Thank you for supporting Catholic Charities’ Christmas Appeal. From this page you can:

1. Read more about the story of Antonio from our letter
2. Learn how your contribution can change lives
3. Learn more ways to donate to Catholic Charities
4. Download our latest newsletter (PDF - Adobe Reader required)

Read more about Antonio

Antonio attends elementary school in one of San Jose’s poorest neighborhoods. His school does not have the resources it needs to help all children learn successfully.  We all know that without a good education, children in families like Antonio’s cannot break the cycle of poverty. Antonio’s school is fortunate to have Catholic Charities’ CORAL after-school program. CORAL combines a strong literacy curriculum with learning activities in the arts and sciences. It also gets the entire family involved in promoting a good learning environment. After CORAL staff helped Antonio overcome his reading difficulties, there was no stopping him. His world is expanding rapidly, because now he loves learning. No one in their family has been to college before, but when Antonio told his father that he wants to go to San Jose State University some day, his father said, “Why not Stanford?” Antonio’s father sees his true potential now, just as we did. CORAL is just one of Catholic Charities’ many educational and family support services. For a complete listing of our programs, click here.

Learn how your contribution can change lives

The contributions listed here are examples of the many ways your gifts can change lives for good.

$5-10  One day’s transportation costs for an adult to get to work, school, or appointments, or for a senior or disabled person to use Outreach

$25  One eight-hour financial education class for a low-income adult or refugee

$40  One hour of services for a homeless person by a Navigator Program case worker, to assist in finding housing, substance abuse treatment, medical services, and more

$100  Thirteen hours of child care for two children being cared for by a grandparent or relative so that the caregiver can have time for personal appointments or rest

$250  A trip to the theater or an amusement park for 20 adults living with disabilities

$500  Ten days of adult day care for very low-income elders with dementia so that caregivers can have a much-needed break

$800  Helps us provide hot, nutritious lunches to a very low-income senior for one year

$1,000  Computer skills training to help one very low-income person obtain a new or better-paying job

$1,000  Twenty hours of individual case management to help grandparent caregivers provide a safe and secure home for children in their care

$1,500  Twelve weeks of wellness services—including diabetes and blood pressure screening, health education and exercise classes—for low-income seniors

$2,000  A two-night/three-day river rafting field trip for 20 low-income youth, many of whom have never traveled outside of San Jose

$4,000  400 wellness and health monitoring sessions for low-income, non-English speaking Vietnamese and Chinese elders with a tri-lingual registered nurse

$5,000  Resettle and employ a newly arrived refugee