Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Hartford is one of Connecticut's primary refugee resettlement agencies, and it also runs food pantries, immigration legal services, mental health counseling, and housing support across Hartford and central Connecticut. Here is what each program does, how to give or volunteer, and where to turn if you need help yourself.
Refugee resettlement and immigration legal work anchor the agency's caseload. Hartford's immigrant and refugee communities, including Puerto Rican, Dominican, Guatemalan, and Haitian families, rely on Catholic Charities for both legal and social services, and the organization is one of the primary resettlement agencies in the state. The immigration legal team is among its most active programs, handling DACA renewals, family petitions, and TPS cases.
Food is the other daily front. The agency's pantry programs serve people across the Hartford metro regardless of religion, alongside mental health counseling and housing support; one intake call can open more than one kind of help. A boundary worth knowing: this agency covers central Connecticut, while Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Bridgeport serves Fairfield County separately.
Online gifts go through ccaoh.org/donate. Money is the most flexible thing you can give a multi-program agency like this one, since it can move funds between pantry stock, legal casework, and resettlement costs as demand shifts through the year.
If you'd rather give goods, contact the agency first. Needs change as new families arrive, and the official site is the place to check what's currently requested before you load up the car.
Two more ways to stretch a gift: ask whether your employer matches charitable donations, and consider a monthly pledge, which gives the agency predictable funding for programs like the pantries that must run every week of the year. Gifts to a 501(c)(3) are tax-deductible if you itemize.
Volunteers assist with food pantry shifts and administrative support, two roles that free up professional staff for casework. There's no religious requirement to volunteer; start with the contact options on the official site.
If you need help, the same site is the front door for food assistance, counseling, housing support, and immigration legal intake. Services are open to people of all faiths, and the legal program can advise on DACA renewals, family petitions, and TPS eligibility.
Take two minutes to confirm the agency's 501(c)(3) status in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and to review its listing on Charity Navigator. For gifts of $250 or more, keep the written acknowledgment for your tax records.
Sources: Catholic Charities — Archdiocese of Hartford official site (ccaoh.org); our Connecticut charity guide research. Retrieved July 2026. We are not affiliated with Catholic Charities — Archdiocese of Hartford and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More Connecticut charities and donation guides