Toc Soneoulay-Gillespi, has been appointed Director of Oregon’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement. Soneoulay-Gillespi shares with OPB about the new office, who it serves, and what this development means for the state of Oregon. Toc Soneoulay-Gillespi came to the United States as a refugee with her family 40 years ago. She went on to…

Hear the story behind the Executive Chef and Lead Instructor of Germaine’s Kitchen and Café, Jon Wirtis. A Californian native, Chef Jon Wirtis always had a heart for cooking. Starting out in his father’s restaurant, Chef Jon worked his way up in the culinary world. Chef Jon believes in the power of food: to help,…

Happy Financial Literacy Month! With inflation at record levels and employee wages not keeping pace, many of us are attempting to make our dollars stretch as far as possible. Throughout the years, I am sure you have heard the phrase, “you get what you pay for”, however, oftentimes this is not true as many lower cost items…

Monday, March 28, Catholic Charities of Oregon broke ground on their newest affordable housing project known as Good Shepherd Village. The project is funded in part by Metro and 11 acres of the land was donated by The Brockamp Family.  Good Shepherd Village will include 143 units of affordable housing; construction is estimated to be…

It is Women’s History Month, and we would like to take a moment to recognize the critical services that our Housing Transitions Program (HTP) has been providing for women experiencing houselessness over the past 15 years.  

Catholic Charities of Oregon would not be able to serve our mission without our robust community of compassionate volunteers. We are so grateful for individuals who have a heart for this work and give of their time and talent to support our clients and staff. Many challenges in volunteer coordination have presented themselves during the…

Save First Financial Wellness, a program of Catholic Charities, supports individuals facing financial instability. Through working with our financial coaches, participating in RentWell classes, credit support, and many other services, Save First helps individuals manage their money and build financial security. Read the article: https://catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/Helping-workers-get-from-budget-crisis-to-financial-security-/2/35/45270

In December 2021, Catholic Charities’ Housing Transitions Program (HTP) celebrated 15 years! HTP has been a place of stability and community for so many of our unhoused neighbors. Learn about HTP’s services, the women served, and the inspirational stories of the HTP community. Read the article: https://catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/Reflecting-on-15-years-of-the-Housing-Transitions-Program/2/35/45259

Dive into the journey of Germaine’s Kitchen and Café! Learn how the idea first came to Catholic Charities of Oregon and how it has blossomed into an innovative enterprise. Read the article: https://catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/The-journey-of-Germaine-s-Kitchen-and-Caf-/2/35/45253

Deacon Rick Birkel addresses the value of charity in the life of the church and society. “Charity is the gift God gives to his people to heal the broken Body of Christ.” To read the full article: https://catholicsentinel.org/MobileContent/Viewpoints/Viewpoints/Article/Charity-unity-and-synodality/3/383/45239

Since the devastating wildfires of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic Charities of Oregon has greatly expanded our Disaster Services program. Disaster Services Director, Jen Masotja, and her team are filling a major gap in disaster relief services, in part, by connecting disaster victims to Catholic Charities of Oregon’s other social service programs. For instance,…

The Annex, a homeless intervention project under our Healthy Housing Initiative, is going up fast! On February 18, Catholic Charities of Oregon celebrated with the Trubek Construction crew, Sister City, All Hands Architecture and other project partners with a topping out ceremony on 28 and Powell. Now resting at the top of the structure is…