As Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) prepares for our 100th year of service within the Diocese of Richmond, I am reminded of the reason we exist. CCC’s imperative to serve the vulnerable grew from an urgent need for a Catholic child welfare agency able to provide safe environments and professional services for children, women and families.
CCC — then known as the Bureau of Catholic Charities — was founded in 1923 with a focus on providing professional case work especially for women experiencing crisis pregnancies.
As one of the oldest and most respected pregnancy counseling programs in the Commonwealth, CCC has long been a source of help and hope for women and families in crisis situations. For decades, women have chosen CCC for the high level of personalized and compassionate support they receive.
CCC’s adoption, pregnancy counseling and foster care ministries touched the lives of more than 2,000 individuals in 2021 alone and have been life-affirming resources in communities all across the Diocese of Richmond throughout the century.
In 2021, recognizing an increase in homelessness among women seeking our pregnancy counseling services, CCC launched Seton Housing with the support of a grant from the Diocese of Richmond’s Respect Life Fund, generous donors and parishes like St. Mary, Richmond. This innovative program provides safe, independent housing, pregnancy counseling and case management services for moms who, but for stable housing, would choose to parent or place their child in an adoptive home.
Seton Housing is designed to provide the support that women need to make life affirming decisions, welcome healthy babies, and achieve long-term independence and self-sufficiency. Transitioning families from a situation of crisis and fear to stability and confidence not only affirms life but offers continued support and opportunities for families and individuals to thrive.
At a time when the national conversation has turned to the health and wellbeing of women and their children, we are expanding access to comprehensive support for women and babies — both during and after pregnancy. Your support allows us to walk with women when they need us, for as long as they need us. I welcome you to join us (www. cccofva.org/donate ) as we build on our century- old foundation, providing quality and compassionate support for women, children and families in our communities.