Catholic Urban Programs

• About CUP
  
• Griffin Center
  
• Neighborhood Law Office
  
• Holy Angels Homeless Shelter
  
• The Family Center

Catholic Urban Programs, in close association with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, was established in 1973 to help alleviate the suffering of the poor, the elderly, and the homeless in East St. Louis, IL. CUP provides emergency food, funds and shelter, and advocates for people on the fringe of society. Over the decades, as the economic conditions in the area have worsened, as drug problems and derelict buildings have grown, and as both industry and the resident population has fled, the services offered in charity by Catholic Urban Programs has grown. Click below to learn more about some of CUP's ministries.

For more information, contact

Griffin Center

Neighborhood Law Office

The Neighborhood Law Office, an outreach of Catholic Urban Programs in East St Louis, opened in September 1996. The Office charges no fees for its services.

The mission of the Neighborhood Law Office is to help families in the Metro East St. Louis area create a healthy, safe and clean environment, which will foster neighborhood renewal by:

• Demolishing unsafe, vacant, derelict structures;
• Prompt and universal property code enforcement;
• Reducing hazards from industrial chemical pollution; and
• Protecting and enhancing natural resources

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Holy Angels Homeless Shelter

Holy Angels Shelter, located on the grounds of the former Holy Angels Parish in East Saint Louis, is a 24-hour transitional shelter for women, women with children, and intact families. Single men, especially elderly men, can be housed in the finished basement rooms. The shelter was opened by Catholic Urban Programs of the Diocese of Belleville in 1985 due to the increase of homeless families in St. Clair County.

Holy Angels was the first shelter in East St. Louis to have a social worker and to network with other care providers to help acquire the health, emotional and psychological care needed to stabilize a homeless family.

When a family has lost its income it is devastated. There are so many ways that a family can become homeless. Fire, loss of income, drug abuse and mental illness all can play a part in family becoming homeless. When this happens, a family can turn to Holy Angels Shelter. The home currently serves an average of 200 people per year.

Caring people can help us in our ministry in a number of ways. First of all, your prayers are what keep our staff able to continually serve the homeless in Christian Love. Secondly, your financial assistance is always needed; over 50% of our operational costs are donated to us. Third, if you desire to deepen your love for Christ by helping to care for the poorest of the poor, we can always use an extra pair of hands.

Holy Angels Shelter just celebrated 20 years of reaching out to help people.

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The Family Center

The Family Center of Catholic Urban Programs and the Diocese of Belleville is a social service agency that provides a comprehensive support system for low income families residing in East St. Louis, IL. Programs are individualized to meet family needs and include education, personal development, assistance with housing, employment, medical needs and other life essentials.

Rooted by the conviction that the world can be changed one family, one individual at a time, the mission of the Family Center is to model and to provide a system of support to families and individuals based on nurturing relationships that reflect positive regard for their innate goodness, strengths, diversity and dignity. Our goal is to have a significant and measurable impact on how families and individuals function and claim responsibility for themselves and their community through support systems.

Programs and Services Offered

Family Program

The Family Center supports and empowers families to act on behalf of themselves, their children and their community by becoming a part of a support system for themselves and for other member families. The core program consists of

• Goal setting
• Support group meetings
• Family and adult meetings
• Programs for children

Alternative Education

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