| 1910 |
Three lawyers for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul founded the Conference of Catholic Charities that served as a clearinghouse for "all Catholic cases of relief and child placement." Struggling European immigrant families who came to our region arrived hungry, homeless and alone. Catholic Charities helped them with food, clothing, shelter and the skills necessary to begin a new life. |
| 1920s |
During the Great Depression, the Conference of Catholic Charities was helping up to 1,000 people a day. |
| 1930s |
Conference of Catholic Charities split into two organizations: Catholic Social Services of Allegheny County and Commission of Catholic Charities that served the remaining counties. |
| 1940s |
Catholic Charities increased the professional criteria of the organization by hiring only trained college graduates with sociology degrees and establishing fellowships for students at University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Institute of Technology. |
| 1950s |
All Catholic Charities offices are on the approved list of adoption agencies of the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare. |
| 1960s |
Catholic Charities begins "War on Poverty" initiatives by establishing Head Start and Area Agency on Aging in Lawrence County, and Neighborhood-Based Services in Lawrenceville. |
| 1970s |
Catholic Charities establishes outreach counseling programs in area parishes; launches Parish Social Ministry Program; takes over management of Roselia Manor, now Roselia Center; and establishes the Refugee Services Program. |
| 1980s |
Agency is renamed Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. |
| 1990s |
St. Joseph House of Hospitality for Older Homeless Men becomes a subsidiary corporation of Catholic Charities, and in 2001, a program. |
| 2000s |
Catholic Charities opens the Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center in 2007 in response to the growing need for health care for the uninsured in our area. |