Catholic charities

San Bernardino & Riverside Counties

Join us in our fight against poverty

Providing Hope

Catholic Charities is quite unique in the broad range of services provided by one organization. Most frequently, families come to us due to an unexpected personal or financial crisis and without the resources they need to resolve the crisis on their own. Varying problems require varying solutions, and therefore require a broad range of interventions and services. Catholic Charities assists families to regain their stability by providing the vitally necessary social services and by increasing access to other services that may available in the community, so families may move beyond the crisis and forward with their lives.

Over the past year…

24,219

Individuals

Benefited

26,752

In Communities

Contacted

20,107 received food assistance

2,914 assisted with Homeless prevention services

2,639 received Teletherapy support

3,971 Utility Assistance

856 Legal Case Consultation

272 received burial assistance

Our Reach

A significant factor that shapes our uniqueness is that San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are two of the largest counties by area in the United States, encompassing over 27,000 square miles with more than 4 million residents. Our geographic region includes urban cities, extensive suburban developments, rural agricultural pockets, and tiny communities scattered throughout a very large unincorporated and isolated desert. Catholic Charities addresses this geographic challenge with a well-coordinated and complicated web of staff, services, and locations.

Meet our leadership

Chief Executive Officer
Ken Sawa

Mr. Ken F. Sawa, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), has served as the CEO/Executive Vice-President of Catholic Charities since 2003 and has been employed by Catholic Charities for 25 years. In 2008, Ken was selected as Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers – Region F for his dedication to local families in need. In 2009, Mr. Sawa was invited to present at a Congressional Briefing in Washington, DC sponsored by Senator Kennedy’s Office on “Meeting The Needs of Families Living On The Back Streets of America”.

Chief Operations Officer
Jesse Gonzales

Mr. Jesse Gonzalez joined the Accounting Office at Catholic Charities San Bernardino & Riverside Counties in 2011. Jesse holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and comes to Catholic Charities with many years of experience in the areas of accounting, management, and administration. Although Jesse currently serves as Chief Operations Officer, having also previously served as Director of Administration as well as Accounting Manager, Mr. Gonzalez continues to oversee the day-to-day accounting activity at Catholic Charities.

Director of Services
Agustin Avantes

Mr. Agustin Avantes is the Director of Services at Catholic Charities and holds a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from California Baptist University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology Law and Society from UC Riverside. Agustin is bilingual/bicultural in Spanish and holds numerous certifications in the field of human services. He has over 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit and public sectors. His work in the community is broad with his experience engaging with diverse populations including children, adolescents, adults, those with disabilities, advanced age, the homeless, and those with mental health issues.