Decades of growth
1859
Catholic Women’s Aid Society, later called the Catholic Women’s Guild, helped immigrant plantation workers with food, clothing and medical aid.
1921
Laymen formed the Columbus Welfare Association (CWA) to promote the general welfare of the Catholic community.
1940s
Bishop James J. Sweeney reorganized CWA as Catholic Charities and staffed it with three Maryknoll Sisters from New York, who ran Maui and Oahu orphanages, placed children in foster or adoptive homes, and offered family counseling.
1947
Catholic Charities was officially chartered and named Catholic Social Service (CSS) to reflect its specialized social service work.
Late 1940s
The Maryknoll Sisters became advocates for plantation workers’ rights and helped settle the 1946 sugar workers’ strike. CSS established the Family Life Movement.
1950s-1960s
CSS shifted from foster care to preventive family counseling in 1958 and expanded to general counseling services in 1961, leading to reorganization in 1963.
1965
CSS joined the Community Action Program to serve low-income families. The agency raised $275,000 for a new CSS building, which was opened in the fall.
1970s-1980s
CSS grew rapidly with services to the elderly, immigrants, refugees, women with unplanned pregnancies, foster care youth, and abused and neglected children. Big Island and Maui programs open.
1985
Catholic Social Service returned to its former name, Catholic Charities, and organized itself into four affiliate agencies: Community Services, Elderly Services, Family Services and Immigrant Services.
1990s-2000
Catholic Charities added programs for medically fragile babies, homeless families, victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, abstinence education, money management, and long-term care for the disabled and the elderly. A Kauai office was opened after Hurricane Iniki.
2001
Catholic Charities became Catholic Charities Hawaii (CCH) to more accurately reflect its statewide presence. It responded to the need for emergency assistance and referrals after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
2004
CCH combined its affiliate agencies to create a fully integrated organization and received national accreditation by the Council on Accreditation.
2006
CCH acquired a permanent site (the former First Presbyterian Church) to house its programs and services at one location and initiated a capital campaign.
2007
CCH celebrated its 60th anniversary and growth as one of Hawaii’s largest social service agencies with 300 employees and 30 programs that help 40,000 people a year.
2008
The new campus is named The Catholic Charities Hawaii Clarence T.C. Ching Campus on July 8, recognizing a $5 million gift from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation.
2009
Ground breaking for the new campus was on Feb. 12. Programs and operations moved in by December. The Capital campaign was 60 percent complete.
2010
The campus will be officially dedicated on March 31.
1859
Catholic Women’s Aid Society, later called the Catholic Women’s Guild, helped immigrant plantation workers with food, clothing and medical aid.
1921
Laymen formed the Columbus Welfare Association (CWA) to promote the general welfare of the Catholic community.
1940s
Bishop James J. Sweeney reorganized CWA as Catholic Charities and staffed it with three Maryknoll Sisters from New York, who ran Maui and Oahu orphanages, placed children in foster or adoptive homes, and offered family counseling.
1947
Catholic Charities was officially chartered and named Catholic Social Service (CSS) to reflect its specialized social service work.
Late 1940s
The Maryknoll Sisters became advocates for plantation workers’ rights and helped settle the 1946 sugar workers’ strike. CSS established the Family Life Movement.
1950s-1960s
CSS shifted from foster care to preventive family counseling in 1958 and expanded to general counseling services in 1961, leading to reorganization in 1963.
1965
CSS joined the Community Action Program to serve low-income families. The agency raised $275,000 for a new CSS building, which was opened in the fall.
1970s-1980s
CSS grew rapidly with services to the elderly, immigrants, refugees, women with unplanned pregnancies, foster care youth, and abused and neglected children. Big Island and Maui programs open.
1985
Catholic Social Service returned to its former name, Catholic Charities, and organized itself into four affiliate agencies: Community Services, Elderly Services, Family Services and Immigrant Services.
1990s-2000
Catholic Charities added programs for medically fragile babies, homeless families, victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, abstinence education, money management, and long-term care for the disabled and the elderly. A Kauai office was opened after Hurricane Iniki.
2001
Catholic Charities became Catholic Charities Hawaii (CCH) to more accurately reflect its statewide presence. It responded to the need for emergency assistance and referrals after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
2004
CCH combined its affiliate agencies to create a fully integrated organization and received national accreditation by the Council on Accreditation.
2006
CCH acquired a permanent site (the former First Presbyterian Church) to house its programs and services at one location and initiated a capital campaign.
2007
CCH celebrated its 60th anniversary and growth as one of Hawaii’s largest social service agencies with 300 employees and 30 programs that help 40,000 people a year.
2008
The new campus is named The Catholic Charities Hawaii Clarence T.C. Ching Campus on July 8, recognizing a $5 million gift from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation.
2009
Ground breaking for the new campus was on Feb. 12. Programs and operations moved in by December. The Capital campaign was 60 percent complete.
2010
The campus will be officially dedicated on March 31.