We welcome all
Most of the people we serve aren’t Catholic. Our services are open to all, regardless of faith, gender, race, or ethnicity, and meet people where they are, in communities across Cook and Lake counties.
Our mission of charity
Founded in 1917 as the charitable arm of the Catholic Church in Chicago, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago has built one of the largest human service missions in the country. For over a century, we have fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, and provided resources and community for those in need.
From the beginning, we were created to work in partnership — to take on some of the most challenging and complex issues facing the most vulnerable people in our region — people impacted by poverty, homelessness, isolation, and trauma.
As the country was entering into the first World War and men were being sent overseas, Cardinal George Mundelein and a group of Catholic lay leaders saw the need for a unified Catholic response. They wanted to help those left behind, especially widows and orphans, at a larger scale than any individual parish or religious order could undertake alone. Together, they designed an organization to bring the Church’s mission of charity to life by collaborating at the broadest level across all our communities and parishes.
Our community
Since our founding, we have grown to be among the largest human services providers in the country.
Our purpose today:
To partner and to witness
As we look toward 2030, our purpose for this era is:
To partner with mission-driven people and organizations across Cook and Lake counties, to witness a message of mercy and hope to a world in need, anchored in our Christian faith.
We do this by:
- Improving lives and nourishing spirits by meeting human need with courageous compassion, solidarity, and joy
- Strengthening and empowering people, families, and communities by building programs that inspire hope through meaningful dialogue and measurable impact
- Committing to being present to our times through the eyes of faith
Our core values
Every day at Catholic Charities, mission-driven teams work together to serve with courage and compassion, in solidarity with the people and communities we are called to accompany. We partner to create meaningful and measurable impact, inspired by faith-filled hope and joy.
For us, these values are not just words….
Courageous compassion
We welcome and serve all with open hearts, empathetic listening, and a commitment to radical hospitality. We boldly partner to take on the seemingly impossible in answering Jesus’ call to practice mercy.
Solidarity
We embrace our shared humanity. We celebrate and give voice to our differences, committed to growing in wisdom as we choose God’s path of collaboration and inclusion.
Faith-filled hope and joy
We accomplish only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. And yet, we are filled with joy as we live our faith — uplifting each other in times of darkness and celebrating together in times of light, leaning in with humility, humor, and hope.
Meaningful and measurable impact
We meet human need with love — through brief encounters and bold initiatives — balancing immediate action with lasting change. We hold ourselves accountable to God and each other through thoughtful dialogue, data-informed analyses, and ongoing reflection.
Our unique role for our region
We are proud to be a faith-based organization whose strength and reach extend across more than a century. We fulfill a unique role in our region’s social, civic, and religious infrastructure.
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Deeply rooted mission of faith
Our mission is rooted in centuries of shared learning and collective wisdom. Guided by the Catholic Church’s teachings on the practices of charity, mercy, and social justice, as well as a fundamental belief in the sacredness of human life, family, and community — our focus is enduring, steady, and true.
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Century-young foundation as a trusted partner and steward
We have faithfully served the Chicago region with intention, vigor, and vitality for over a century. In 2027, we will embark on our twelfth decade of service. We are here to stay and to serve.
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Unparalleled scale and breadth of service
As one of the longest-standing institutions in our region, we have served millions of people. We are a critical part of our region’s safety net. As the region has grown and shifted with economic, demographic, political, and social change, we adapted with it. The range and reach of our services is unparallelled.
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Commitment to serving, learning, and growing in faith
We are called to partner with like-minded others in a spirit of growth and renewal — to place a priority on witnessing in a spirit of solidarity and love among the mission-driven. We embrace our particular call to enable and vitalize the spirit of witness among Catholics.
Our Vision 2030 Strategic Plan
In March 2024, we announced the launch of our Vision 2030 strategic plan — and with it, several decisions designed to realign services for greater impact and assure our vitality for decades to come.
Vision 2030 is a message of hope for hundreds of thousands of people and families we will accompany over the years ahead. It translates the values that have driven us for over a century into courageous action at a time when urgency, pace, and scale matter enormously. Learn more about our Vision 2030 strategic plan.