About Us | Board/Staff | Membership of Accreditations | Sources of Funding

About Us

Catholic Social Services was founded as Catholic Charities in 1924. The pastors of the Catholic Churches in Luzerne County recognized the need for an organized social services program to handle the increasing numbers of people who came to the Church for various kings of material assistance. The Pastors donated $5,800 to fund the new Agency for the first year and they hired a social worker from New York to be the first Executive Director.

The recognition of needs in the community has continued to be a guiding principle for the Agency through its history. During the depression years, Catholic Charities focused on the basic needs of families and the care of children.

In the post World War II years, two separate divisions within the Agency were created, Family Welfare and Child Welfare, as the program emphasis shifted to counseling by professional social workers.

The greatest emergency ever faced by Catholic Social Services was the Great Flood--Hurricane Agnes--in 1972. More than 18,000 families received assistance from several outreach offices in Wyoming Valley.

In response to the Agency's studies, new services were developed in the 1970's which eventually became the four major components which comprise our Agency's programs today--The Adult and Family Services, The Bridge, Youth Services, the Court Advocate Program, The St. Vincent De Paul Kitchen.

The Agency offers more than 40 programs at the present time including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the St. Vincent De Paul Kitchen, individual and martial counseling, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, and the Gabriel House. These efforts are designed to provide quality social services to the overall community.

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Board/Staff

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Members of Accreditation

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Sources of Funding