Catholic Charities Hawaii serves the whole state through the Diocese of Honolulu, with programs covering refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, foster care and adoption, family counseling, and emergency food assistance. Services are open to people of all faiths. Below: what the organization does across the islands, how to give, and how to volunteer or request help.
Hawaii resettles refugees from a range of countries, and the state has large Pacific Islander and Filipino immigrant communities. Catholic Charities Hawaii handles both the legal side (immigration legal services) and the social side (case management and community support) for those families. Foster care and adoption are another core program area, and an active one, since Hawaii's child welfare system deals with persistent capacity challenges.
Emergency assistance rounds out the picture: food and housing help for families in crisis. That work carries extra weight on the Neighbor Islands, where fewer nonprofits operate and residents have shorter lists of places to turn. Maui recovery support has been part of the organization's work since the August 2023 wildfire. Program availability varies by island, so check the official site for current locations and hours before visiting an office.
Cash gifts are the most flexible way to support this work, since they can move between programs as needs shift, from food assistance one month to resettlement costs the next. Give online at the official donation page. Monthly gifts are worth considering here, since emergency assistance demand doesn't follow a season and steady funding lets staff commit to families for the full arc of a resettlement or foster placement. Employer matching can double a gift; check with your HR department.
If you want your gift to support a specific program, such as Maui recovery or foster care, check the donation form or contact the organization through its site to ask how designated gifts are handled.
Volunteers assist with food pantry operations, resettlement support for newly arrived families, and administrative work. Resettlement volunteering in particular benefits from patience and consistency more than special skills, though language ability is always welcome. Many volunteers start with a single food pantry shift and settle into a regular rhythm from there; no long-term pledge is required to begin.
If you need help rather than want to give it, start at catholiccharitieshawaii.org to find the right program. Assistance does not require Catholic affiliation, and counseling, food, and family services are available regardless of faith.
Verify the organization's tax-exempt status in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and review its profile on Charity Navigator. Hold on to receipts, and get a written acknowledgment for donations of $250 or more, which the IRS requires for a deduction.
Sources: Catholic Charities Hawaii official site (catholiccharitieshawaii.org); our Hawaii charity guide research. Retrieved July 2026. We are not affiliated with Catholic Charities Hawaii and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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