Catholic Charities
Annual Report
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the 2024 Annual Report for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud. This report reflects the profound and far-reaching impact we have made together in our community over the past year.
In 2024, we focused our efforts around three core pillars: Food Access, Housing, and Mental Health. Guided by our mission—to serve and enhance human dignity for all people—we provided essential services and fostered a sense of belonging and hope throughout Central Minnesota. Together, we served 47,220 people in Central Minnesota by providing food, clothes, mental health services, housing services and more.
The pages that follow illustrate the breadth of our work across the 16 counties of the Diocese of St. Cloud. This impact would not be possible without the unwavering dedication of our team members, volunteers, donors, and community partners. For your commitment to your neighbors and our community, I am profoundly humbled and grateful.
In challenging times, I often reflect on the words of Theodore Roosevelt: “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” There is no work more worthy than what we do every day here at Catholic Charities. Thank you for walking alongside us in this vital work. Your generosity and compassion continue to transform lives.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Aaron Fisk, President and CEO
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud
You've helped make a different tomorrow for
47,220
people in our community.
Catholic Charities serves and enhances human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs.
Our programs focus on three pillars:
Total Revenue & Support: $29,670,405
for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024
Catholic Charities 2024 Key Events Timeline
Mental Health Services
Catholic Charities Mental Health helps individuals and families develop and enhance emotional adjustment and independent living and community skills. Our national partnership includes Senior Corps for the Central Minnesota Foster Grandparents Program.
Granite City Counseling: A Program of Catholic Charities
The Granite City Counseling is an outpatient counseling and mental health facility operating in St. Cloud and via telehealth services.
- 616 people received support through individual, family and marriage counseling.
- 125 people received support through the Men’s Domestic Abuse Intervention Program.
- 10 students under age 18 received school counseling services.
Day Treatment: St. Cloud & Elk River
The Day Treatment programs in St. Cloud and Elk River help students with emotional and behavioral disorders function more successfully in their homes, schools and communities.
- 54 youth and their families were served by Catholic Charities Day Treatment Program in St. Cloud.
- 57 youth and their families were served by Catholic Charities Day Treatment Program in Elk River.
Foster Grandparent Program
The Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program provides a way for volunteers aged 55 and over to stay active by serving children and youth in their communities. Foster Grandparents are role models, mentors and friends to children with exceptional needs.
- 8,593 children under age 18 received mentoring and support from 166 Foster Grandparents across 89 sites, including schools and day-care facilities. 630 of those children are students with special needs.
Food Access
Catholic Charities Food Access includes services for Senior Dining; Emergency Services that provide food, clothing and financial assistance.
Our national partnerships include Meals on Wheels America for home-delivered meals, and the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program.
Emergency Services
Emergency Services provides food, basic everyday essentials and financial assistance to individuals and households in need while helping them become healthier members of the community.
Food Shelf
The Emergency Services Food Shelf provides access to healthy food for individuals and families faced with missing meals and serves the cities of St. Cloud, St. Augusta, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park. Our services, however, are available to anyone who needs them regardless of where they live.
- 2,452,788 pounds of food were distributed to 17,832 individuals across 6,381 households in Central Minnesota.
Basic Everyday Essentials
The Emergency Services Basic Everyday Essentials program helps those in need of clothing and basic household essentials for daily living.
- 7,318 individuals across 2,240 households received seasonally- and work-appropriate clothing, bedding, towels, cookware and dinnerware.
Financial Assistance
The Emergency Services Financial Assistance program serves individuals in crisis and helps in identifying additional community resources.
- 4,236 individuals across 3,223 households received assistance in the form of gas vouchers, bus passes, prescription and medical co-pays, fees for birth certificates and state identification documents and apartment application fees.
Holiday Toy Program: Marine Toys for Tots
Catholic Charities partners with the Marine Corps League, Valhalla Detachment, to provide holiday toys to children in need in conjunction with the Toys for Tots program. Once again, Catholic Charities was able to provide this service to our community while meeting safety protocols with online registration and a curbside delivery of the toys in partnership with the Marines.
- 1,323 children up to age 18 across 610 households received gifts during the holiday season.
Senior Dining
Catholic Charities is passionate about improving the well-being of our community seniors with programs that include congregate dining, home-delivered hot and frozen meals and frozen meal distributions.
Congregate Dining
- 1,753 seniors received 71,456 meals across 18 congregate dining sites.
Hot and Frozen Meals
- 2,982 seniors were served 279,649 home-delivered hot and frozen meals.
Housing Services
Catholic Charities Affordable and Transitional Housing works to find housing solutions for persons in need, including affordable rental housing, transitional housing for women with children and for single women in a sober environment, and services for homeless youth.
Catholic Charities provides housing solutions for persons living with developmental disabilities and persistent mental illness, as well as financial & housing counseling to help keep individuals and families
in their homes.
Affordable & Transitional Housing
Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing manages affordable rental housing for eligible households across seven sites in St. Cloud, Holdingford, Melrose, St. Joseph, Sauk Centre and Richmond.
- 614 individuals were served through housing management services across 7 rental sites.
Transitional Housing
Transitional Housing programs—for women with children and single women, and youth who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness—are voluntary and provide a temporary home and support services to motivated individuals.
Adult Transitional Housing
Adult Transitional Housing is for single women, women with children and veterans experiencing homelessness. Clients are required to be chemical free and work with a case manager to develop a long-term stability plan that helps to remove barriers to permanent housing.
Domus
Domus Transitional Housing is a voluntary program that provides a temporary home and support services to motivated women with custody of children under the age of 12.
- 12 single women and their children received transitional housing at Domus while working on a long-term stability plan.
Housing Coordination
- 323 adults with serious and persistent mental illness were assisted in obtaining permanent supportive housing.
Services for Homeless Youth
Catholic Charities offers a range of services to youth who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, including mentoring and life skills support.
Supportive Housing for Youth (SHY)
SHY helps homeless youth build stability in their lives, as well as find and maintain affordable housing.
- 90 youth ages 16 to 24 were offered housing counseling and financial assistance.
Street Outreach
Many young adults in crisis find their way on a successful path with the help of our street outreach worker.
- 437 youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness were provided education, referrals, community resources, basic needs and supplies.
Supportive Living Services
In-Home Services for Persons with Disabilities
The In-Home Program serves persons with developmental disabilities and brain injuries, helping with the development and reinforcement of personal care and daily living skills. Staff work on skills one-on-one, in group settings, in the community and in the homes of those served.
- 74 individuals were served through our In-Home Program.
Residential Homes for Persons with Disabilities
Residential Homes for Persons with Disabilities provides specialized care to adults living with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and serious and persistent mental illness.
- 25 individuals living with developmental disabilities received housing and specialized care across 5 adult foster care facilities.
- 7 individuals living with physical challenges received housing and specialized care at Catholic Charities OASIS Home, an adult foster care facility.
- 13 adults living with severe and persistent mental illness were provided housing at St. Margaret’s and St. Michael’s Adult Foster Care Homes.
Financial and Housing Counseling
Financial and Housing Counseling helps keep people in their homes and maintain a safe place for their families to live.
- 563 individuals received financial and housing counseling services, including mortgage foreclosure and reverse mortgage counseling, financial literacy education, MNsure navigation, rental counseling, home maintenance and financial management, & checkbook service.
