Charities at Work Podcast

Charities at Work, a podcast by Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), features interviews, discussions and information about the mission and programs of the Catholic Charities ministry in the United States. Our content provides enrichment to Catholic Charities staff and volunteers and all who might be inspired by the help and hope we provide to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.

To begin listening, access the episodes for each of the CCUSA podcasts below. The podcasts are also available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn and Google Podcasts.

Lisa Vance, president, operations and strategy – Providence North regions, on Providence’s Healthy Housing collaboration with CC of Oregon
CCUSA’s Healthy Housing Initiative (HHI) pilot program seeks to help people experiencing homelessness acquire stable housing, food security and behavioral health services while in transition. Providence’s Mission to care for the poor and vulnerable in communities it serves dates back more than 160 years. Today, among other programs, Providence offers wraparound health services to support […]
Anthony Love, Interim Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
CCUSA’s Healthy Housing Initiative pilot program seeks to help people experiencing homelessness acquire stable housing, food security and behavioral health services while in transition. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) is the only federal agency with the sole mission of preventing and ending homelessness. Made up of 19 federal agencies, USICH works across federal, state and […]
Interview with Mary Haddad
Vice President of Affordable Housing Curtis Johnson speaks with Sr. Mary Haddad, the President & CEO of the Catholic Health Association about Affordable Housing.
A conversation with Angela Di Novella, newly appointed executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey
Di Novella discusses how her faith, family experience, and education inspired her to serve others, especially families and youth. She is passionate about the work of social justice, which she sees as integrally connected to faith in Jesus. She often says that Jesus was the first social worker. Fundamentally, the work is about supporting people […]
Catholic Charities job training program helps woman find employment in banking sector
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Washington provided workforce development and job training programs throughout the pandemic, providing on-line courses in many cases, so that clients could continue to work toward full-time employment and self-sufficiency despite the challenges of COVID-19 shut downs. Maria Camila Garzon relates how she enrolled in and completed the banking program, which helped […]
Inspired by Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church. She was born in 1656 and converted to Catholicism at age 19. Saint Kateri was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012. She is the patron saint of the environment and ecology. Deacon Kipfstuhl explains why […]
Workforce development and job training during pandemic
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington recognized how the pandemic made it difficult for people to overcome socioeconomic barriers, especially for people of color and non-English speaking individuals. Catholic Charities responded by adapting its network of educational and training programs to the challenges created by the pandemic. Training and ESOL classes were offered online. […]
Sister Luann Brown: Helping asylum seekers at southern border
Sister Luann Brown talks about her experience supporting asylum seekers. Some of her activities included sorting clothes, delivering meals, and helping migrants navigate the airport as they move to their final destinations. As a mental health counselor, Sister Luann was able to help a woman dealing with anxiety caused by her journey.
Catholic Charities of Omaha School Mental Health Program: Keeping kids healthy in mind and spirit
Catholic Charities of Omaha provides mental health services for students and their families in 21 Catholic schools. The services help people with depression, anxiety and behavioral issues, among other things. Catholic Charities also provides crisis intervention and professional development for the faculties of the schools. Joan Huss, senior director of program services at Catholic Charities […]
The value of volunteers for the Catholic Charities ministry
Sarah Hendley, director of Federal Grants and Special Projects for CCUSA, talks about the value volunteers bring to the Catholic Charities ministry. She notes that there are tangible and intangible benefits: the former being the equivalent of almost $28 per hour of volunteer service and the latter being the one-on-one attention volunteers give to clients. […]
CCUSA priorities for 117th Congress and COVID-19 Relief Plan
Topics include Catholic Charities recommendations for consideration to guide the 117th Congress' policy priorities, such as confronting the deep connection between racism and poverty particularly in relation to housing, lending, education and employment; climate change, economic security; religious liberty and the protection of all human life. You can read all the recommendations here. Priorities for […]
Helping immigrants through a continuum of care: The Newcomer Network at Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Washington
Sister Sharlet Ann Wagner, founding director of the Newcomer Network, discusses the first months of operation and the deeper, faith-based reasons for working with immigrants. To learn more about the Newcomer Network, click here.
Border patrol agents help Catholic Charities Maine distribute food
One area in northern Maine served by Catholic Charities Maine is Aroostook County on the Canadian border. Like many communities across the United States experiencing shutdowns to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, Aroostook County has many people in need of food. Distributions of food have continued but without the regular volunteers - mostly […]
Lessons learned by Catholic Charities regarding food security during COVID-19
Jane Stenson, vice president for food and nutrition and poverty reduction strategies at Catholic Charities USA, discusses how the national office and local agencies in the Catholic Charities ministry provided food to people affected by the pandemic. Stenson talks about positive developments like creating pantries at senior centers, challenges like lack of refrigeration, and lessons […]
Catholic Charities disaster operations during COVID-19 pandemic
The episode contrasts the normal response of Catholic Charities to disasters with the response during the pandemic. Topics include the role of Catholic Charities USA, the national office for the Catholic Charities ministry in the United States; communication needs; assessment; immediate response; and ongoing engagement. Resources for local agencies are also mentioned: the disaster page […]
Keeping Baltimore's streets safe one corner at a time
The Safe Streets program of Catholic Charities Baltimore is making a difference in the lives of people they serve, helping them to choose a path that rejects violence and embraces actions and thoughts that uplift the person and the community.
Working for racial justice in Baltimore
Kevin Creamer talks about the commitment Catholic Charities of Baltimore has made to try to make a difference in predominately African American neighborhoods that are poor and without resources by being present, listening, and being accountable to the residents. Creamer also discusses how the Catholic faith, which highlights the human dignity of every human being, […]
The dignity of work and the rights of workers
No person should be exploited for economic gain. All workers maintain their rights as children of God, and the workplace must honor their dignity by fair labor practices and wages. Everyone who works participates in God’s creation. Listen as Eila Latif, director of the employment network at Catholic Charities Santa Clara County, and Steve Bogus, […]
Rights and Responsibilities
Human beings cannot maintain their own rights without respecting and protecting the rights of others. As St. James says, “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear or has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give […]
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
A good test for respecting human dignity and working for the common good is to see how those who are poor and vulnerable are being treated in society. Something is wrong in a community that has an abundance of resources, but some of its members lack nutritious food and employment opportunities. Sister Betsy Van Deusen, […]

Charities at Work Podcast

Vice President of Affordable Housing Curtis Johnson speaks with Anthony Love, Interim Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

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Charities at Work