Catholic Charities is people helping people

Its history has been written by the hundreds of board members, foster parents, caseworkers, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul Society members, house parents, board members and committee members who have served the agency since its beginnings.  In the Diocese of Yakima, it began with the vision of late Bishop Thomas Gill, of Seattle.

In the summer of 1949 Father Gill organized the Yakima Children’s Bureau as a subsidiary of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Seattle.

After working for one year, the Board obtained the support of the Community Chest and Phil Brocking was hired as Executive Secretary of the office. The agency then received official approval from the State Department of Public Assistance to become licensed as a childcare agency.

When Yakima became a diocese, in 1952, the Corporation of Catholic Charities of Yakima was formed, with the Diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Joseph P. Dougherty as its first president.

In its early years, one social worker and a secretary staffed the Children’s Bureau.  The Bureau maintained its operations only through the help of the Bishop, the Sisters of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, the efforts of the Board, St. Paul’s parish, several local physicians and the aid of the Community Chest.

By the fifth year of its operation, the Bureau was servicing the Tri Cities and Wenatchee and had placed 73 children in adoptive homes.

The future looks bright for Catholic Charities and the network of agencies.  The organizational changes of recent years will result in the ability of the agency to focus on its primary mission:  Motivated by Christ’s love, we bring hope to life, particularly for those most in need.