The office of Catholic Charities was established in 1931. Located in Wheeling and under the direction of Reverend Joseph Daly, Catholic Charities united the many charitable outreach services already established in the Diocese and greatly expanded the scope and nature of social assistance in the State. In 1975, the office was reorganized as a self governing and incorporated agency and renamed Catholic Community Services, Inc. In 2008, the name changed to Catholic Charities West Virginia, Inc. more closely defining the agencies outreach.

Over the more than eighty years since, Catholic Charities West Virginia has become the largest private social service provider in the state, serving more than 25,000 people each year with outreach programs and services in rural and populated communities. Catholic Charities WV works with the West Virginia Alliance for Sustainable Families and is pleased to be one of the partners with Reconnecting McDowell, a comprehensive, long-term effort to make educational improvement in McDowell County the route to a brighter economic future. The agency collaborates locally with WV DHHR, several United Way agencies throughout the State, Mountaineer and Facing Hunger Food Banks, local churches and civic organizations and employs LifeBridge AmeriCorps members in seven of our outreach locations. During disasters the agency takes a lead role in West Virginia Organizations Active in Disasters (WV-VOAD).

The agency is both fiscally and administratively self-governing. Executive offices in Wheeling and the statewide governing board direct the seven regional and five program offices that are managed by professional staff that live in the communities they serve. Regional councils advise and support the regional directors and their staff.

Services are funded through a variety of sources, including congregations and community organizations, state contracts, United Way agencies, corporate and foundation grants and individual donors. The agencies sound management of an $11 million budget results in more than 90% of every $1 going directly to outreach services and programs. Current programs & services include: Disaster Recovery, Homemaker & Case Management services for the elderly and adult disabled in 31 West Virginia counties; in addition to 21 outreach offices which include 11 food pantries and 2 thrift stores; 18 state sponsored Child Care Food Program offices, Child Care Resource & Referral Centers, Birth to Three office, Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats, Migration and Refugee services, and Adult Basic Education. Catholic Charities West Virginia has established statewide best practices in service delivery in the WellnessWorks Food Pantry Program and Case Management services. Flagship Outreach centers includes the Catholic Charities Mobile Outreach and WellnessWorks food pantry in the Parkersburg Region, the Catholic Charities Promise House Family Resource Center and in the Eastern Region and the Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center in Wheeling.

‍