Catholic Charities
Providing help. Creating hope.

The evolvement of the social ministry

After Most Reverend John J. Nevins was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida in 1984, attention turned to forming a Catholic Charities organization.

The boundaries of an agency generally follow those of a diocese. Therefore, Catholic Charities was established to cover the same ten county areas of Manatee, Hardee, Highland, DeSoto, Lee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry and Glades.

Documents were filed with the Secretary of State on December 18, 1984, less than two months after the diocese was established. The corporation, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. was certified as a non-profit, charitable, benevolent body within the State of Florida.

Among the purposes described in the Articles of Incorporation are: to advance charitable and social work within the diocese; to organize and govern branches or affiliated agencies; to engage in family and child welfare services; to collect and publish information regarding social welfare.

When the Diocese of Venice was created, a major social ministry program was already underway in Naples. Catholic Social Services of Collier County, initiated in 1968 by Catholic Community Services in Miami, was well staffed and governed by an active board. The board of directors consisted of area citizens, with an ecumenical orientation, and who were totally rooted in the community.

The dynamic social ministry program in Collier County became a springboard for the development of the diocesan-wide Catholic Charities movement. An administrator from Miami’s Catholic Charities, Arthur Granzier, directed the Naples agency.  Bishop Nevins appointed Granzier as the first executive director of the newly formed Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.

Today, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice has 29 offices with over 100 staff and over 700 volunteers under the guidance of Chief Executive Officer Peter Routsis-Arroyo. The organization offers 32 programs and services to the people of Southwest Florida. Catholic Charities has a governing Board of Directors and several Advisory Board of Directors. With the continuing development and growth in population of Southwest Florida, Catholic Charities will strive to sustain the needs of the underprivileged well into the future. 

Years of Service

1984:

• Bishop John J. Nevins founds Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.
• The Advisory Board of Catholic Charities of Collier County creates the Emerald Charity Ball.

1985:

• Catholic Charities staff that is certified by the Board of Immigration Appeals processes over 8,000 alien persons.

1986:

• Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities is established in Fort Myers to provide services to the Latino-Hispanic population.

1988:

• The Bishop's Charity Ball is inaugurated in Sarasota to be the primary source of funding for financial assistance to the poor of Sarasota and Manatee counties.

1989:

• Sarasota office offers mental health counseling as well as financial help to the poor of Sarasota and Manatee counties.

1990:

• A successful capital campaign results in the construction of a Catholic Charities building in Naples.

1991:

• Mr. and Mrs. Ubald Clement of Arcadia generously donate $250,000 for the construction of a Catholic Charities office to serve the people of DeSoto County.
• Our Mother's House of Catholic Charities, a program for young, single-parent mothers, opens in Venice.

1994:

• Guadalupe Social Services, in Immokalee, serving migrant farm workers, comes under the auspices of Catholic Charities.

1996:

• Catholic Charities serves 29,809 people.

1997:

• A total of 35,048 people are served by Catholic Charities.

1998:

• Clare House of Catholic Charities opens in Fort Myers offering direct assistance to needy women with infants and toddler age children.
• A respite program for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease opens in Punta Gorda.
• The Venetian Charity Ball is inaugurated in Fort Myers to raise funds for programs in Lee County.

1999:

• Catholic Charities served a total of 48,055 people.
• Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities opens an office in La Belle.
• Catholic Charities opens an office in southern Sarasota to serve Venice, North Port and Englewood by offering outreach assistance to families in distress. 
• Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities opens an office in Bonita Springs.
• School on Wheels program is started to offer tutoring to migrant families in their homes in Immokalee.  
• St. Martha's Early Learning Center in Sarasota comes under the auspices of Catholic Charities.
• Dad’s and Mom’s Sugar Bowl Project is established for needy families of South Sarasota County.

2000:

• Catholic Charities serves 45,725 people.
• Catholic Charities develops a diocesan disaster response program.
• The Catholic Charities Foundation is launched to provide a source of permanent financial support for Catholic Charities services and programs. A governing board is established.

2001:

• Catholic Charities serves 46,000 people.
• Lee County offices receive licenses by the State of Florida to provide outpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment within the county.
• The Refugee Resettlement, Employment and Assistance programs are expanded to Naples, Fort Myers, Venice and Sarasota.
• The Housing and Urban Development office of the U.S. government grants funding for an HIV/AIDS housing program in Sarasota.
• A diocesan-wide Catholic Charities Newsletter is established to increase the visibility of Catholic Charities. 
• The Catholic Charities Family Resource Center in Naples relocates and expands in order to serve more families and individuals more efficiently.

2002:  

• Catholic Charities serves 46,288 people.
• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. receives national accreditation from the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services (COA) on September 25, 2002. This achievement signifies that Catholic Charities meets or exceeds high quality standards and services comparable to any other social service agency in the nation.
• Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America, awards Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. the highest four-star rating for its management of donations.
• Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities opens an office in Clewiston.
• The First Annual Christmas Appeal is launched. The campaign will serve as Catholic Charities major fundraising event.
• The Haitian Center of Catholic Charities relocates in Fort Myers to offer expansion of programs for clients.

2003:

• Catholic Charities serves more than 45,000 people.

• For the second consecutive year, Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America, awards Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. a four-star rating for its management of donations.

• Catholic Charities of Collier County, one of the longest running social service agencies in the area, celebrates 35 years of service.

• School on Wheels program expands to Naples.
• St. Martha’s Early Learning Center receives the APPLE Accreditation from the Florida Association of Child Care Management (FACCM).
• The Bethesda House and Joseph’s Place, AIDS/HIV community centers, come under the auspices of Catholic Charities.  
• Catholic Charities of DeSoto County hosted the first annual Boots and Bandannas Dinner Dance as a fundraiser to support their programs. 
• Our Mother’s House, the only residential program for needy mothers and their children in the Diocese of Venice, celebrates groundbreaking of a new facility that will expand the Catholic Charities program to serve five additional families.

2004:

• Catholic Charities of Manatee County opens an office in Bradenton on the campus of Sacred Heart Parish.
• For the third consecutive year, Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America, awards Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. a four-star rating for its management of donations.
• Catholic Charities establishes Catholic Charities Housing, Diocese of Venice, Inc. to provide clean, safe affordable housing the to needy. The need for this assistance grows especially in the wake of Hurricane Charley. A governing board is established. 
• Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne devastate the Diocese of Venice. Catholic Charities establishes eight hurricane recovery sites, two shelter sites and four donation drop off sites to serve victims. An average of over 20,000 people receive assistance daily at the sites during the first two weeks of recovery after Hurricane Charley. Catholic Charities continues to offer long-term assistance to the hurricane victims.

2005:

• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice serves almost 50,000 people.
• For the fourth consecutive year, Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America, awards Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. the highest four-star rating for its management of donations.
• Catholic Charities Housing, Inc. forms four separate corporations to address affordable housing needs with projects in DeSoto, Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties.
• Our Mother's House, a residential program for homeless mothers and their children, opens a new facility along with completing renovation of the existing facility, doubling the capacity to serve needy families.
• The seven Catholic Charities agencies serving Florida sign an historic mutual aid agreement to provide a coordinated and cooperative response in times of disaster.
• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice offers assistance in Pensacola after Hurricane Dennis, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, and throughout the Diocese of Venice after Hurricane Wilma. Long-term hurricane assistance continues to be provided for victims of the hurricanes in 2004.
• The Match Grant Program for Refugee Resettlement services is implemented, doubling the assistance available to refugees as they arrive in Southwest Florida.

2006:

• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. serves more than 40,000 people.
• Frank J. Dewane is assigned as Co-Adjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Venice. 
• Catholic Charities establishes social services in Clewiston and LaBelle.
• Casa San Jose, a housing program for people with HIV/AIDS, opens in Sarasota.
• Food pantry deliveries are established throughout Highlands and Hardee counties by our sister agency, Catholic Charities of Central Florida.
• For the fifth consecutive year, Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America, awards Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. the highest four-star rating for its management of donations.
• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. receives reaccreditation by the Council on Accreditation. This achievement signifies that Catholic Charities meets or exceeds high quality standards and services comparable to any other social service agency in the nation. The organization originally was awarded national accreditation in 2002.
• A total of $20 million is pledged toward the development of farm worker housing.
• Catholic Charities refugee and immigration programs expand to meet the demanding needs of clients in Southwest Florida.
• The Catholic Charities Foundation tops $1 million.
• Catholic Charities distributes disaster training manuals to all parishes in the Diocese of Venice and training is provided.

2007:

• Bishop Frank J. Dewane is ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, Florida.
• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. serves more than 40,000 people.
• For the sixth consecutive year, Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America, awards Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. the highest four-star rating for its management of donations. Only 1% of U.S. charities have achieved this status.
• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. is the recipient of the Florida Governor's Humanitarian Award for Hurricane Recovery Efforts.
• The 19th Annual Catholic Charities Ball raises a record amount of funding for programs in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
• The Sugar Bowl Program hosts first fund raising event: "The Sugar Bowl Show of Shows."
• Four Catholic Charities food pantries are USDA certified.

• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., receives two grants from the Florida Department of Children and Families, Office of Refugee Services to assist refugees relocating in the area. The Employability Status Assistance Program now operates in Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples. A Refugee Youth and Families Program operates in Naples.