News

Publication

Blessings Newsletter: Summer 2025

Blessings: Catholic Charities Newsletter

Celebrating Bill McCarthy: 16 Years of Dedication and Leadership. And, read about Dragon Boats, Safe Streets, a special volunteer highlight and more.

WYPR

Safe Streets says its seeing success. Can the anti-violence effort survive funding cuts?

The anti-violence initiative Safe Streets operates 10 sites around the city, where workers help resolve conflicts and find non-violent resolutions. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott says anti-violence initiatives like Safe Streets helped Baltimore reach historic lows in the number of homicides committed in our city over the last three years.

The Catholic Review

William McCarthy lauded with evening of accolades as he prepares to retire as Catholic Charities director

A couple weeks after the death of Pope Franics, a former coworker of William J. McCarthy Jr. compared the retiring executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore to the late pontiff. Asked what made working with McCarthy so good, Mary Anne O’Donnell, retired chief administrative officer of the agency, said, “It was his compassion, similar to Francis. It was about the people.”

CBS News

Safe Streets coverage: Baltimore credits reduction in violence with program that hires people with criminal records

For years, Baltimore was a poster child for big-city crime. Now, it's becoming the model for a turnaround. Nicole Valdes reports on a city-run program that is tapping into the expertise of people who used to perpetrate it.

Publication

Blessings Newsletter: Spring 2025

Blessings: Catholic Charities Newsletter

Dragon Boats is back! And, read about Gallagher Services, our Intergenerational Center, a special volunteer highlight and more.

WYPR

Homicides dropped in Baltimore in 2024. What role did violence interrupters play?

Greg Marshburn, the director of Catholic Charities’ four Safe Street sites, recently sat down for an interview with WYPR’s Ashley Sterner to discuss how the violence interruption program works and why it is proving so successful in helping to make our neighborhoods safer.

WMAR-2

Centers in Baltimore city are keeping the homeless warm during snow days

As highlighted in this story by WMAR-2 News, Catholic Charities operates two warming centers in downtown Baltimore when the winter weather turns dangerously cold.

Audacy - 101.9

Spotlight On Maryland-Catholic Charities of Baltimore

This week on Spotlight On Maryland, Gina Crash invited Bill McCarthy, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, to the studio to talk about the mission and work of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, in its 2nd century of service, and to reflect on his 15 years of service and upcoming retirement in July 2025.

Publication

Blessings Newsletter: Winter 2024

Blessings: Catholic Charities Newsletter

WHEN THE OUR DAILY BREAD EMPLOYMENT CENTER — operator of Maryland’s largest free hot meal program — is short on either food to serve or volunteers to serve it, staffers barely blink an eye.

CBS News

Baltimore community hits major milestone in reducing gun violence, 400 days without a homicide

Mayor Brandon Scott and Brooklyn Safe Streets celebrated a big milestone in South Baltimore as it has been more than 400 days with no homicides thanks to their Safe Streets encampment zone.

The Baltimore Banner

After mass shooting, Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood goes full year with no homicides

As Baltimore gun violence continues trending downward after years of rampant bloodshed, a historically troubled neighborhood in the city’s southern corner is celebrating a long-awaited victory: zero homicides in over a year.

Catholic Review

Prize-winning author at Catholic Charities event says poverty can be eliminated

Dr. Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer prize-winning author of “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in America,” asserted that poverty can truly be eliminated. But it will require changes in law, habits and attitudes, he said during Catholic Charities of Baltimore’s second Journey to Social Justice symposium Oct. 9.