Clients, staff, volunteers, donors... Were from many backgrounds and many walks of life, but we are all part of the Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona family. Together, our work touches lives, every day, in great and small ways. While our services are many, one thread binds our work together: We help children, families, and individuals live with independence and dignity.
'For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. -- Matthew 25:35-36
The year was 1933. The Great Depression was at its height. The Dust Bowl ravaged the nation's midsection. Banks tottered on the verge of collapse. Tens of thousands of Americans left their homes in search of work.
Amid this troubled backdrop, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops spoke out. They issued a compelling mandate to serve the needs of those who suffered. From this call to action, Catholic Social Services of Arizona was born.
1961: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic is founded in Tucson. Its re-named St. Elizabeths Health Center in 2007. In Yuma, Catholic Social Services Yuma is established. It becomes CCS in Western Arizona in 1977.