In 2023, our Catholic Social Services community once again stepped up to meet an increased demand for services across the board, and I wanted to take the time to properly reflect on some of the successes you’ve made possible through your continued support of our services.
Together, we have continued to build the foundation for sustainable futures for our neighbors, by strengthening the four pillars which make up the core of our service delivery: safety and basic needs, sustainable income and housing, social and emotional wellbeing, and healthcare. Each of our nine programs is designed to address these pillars, ensuring that our neighbors have the tools they need to find permanent stability.
Through resettlement services, homelessness services, food assistance, or other services, you have helped us touch the lives of 16,432 Alaskans this past year – a huge accomplishment!
This fiscal year the Catholic Social Services community:
- Helped over 16,000 people
- Provided food to 13,000 people through St. Francis House
- Welcomed 582 of our newest neighbors to Alaska via our refugee program
- Provided 1,240 people with shelter
- Housed 209 households, a total of 431 people!
- Provided shelter to 31.5% of all individuals accessing emergency shelters in Anchorage
Together, we launched the 3rd Avenue Resource & Navigation Center this year – an exciting new service model for our community providing centralized resources for adults experiencing homelessness – and celebrated the one-year anniversary of our Complex Care facility, a pilot project which has taught us so much about how to provide compassionate care for the elderly and medically fragile seeking shelter.
As we reflect on the past year, we extend our gratitude to everyone in our community who has played a pivotal role in our ability to navigate these changes successfully. Every donor, volunteer, staff member, and advocate in our community has contributed to these successes. You have provided dignified care for our neighbors when they needed it most, along with a roadmap for our community in how to provide compassionate and sustainable care moving forward.
With deepest gratitude, thank you. You made this all possible and I am so honored to be a part of such a generous community. You truly made a difference in 2023 and I look forward to all the good that we will accomplish together as we enter this new year!
With gratitude,
Robin Dempsey
