Catholic Charities was established by Bishop Alvaro Corrada in September, 2005.
In his decree, Bishop Corrada directed Catholic Charities to:
- provide ongoing support to those impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
- offer legal assistance to reunite immigrant families and assist in their integration into the community of East Texas,
- support and establish food distribution sites throughout the East Texas, especially in underserved areas of the diocese, and
- be a resource to parish ministries and Catholic organizations.
With funding from UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and CCUSA (Catholic Charities USA), Catholic Charities provided long-term direct assistance and case management to thousands of hurricane survivors from January, 2006 to April, 2008. Many of those assisted were able to resettle in East Texas, relocate to another area, or return to their original locations.
In 2008, with a grant from CCUSA, Catholic Charities provided assistance to three pantries depleted by victims of hurricane Ike.
With federal funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, Catholic Charities – Diocese of Tyler partnered with Catholic Charities of Dallas and Fort Worth and collaborated with local crisis centers to provide assistance to East Texas immigrant victims of domestic violence and abuse from September, 2006 to August, 2008. This assistance made it possible for the victims and their families to achieve freedom and economic independence from their abusers.
With funding from the Scanlan Foundation and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, Catholic Charities provided training in immigration law to staff. As a result, the agency and staff received recognition and accreditation to practice immigration law from the BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) in July, 2008. Catholic Charities now offers an array of low-cost, reliable legal services to qualified immigrants desiring to obtain legal status and/or reunite family members.
And with funding from the Louis and Peaches Owen Family Foundation, Catholic Charities has served the poor and hungry of East Texas. In 2007, the Holy Family Soup Kitchen was established in Lindale and now serves weekly meals to approximately 75 individuals. To date, Catholic Charities has provided financial assistance to 20 community and parish pantries throughout East Texas, enabling them to provide almost one million meals to the families they serve.
