The Catholic Charities Thomas A. Destefano Early Childhood Development Center in Brooklyn has been quite busy! Our little ones and their families recently celebrated their Early Head Start Moving Up Ceremony with a beach themed party. Families were provided a delicious lunch. Our parents were able to eat with their children and socialize as a community. Additionally, our families enjoyed an Ice Cream Social. Our center provided yummy ice cream sundaes for our children and families. Festivities included delicious snacks, music and bonding.
For over 124 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, through its social services arm, Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, Inc., has been providing quality social services to the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens and currently offers 160-plus programs and services for children, youth, adults, older adults, and those struggling with mental illness. Since 1975, Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation, the affordable housing developer of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, has been transforming vacant land and buildings into affordable housing units and transforming the lives of individuals and families, and completed more than 4,450 units with supportive services for seniors, families, veterans and the formerly homeless. Since the pandemic began, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has provided much-needed food packages and services at 52 Catholic Charities parish-based food pantries and has distributed $7.5 million in food assistance. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens continues to deliver crucial mental health counseling, housing services, family services and early childhood education and COVID vaccines at a variety of locations. For more information, please visit www.ccbq.org.