Catholic Charities of Central Florida (CCCF) was truly blessed in this past fiscal year as staff and volunteers responded with conviction of faith and joy to families and individuals in need. The continuing economic and emotional toll resulting from the COVID pandemic made day-to-day living for many vulnerable families and individuals more challenging, and, through God’s blessings and the gracious support of funders and donors, CCCF was able to help over 280,000 individuals meet those challenges! At a time when many providers of social services struggled due to the ever-increasing demands on their resources, CCCF moved deeper into the turmoil to help those most in need. Consider some of these accomplishments:

• As demand for food support continued to occur at a high rate, CCCF harmonized with Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee to celebrate the grand opening of a new Agape Mission Market.
• To meet ever-increasing financial needs of families in Brevard and Polk counties, CCCF secured funding to add additional Family Stability Program case managers to each county. A new office was opened in Brevard County, in partnership with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference, on the campus of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Palm Bay. A new office was opened, as part of our new Multi-Ministry Service Center, in harmonization with St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lakeland.
• Our rapid rehousing team serving Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties has doubled in size as we strive to help families and individuals find and secure safe, affordable housing.
• Our Immigration and Refugee programs responded to new arrivals from Haiti and Venezuela fleeing economic and political conditions in their countries, conducting public information sessions on paperwork requirements and then reviewing literally thousands of cases.
• Our Resurrection Property Management Company continued to grow, assuming management of St. Joseph Garden Court in Orlando and Ascension Manor in Melbourne.
• We were blessed to launch the Walking With Moms In Need ministry, providing diapers, baby supplies, laundry supplies and feminine hygiene products to families with young children struggling to make ends meet.
• Volunteers from the Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Central Florida and Bishop Moore High School helped to carry our food ministries on the main campus during times of exceptional demand.

Building on these blessings, CCCF will continue to seek opportunities to harmonize with parishes to determine how best to help our brothers and sisters in need. As the world around us seems to be more and more chaotic and as families face mounting challenges, we pray that we will continue to be blessed to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus, serving the hungry, the homeless, the naked, the sick and others living in Central Florida. We also pray in gratitude for the thousands of families and individuals who engage with us in our mission of embracing those in need with hope, transforming their lives through faith, compassion and service.

Realistically, these successes can’t happen without God’s grace and the generous support of passionate donors and volunteers. On behalf of our boards of directors, our staff and those families and individuals we are privileged to serve, thank you for sharing in our ministry!

We invite you to join us by sharing your time, your talent and your treasure as together we are the hands and feet of Jesus, reaching out to those struggling to find hope and stability in a world that often appears hopeless and unstable. Thank you for making our ministries possible!

God bless you today and always!

Gary Tester, President

Chris Gardner, CCCF Corporate Board Chairman