Catholic Charities works to help meet the basic needs of individuals and families, address the root causes of poverty, eliminate oppression, and build a more just and compassionate society.
The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve the poor and create opportunity and hope by offering direct and legal assistance to people in need, advocating for human dignity and justice, and calling all people of goodwill to do the same.
To fulfill our mission, we partner with the community to provide:
Catholic Charities employs twelve (12) individuals including an executive director, community organizers, an immigration attorney, U.S. Department of Justice accredited representatives, a victim advocate, three paralegals, two receptionists, and a student intern. We are the only nonprofit organization in our service area that offers a defense of deportation and legal representation for asylum seekers. We also work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and nonprofit partners to expose and combat human trafficking in our border community. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Catholic Charities has provided $500,000 in direct assistance to those in need.
The organization’s service area is approximately 55,000 square miles with a target population of 542,086 which includes the ten (10) southern counties of New Mexico. Poverty rates in southern New Mexico are some of the highest in the state and nation. For example, 27% of Luna County residents and 25% of Dona Ana County residents live at or beneath the federal poverty line.