Catholic Charities Hawai‘i takes great pride in our long history here in the Hawaiian Islands. Here are some of the highlights and important achievements that our non-profit organization has experienced during its long and illustrious history.
The Catholic Women’s Aid Society (Catholic Women’s Guild) helps immigrant plantation workers adjust to life in Hawai‘i by providing food, clothing, and medical aid. The association is later reorganized by Bishop Sweeney as Catholic Charities in 1942.
The devastating impact of WWII creates an urgent need for social services in Hawaiʻi. Bishop Sweeney invites the Maryknoll Sisters from New York to help. A group of four sisters, led by Sr. Victoria Francis, arrives in Honolulu.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Honolulu is officially chartered and established by the Maryknoll Sisters. The date of incorporation is July 29, 1947.
The Maryknoll Sisters see the struggles of immigrant workers and become strong advocates of plantation workers’ rights. The Family Life Movement is established to help strengthen families in the community. The agency offers family and general counseling. Under the Honorary Chairmanship of Governor John A. Burns and State Senator Mitsuyuki Kido, $275,000 is raised to purchase land located at 250 S. Vineyard Street. The new building opens in the fall of 1965.
The agency grows to provide services to assist the elderly, immigrants and refugees, women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, foster youth, families experiencing problems of child abuse and neglect, and a variety of advocacy services. Services expand to the Big Island, Maui and Kauai.
Catholic Charities adds specialized services including: services to medically complex babies, homeless families, victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, prevention of child abuse and neglect, money management, and enhanced services for disabled persons and elderly. Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation (CCHDC) is incorporated as a subsidiary of CCH, to develop affordable rental housing.
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i acquires a permanent site for its programs and services at 1822 Keeaumoku Street (the former First Presbyterian Church) and initiates a Capital Campaign which raises $21 Million. The new campus officially opens in 2010 as the Catholic Charities Hawai‘i Clarence T.C. Ching Campus, housing a larger part of its Oahu services.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i has grown into one of Hawai’s largest human services nonprofit organizations, providing help and hope to tens of thousands of people in need from all walks of life through over 40 programs and services statewide. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCH team mobilized to provide services to address rent relief, senior isolation, food security and mental health needs. The agency continues to evolve to meet the needs of the community.
