteers, mentors and members of Circles of Support are actively involved in "walking with" returning citizens upon their release from prison and while they participate in Drug Court, an alternative to incarceration. 

• Parish Health Ministry: Health ministry at the parish level is a compassionate ministry focused on the whole person in the various stages of life from conception to death.  In caring for the spiritual well being of a person, we also address their physical well-being.  Health ministry has a role for everyone at a parish, not just health professionals.

• Project Rachel Ministry:Project Rachel is a confidential, post-abortion healing ministry of the Catholic Church offering hope and healing to women and men hurting from past abortions. Project Rachel staff understand the emotional pain that follows an abortion.  Flyer

Catholic Charities is a compliment to the rich tradition of social justice that continues within the diocese.

• Catholic Charities USA