Catholic Charities San Bernardino & Riverside Counties (Catholic Charities)

"Catholic Charities fights poverty in our local communities through crisis intervention and strengthening individual potential resulting in new opportunities and changed futures."

In 2015, Catholic Charities San Bernardino & Riverside Counties opened a regional office in the Casa Blanca neighborhood in Riverside, California. The former Casa Blanca Elementary School, closed in 1965, became the CENTER OF HOPE. With help from volunteers and non-profit friendly subcontractors, Catholic Charities was able to convert some classrooms into offices and now provides much needed social services to hundreds of families each year in this struggling community. Poor families are now able to access a broad range of family support services, counseling services, immigration & citizenship services, and youth activities in the community.

This Go Fund Me page has been set up for the purpose of raising $5,500 to renovate “the bungalow” — a double-wide, pre-fabricated building on the property. Our main goal is to turn this structure into a Family Enrichment Center which would provide a safe space for kids to use after school for their studies. This will also provide us with the additional space for parent education classes, nutrition education workshops, citizenship classes, life skills programs, family-focused presentations and workshops, increased youth activities – including plans for an after-school homework center, general meeting space for community meetings, and more. But much needs to be done to make this tattered, neglected space usable:


· Remove and replace flooring ($2,000)
· Remove and replace acoustical ceiling tiles ($250)
· Build an accessible ramp at the rear door ($500)
· Paint the interior and exterior ($250)
· Repair the roof ($2,000)

TOTAL NEEDED: $5,500

YOU CAN HELP NOW by giving to our fundraising campaign!  We have volunteers ready, willing and able to provide labor; however, your donation — even a small one— will assist us in procuring the necessary materials and special trades we need to turn our need for more space into a reality. 

PLEASE NOTE: 
Making your donation online through GoFundMe is safe and secure. Minus the standard GoFundMe fees (approximately 5%), your donation is tax deductible and will be used only to support the efforts of Catholic Charities to renovate the Center of Hope’s Family Enrichment Center.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN DONATE:
1. Make your check payable to Catholic Charities and mail it to: Catholic Charities, 1450 North D Street, San Bernardino, CA 92405.  Please write “Family Enrichment Center" in the memo of your check. 
 
2. Drop off your check at the Center of Hope at 3020 Madison Street, Riverside, CA 92504. Please write “Family Enrichment Center" in the memo of your check.

3. You can donate online at www.ccsbriv.org by clicking "DONATE NOW" at the top of the screen and by folllowing the prompts. After you enter your donor information, Please include “Family Enrichment Center" in the additional information field.

MORE INFORMATION:

Catholic Charities San Bernardino & Riverside Counties is a 501(c) 3 public benefit corporation established in 1980 to assist families in need regardless of religious affiliation. With our motto of “Providing Help, Creating Hope” , Catholic Charities provides compassionate social services that respond to the suffering of the vulnerable and those in crisis in our local communities. Services are provided in a culturally relevant manner and are based on individual/family needs and vary from prevention-based to crisis-based. It is Catholic Charities’ experience that by alleviating the immediate suffering of others, families are then empowered to move toward a more hopeful future for themselves and their children.

Please call (909) [phone redacted] to donate over the phone or for more information on THE CENTER OF HOPE.

For Volunteer Opportunities:

http://ccsbriv.org/volunteer-interest-form-2/