Catholic Community Services (CCS) kicked off its 90th Anniversary Celebrations at its Pio Decimo Center’s Back to School Open House on Thursday, August 10th. Pio’s pre-school children and their families gathered with CCS supporters to dedicate a new playground that will provide fun for years to come.
CCS began in 1933, responding to calls for help in Southern Arizona at the height of the Great Depression. “For 90 years, we have been providing help, creating hope, and serving all,” said Elena Dwyre, CEO. “And today, CCS makes a difference in the lives of some 100,000 people with a wide range of services ranging from aid for refugees and migrants, services for the Deaf Community, senior nutrition programs, a new Medical Respite Center, and programs for young people and their families like those here at our Pio Decimo Center.”
The organization’s roots also run deep in “Tucson’s vibrant Barrio and Santa Rosa community,” the organization shared. “The Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic established Pio Decimo Center in 1946 as their convent and soon began to minister to the poor and hungry. From these charitable roots, we’ve grown into a dynamic hub of community activity. Today, we provide support and solutions to help our community members grow and thrive.”
Pio Decimo serves people at every age of life. It is located south of downtown Tucson.
“Pio Decimo Center helps kids and families make lasting, positive changes in their lives,” said George Rushing, Executive Director of the Pio Decimo Center. “We provide a five-star pre-school program for our youngest children so they can start school with confidence. We serve many more in our afterschool programs by supporting teens with safe recreational activities, skill building classes, and mentors that help them grow into adulthood without relying on gangs or drugs.
“Pio Decimo Center also helps families with practical solutions to complex problems – helping reduce poverty, prevent homelessness, and encourage home ownership,” added Rushing. “We provide safe and affordable housing in an active community that’s helped revitalize our community.”
“Pio Decimo Center’s impact extends for generations,” said Gloria Hamelitz, Program Director at Pio Decimo Center. “We have some families who have been involved for generations. One family that’s coming to our celebration includes a grandmother who attended our programs decades ago, a mother who came to parenting classes when she was expecting, and now a daughter who is in our pre-school program. It is so fun to see how well they are doing!”
From the dawn of life to dusk, Pio Decimo is walking with people in need all along the way.
Another family, that has been involved in supporting the Pio Decimo Center for several generations, provided a key matching gift to make Pio’s new playground a reality. “We’re grateful to the Arnold family and everyone at The Barrio Brewing Foundation for the matching gift they provided,” said Dwyre. “This gift helped us raise a total of more than $50,000 to install new playground equipment, a shade structure, and new turf. It will give new generations a fun and safe place to play. We are happy and excited to celebrate 90 years of good works, and we’re looking forward to doing more for our next 90 with support from so many friends.”
Catholic Community Services will be hosting other events throughout the year to celebrate their 90th anniversary. All are invited to attend an anniversary Mass on Friday, November 10 at 3pm at St. Augustine Cathedral. Tickets to attend the celebratory reception afterwards are available for $90 each.