Press Release: Immigration Legal Services Receives Grant from St. Joseph Community Health Foundation
July 2, 2024 (Fort Wayne, IN) –The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation has awarded Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (CCFWSB) with a generous two-year grant of $160,000 to support the expansion of their immigration legal services program. This funding will assist the agency in accommodating the needs of our migrants and their families of northern Indiana. This support comes at a vital time, as civil wars and environmental changes across the globe have displaced more than 117 million people.
For decades, CCFWSB has worked hard to provide accurate, safe, and affordable legal services for immigrants in the region. CCFWSB is a Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized agency with fully accredited and partially accredited staff members. This designation ensures that the organization remains qualified to provide immigration legal services through non-attorney staff members or volunteers in accordance with federal regulations. The accreditation ensures that CCFWSB’s staff have impeccable character, broad knowledge and adequate experience in immigration law and procedure, as well as the necessary skills for effective litigation and training related to trial and appellate advocacy that are required to practice before the Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Department of Homeland Security.
“For 23 years, our agency has ensured that affordable and accessible immigration legal services are available for immigrants and refugees needing to adjust their legal status,” says Ostrognai. “This grant will help us maintain the quality of our legal services.”
CCFWSB is proud to continue to provide this much needed service to the community and is grateful for the generosity and support of the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation.
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About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:
Catholic Charities is a private 501 (c) 3 incorporated in the state of Indiana to act as the coordinating and administrative agency for the charitable activities assigned to it by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend; to plan for, initiate, direct, support and coordinate Catholic social-services programs for the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical welfare of persons in need; to seek and determine the causes of social problems in order to better promote preventative social-action programs; to participate in community planning and organization, and work cooperatively with other individuals and groups in the field of social work. The service area for Catholic Charities includes the 14 counties of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, encompassing 2,236 square miles, with a population of 1,247,850. Currently, Catholic Charities has offices in Fort Wayne (Allen County), Auburn (DeKalb County), and South Bend (St. Joseph County), Indiana. In Fiscal Year 2021-2022, CCFWSB served almost 20,000 individuals at a fiscally responsible rate of 88 cents of every dollar dedicated to client services. The agency’s mission is to serve all those in need as Christ calls us to do.
About the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation:
The St. Joe Foundation is sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and works to serve vulnerable populations in four impact areas: Prenatal & Infant Care, Nutrition & Food Insecurity, Access to Quality, Affordable Healthcare, and Refugees & Immigrants.