Catholic Charities Begin Nationwide Campaign to Celebrate 100 Years of Service

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is joining with the Catholic Charities network around the country to participate in We Are There, a national awareness campaign highlighting the lifegiving services Catholic Charities agencies provide in their local communities.

“In 2025, we will be celebrating 100 years of service to the communities of the 28-county Springfield, Illinois Diocese,” said Steven Roach, Catholic Charities Executive Director. “The timing of this national Catholic Charities awareness initiative couldn’t be better. We know from experience that the more people become aware of what we do, the more help we receive in delivering God’s message of hope and love to those who are suffering.”

Since 1925, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois has brought comfort, hope and relief to neighbors in Central Illinois, regardless of their faith. Catholic Charities has regional office locations in Alton, Granite City, Quincy, Carlinville, Springfield, Decatur, Effingham and Mattoon. Catholic Charities also manages the St. John’s Breadline in Springfield, the Catholic Children’s Home in Alton and the St. Anne Residence in Beardstown.

A Catholic Charities announcement of the campaign shares: "We offer 21 programs providing services for children, families, seniors and veterans of all backgrounds. During the last fiscal year, we served over 75,000 people through our traditional food pantries and the rural mobile food pantry program. The work that Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois does in our 28 counties is mirrored by services provided at Catholic Charities agencies around the country. There are 168 independent Catholic Charities agencies and 3,900 collective locations spread out across the United States and its five territories. Collectively, the Catholic Charities network served over 15 million people last year and provided more than 30 million meals to those in need. The selfless work of Catholic Charities agencies is made possible by the indispensable contributions of over 215,000 volunteers nationwide. The services provided by local Catholic Charities agencies are tailored to the unique needs of their communities’ most vulnerable individuals."

Catholic Charities USA, the national membership organization for Catholic Charities agencies, organized and launched the We Are There campaign. Over the coming months, the campaign will raise awareness for the work of Catholic Charities through a variety of national media outlets. Here in Central Illinois, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois will continue to highlight the different ways we aid and accompany our neighbors in need.

To learn more about the We Are There campaign, visit WeAreThere.US. To learn how to volunteer or make a gift supporting the work of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, visit cc.dio.org.