Aid for Women helps thousands of women each year in the Chicago metropolitan area who find themselves facing unexpected and difficult pregnancies. Each woman is provided with the emotional, practical and spiritual support she needs to choose life for her unborn baby and to provide a better future for her and her children. Life-affirming services are offered to clients free-of-charge.

The mission of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools is to educate the whole child – academically, spiritually, physically and emotionally – through a faith-based learning environment. Our Catholic schools are igniting the light in future leaders.

The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools provide all people in the Archdiocese of Chicago with vibrant, high quality Catholic schools that are available, accessible and affordable.

Big Shoulders Fund serves 20,000 students in 63 elementary schools and 13 high schools in the city of Chicago. The schools are an important resource for students and communities, with research showing that when a Catholic school closes the surrounding area experiences an increase in violence and a decrease in social cohesion.  These schools help realize the vision that there are educational outlets throughout Chicago where children can “charge up” and maximize their potential. Big Shoulders Fund is focused on ensuring these schools can remain open and viable for years to come.    Big Shoulders supports schools and programs that will ensure students receive a strong academic foundation in elementary school, enroll in quality, college prep high schools, enroll and persist in college, and lead productive lives as adults.

For more than 98 years, Catholic Charities has empowered families and individuals of all races and religious backgrounds to realize their full potential. Our services help people from the point of conception through the last stages of their lives. We keep mothers and their babies well-fed, prepare children in low-income families for school, keep youth in school and out of gangs, counsel and give job training to adults with economic troubles, provide affordable housing for seniors, and organize in-home care services for seniors who need help caring for themselves.  Catholic Charities fulfills the Church’s role in the mission of charity to anyone in need by providing compassionate, competent and professional services that strengthen and support individuals, families and communities based on the value and dignity of human life.

Franciscan Outreach is one of the oldest and largest providers for men and women who are marginalized and homeless. For more than 55 years, Franciscan Outreach has provided men and women experiencing homelessness with the critical services they need to make positive changes in their lives.  Franciscan Outreach is a system of support helping men and women who are marginalized and homeless find their path toward stability and self-sufficiency in their lives. Every day, we provide healthy meals to those who are hungry, a warm bed for those who need shelter, vital case management services for those who need guidance, and access to critical resources for those who need specialized assistance.

Fr. Bob Lombardo came to Chicago in 2005 at the request of Francis Cardinal George. Cardinal George wisely envisioned Fr. Bob directing a mission to serve the poor and maintain a Catholic presence in the huge area on the West Side that was no longer served by any Catholic parishes.  The Cardinal specifically chose Our Lady of the Angels for the site of this mission for several reasons; to serve the tremendous needs in the neighborhood, one of the neediest in the city, to maintain a Catholic presence at the approximate geographic center of the West side area no longer served by any Catholic parishes, and to maintain a prayerful presence at the site of a historic fire.  Fr. Bob began establishing outreach in the neighborhood. He assessed the needs of the neighborhood simply by walking around and talking with the neighbors. Healthy food, safe havens for kids, and senior citizen programming were identified as the greatest needs.