Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County2625 Zanker Rd.San Jose, CA 95134 www.CatholicCharitiesSCC.org408-468-0100

2015 - 2018

IMPACT REPORTSTRATEGIC PLANEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES FOR GOOD

2012-2015

STEP UP CATHOLIC CHARITIES 2012-2015 IMPACT REPORT

STEP UP CATHOLIC CHARITIES 2012-2015 IMPACT REPORT

Poverty runs deep even here in one of the most affluent areas in the nation. In Santa Clara County, nearly 18.7% of our population cannot afford basic necessities each month without financial assistance, according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure. The income inequality in the county has made it a day-to-day struggle for many residents to afford the high costs of housing, food, transportation, and health care. Poverty is complex and there is no single solution.

At Catholic Charities, our approach to poverty is multi-faceted and based on the needs and strengths of our participants. This report demonstrates the results of our efforts over the past three years based on our agency’s strategic plan from 2012 to 2015.

Over the past three years, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County helped 162,000 of our neighbors living in poverty, from infants and toddlers to seniors, from people struggling with mental illness, incarceration and homelessness to immigrants and refugees seeking safety and a new life. We accomplished this at 80 sites throughout Santa Clara County through more than 40 programs including our early childhood and after-school education, nutrition programs, older adult services, behavioral health services, housing, job training and placement, asset development, refugee resettlement, and immigration legal services. We also convened partners to advocate for policy changes and to develop innovative solutions to poverty.

Thanks to the support of our generous donors and volunteers, we have been able to make a difference for many families and individuals struggling to get by. At-risk youth in the most crime-ridden areas of the county have a safe place to go to after school where they can participate in activities that increase their self-esteem, planting the seeds that will help them break out of poverty. Low-income seniors can receive a warm, nutritious meal, sometimes the only meal of the day, five days a week.

Homeless veterans have been able to get the counseling, medication, and housing needed to feel whole again. Young refugees from war-torn countries were placed with loving foster families and are now thriving. We could not do this work without the support of the greater community and teamwork with our collaborative partners.

Our programs focus around seven priority areas where we know we can make a difference and can measure the impact of our work.

1. Education2. Food3. Health4. Housing5. Income6. Advocacy & Convening: Step Up Silicon Valley7. Social Enterprise

Education Agency participants will increase their levels of literacy, resiliency, and 21st Century skills from cradle to career.■■ 10,530 students enrolled in our CORAL (Community Organizing Resources to Advance Learning) after-school literacy program. 1,266 were below-basic English language learners and are now reading at grade level.■■ 85% of students scored 70% or higher in assessments of resiliency.■■ 878 participants re-engaged in high school, attended college or vocational education.

Result: More students are prepared to graduate with skills for the 21st century.

Mayra participated in a brainstorming process for our Washington United Youth Center (WUYC) when she was in 5th grade. In high school, she became a member. After high school, Mayra studied broadcast journalism and graduated from San Jose State University. She joined Telemundo 48 producing newscasts and reporting for the six o’clock news, and helped launch the first Spanish morning newscast in the Bay Area. In July 2015, Mayra joined Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) as the utility’s lead spokesperson for the South Bay and Central Coast. She is in charge of developing and executing external and internal communications plans to inform and engage media, customers, and employees. “When I was young, Catholic Charities opened doors to a world that seemed out of reach for me,” said Mayra. “I found a place where I was respected regardless of my socio-economic status or nationality. I was surrounded by positive role models and was reminded every day that anything is possible.”

MAYRA

Food Agency participants will have consistent and stable access to a nutritionally balanced diet.■■ 262,948 warm and nourishing meals were served to low-income seniors by Catholic Charities staff and volunteers at Eastside Neighborhood Center and John XXIII Multiservice Center.

■■ 32,092 bags of groceries have been distributed to low-income seniors.■■ 4 new Community Gardens planted.

Result: More people eat life-sustaining nutritious food.

Health Agency participants will maintain and improve their total well-being via holistic services and care coordination, leveraging new service and funding opportunities.

■■ 1 new Integrated Behavioral Health Primary Care Clinic opened at John XXIII Multiservice Center.■■ 16,590 clients are involved in wellness and physical activities.■■ 250 clients receiving integrated mental/physical health care.

Result: More people are physically and mentally healthier.

ANGELAAngela has become a better parent to her children after attending regular, supervised therapeutic family visitation sessions through our Kindred Souls program. She’s a single mother raising three kids ages 2, 5, and 10. Angela lost custody of her children about a year and a half ago.

Soon after, with the recommendation of her social worker at the Department of Family and Children Services, Angela started attending the sessions with her kids, who were in foster care.

Since then, Angela and her children have changed for the better. With the skills and techniques she learned from the therapeutic sessions, Angela says, “I feel more confident now in understanding my kids’ emotional needs. I know how to set limits and how to handle stressful situations, thanks to the guidance of my social workers at Catholic Charities.” She is doing everything she can to regain custody of her children, and her social workers are confident that things will work out for their family.

PAULPaul, a Vietnam vet, came to the Mission Rebuild program after living on the streets for nearly six years with an undiagnosed mental disorder. He found it hard to get along with people. He was moving from shelter to shelter, to homeless encampments, until he listened to his sister when she urged him to contact Catholic Charities. “I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for Mission Rebuild and Catholic Charities,” says Paul. “The program has truly helped me turn my life around. I was able to find an apartment with the help of my case manager. I am now going to counseling and receiving the medication that I need. I am much happier and appreciate how lucky I am to have benefited from this program.”

Housing Agency participants will find and maintain safe, decent, stable, and affordable housing.■■ 2,427 participants are housed in affordable housing. ■■ 408 formerly homeless individuals are now permanently housed.

Result: More people live in safe, decent affordable housing.

Income Agency participants will increase their income through employment and asset development.■■ 614 individuals received job placements at an average of $11.43 per hour.■■ $4,369,220 claimed by our clients in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and other tax refunds.■■ 6,460 Green Cards or work authorizations were obtained.

Result: More people have jobs with earned income and assets.

Advocacy Catholic Charities will increase public awareness of poverty, help to change policies related to poverty, and incubate innovative poverty-reduction solutions.■■ Minimum wage increased in San Jose.■■ Pay For Success implemented in Santa Clara County. ■■ 840 participants engaged in Poverty Simulations.■■ 91 organizations have partnered with us to reduce poverty.■■ 26 Parishes engaged in Parish Partnerships.

Result: Policies have changed to improve lives of people in poverty.

Social Enterprise Catholic Charities will provide agency participants employment through multiple agency-supported social enterprises.■■ 104 jobs have been created through our Social Enterprise, Day Break Cares.■■ $1,562,530 income and benefits have been generated through Day Break Cares.

Result: More people are employed with revenue generated for the agency.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

FOOD

123,624 Hot Meals Served to Seniors

16,464 Bags of Groceries Distributed

HOUSING

743 Participants Housed in Affordable Housing

63 Homeless Individuals Permanently Housed

POVERTY PREVENTION

EDUCATION

44 Students Entering Kindergarten with Required Basic Skills

83 Percent of Youth Scoring 70% or Higher in Resiliency Assessment

495 Below Basic English Language Learners now Reading at Grade Level

385 Participants Re-engaged in High School, Attending College or Vocational Education

CATHOLIC CHARITIES … BY THE NUMBERS 2015Approximately 54,000 individuals served throughout Santa Clara County annually.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES … BY THE NUMBERS 2015

POVERTY REDUCTION

HEALTH

2,813 Participants Involved in Wellness and Physical Activity

200 Participants Served in Integrated Primary Care – Behavioral Health Clinic

INCOME

149 Job Placements

189 Participants Maintaining Job Retention 120-180 days

$12.97 New Average Hourly Wage

$77,814 Saved Towards Asset Attainment

$1.1 Million Amount Claimed in Earned Income Tax Credits and Other Tax Refunds:

1,506 Green Cards or Work Authorizations Obtained

23 Social Enterprise Jobs Created

$476,559 Social Enterprise Income and Benefits Generated

2015-2018 STRATEGIC PLAN – Executive Summary

PATHWAYS OF HOPE AND OPPORTUNITYCreating Pathways from Poverty to Hope and Opportunity

A national leader in social innovation initiatives, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is at the forefront of the movement to cut poverty in Silicon Valley. As a member of Catholic Charities USA, we are committed to going beyond service delivery by advocating and incubating innovative solutions to poverty.

Recognizing the growing challenges of poverty in the midst of plenty, over the next three years Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County plans to realign its resources to a more efficient and effective model to address three aspects of poverty: chronic, generational, and situational. Each aspect requires a targeted approach focused on poverty alleviation, poverty prevention, or poverty reduction, guided by our three-fold mission of service, advocacy, and convening, in order to realize a vision of a transformed community.

Through the achievement of new strategic inputs and improvements in client outputs and outcomes, this strategic plan offers a roadmap for changing the lives of individuals and families for good. Together, we are creating pathways from poverty to prosperity, opportunity, and hope.

HOPE STARTS HERE Our Strategic Intent

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is a comprehensive social service and social change organization. We employ multiple services aligned to impact the underlying reasons for poverty. In order to achieve our vision of hope and opportunity and to meet our social impact goals we need to transform our own agency approach.

1) BECOME CLIENT-CENTRIC rather than being driven by a service-centric model;

2) ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES and best practices that address the barriers and root causes of poverty;

3) INCUBATE SOCIAL INNOVATION initiatives to discover new, sustainable solutions to poverty;

4) STRENGTHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE to improve efficiency and effectiveness; and

5) TRANSFORM THE FUNDING MODEL for greater flexibility in service design.

Improved Participant Outputs and Outcomes

By focusing on these strategic inputs, Catholic Charities should realize improved results not just in the number of services provided to more people, but in the progress people have made in improving their living situations in relation to developing resiliency and engagement in community, accessing nutritious food, increasing their physical and mental health, living in safe, decent, affordable housing, obtaining a quality education and employment, thus gaining sufficient income and assets to make ends meet.

Outcomes are measures through the Self-Sufficiency Measure developed from Catholic Charities’ Step Up Silicon Valley network.

FoodHousingHealthEducationIncomeEmploymentHope

These Outcomes in Turn Will Lead to…Social Change

According to the Supplemental Poverty Measure, one in five residents (18.7%) in Santa Clara County live in poverty. The way individuals and families experience poverty varies widely. Poverty is complex, deeply-rooted, and cyclical. Some encounter unforeseen circumstances that lead to short-term, situational poverty. This sudden vulnerability can last into a long-term state of chronic poverty. Eventually, the challenge of poverty can be passed down to affect the lives of children and youth as generational poverty grows.

In the next three years, our social change impact goals will directly target these three states of poverty through strategies of alleviation, prevention, and reduction:

1) We alleviate chronic poverty by helping vulnerable clients achieve stability that upholds dignity;

2) We prevent the growth of generational poverty by engaging children and youth in opportunities that disrupt the cycle of poverty; and

3) We reduce situational poverty by creating pathways of economic opportunity.

Social Impact

Our most vulnerable residents in chronic poverty will achieve stability and dignity with the support and resources to make ends meet. Children and youth in generational poverty will improve their academic success and develop the resiliency to disrupt the cycle of poverty. Adults in situational poverty will learn skills and form networks that enable them to gain the income and assets to find a path out of poverty.

Vision

We envision a valley where every child has the opportunity to learn from cradle to career and lives in a neighborhood free from fear, where families can afford to live in safe and decent housing and eat nutritious food, where enterprising workers can earn enough to make ends meet and save for the future, where immigrants are welcomed, and where those who are imprisoned, physically and mentally ill, elderly, and vulnerable can find healing and hope.

Mission

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County serves and advocates for individuals and families in need, especially those living in poverty. Rooted in gospel values, we work to create a more just and compassionate community in which people of all cultures and beliefs can participate.

CONTACT US

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County2625 Zanker Rd.San Jose, CA 95134 www.CatholicCharitiesSCC.org408-468-0100

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

@GregKepferle@CatholicCharSCC

CatholicCharitiesTV

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CatholiC Charities of santa Clara County Creates pathways of hope and opportunity for those living in poverty.

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County2625 Zanker Rd.San Jose, CA 95134 www.CatholicCharitiesSCC.org408-468-0100

2015 - 2018

IMPACT REPORTSTRATEGIC PLANEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES FOR GOOD

2012-2015