Love in Action

What makes a community truly strong?

A strong community is not measured by wealth, influence, or achievement. Rather, it is reflected in how we care for those who are struggling most.

Every day at Catholic Community Services of Lane County (CCS), we witness the wisdom of the words often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

We meet parents who skip meals so their children can eat. We welcome families on the brink of homelessness, desperately trying to keep a roof over their heads. We walk alongside refugees and immigrants who have fled unimaginable hardship and are beginning again with courage, hope, and determination. Their stories remind us that every person deserves dignity, compassion, and the opportunity to thrive.

Throughout this annual report, you’ll see our theme, Love in Action—the heartbeat of our mission. Love in action is a food box placed into the hands of a hungry neighbor. It is rent assistance that prevents a family from becoming homeless. It is a warm welcome extended to a newcomer seeking safety and belonging. It is thousands of moments, both large and small, made possible by people who believe that every neighbor matters.

This past fiscal year, together, we provided food and basic necessities to tens of thousands of families, helped hundreds remain safely housed despite shrinking housing resources, and welcomed refugees and immigrants from around the world as they built new lives here in Lane County. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of donors, volunteers, churches, community partners, foundations, government agencies, and faithful supporters like you.

When we invest in our most vulnerable neighbors, we strengthen our entire community. We create a Lane County where compassion overcomes indifference, hope triumphs over despair, and every person has the opportunity to flourish.

Thank you for standing with us and for making love visible through your generosity, your advocacy, your prayers, and your service. Together, we are building a stronger, more compassionate community—one neighbor at a time.

May God bless you and your loved ones.

With hope and gratitude,
Lorri Perreault
Executive Director

There is no more basic human need than food—and few expressions of love are more tangible than placing groceries into the hands of a family facing hunger.

Every day, neighbors throughout Lane County turn to CCS during some of life’s most difficult moments. Whether they need food, clothing, utility assistance, transportation, or other essential support, our Community Service Centers (CSCs) in Eugene and Springfield are places where love becomes action.

During the past fiscal year, more than 22,000 unduplicated neighbors entered our CSCs, making over 59,000 visits for food, clothing, energy assistance, and other critical basic needs.

As community needs continued to grow, CCS once again provided the largest volume of food and utility assistance in Lane County, demonstrating what love in action looks like every single day.

Our impact included:

• 35,537 food boxes distributed through our Eugene and Springfield food pantries.
• 12,256 critical-needs services—including birth certificate and identification replacement assistance, personal hygiene supplies, snack bags, bus passes, and shower passes—representing a 24% increase over the previous year.
• 65,210 articles of clothing distributed through our Springfield Clothing Closet during 5,128 visits.
• 4,155 households, including 2,496 children, received $1,941,149 in utility assistance, helping families keep their lights on, homes heated, and air conditioning running during extreme weather.

Every food box shared, every utility bill paid, every warm coat provided, and every bus pass distributed is a reminder that love is more than a feeling—it is action. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, volunteers, community partners, and dedicated staff, thousands of our neighbors experienced hope, dignity, and the reassurance that they were not alone.

Safe, stable housing provides the foundation on which individuals and families can rebuild their lives. Without it, maintaining employment, keeping children in school, managing health needs, and planning for the future become nearly impossible.

Our Supportive Services team walks alongside families facing housing instability, helping prevent homelessness whenever possible and supporting those experiencing homelessness as they navigate the difficult journey toward safe, permanent housing.

During Fiscal Year 2025–2026, 393 households, including 538 children, received hundreds of hours of personalized case management and $636,191 in housing assistance keeping them safely housed. Although available housing assistance funding declined by 22.5% from the previous year, CCS served 58% more households, ensuring that limited resources reached more families in crisis.

Our OASIS Family Shelter and Drop-In Center provided critical support to 53 unhoused families with 91 children, including overnight emergency shelter for 22 families with 35 children while they worked toward permanent housing.

When dangerous heat, freezing temperatures, or smokey days threatened the safety of Lane County families living outdoors, CCS responded immediately. During extreme weather events, 37 unhoused families, including 71 children, found warmth, safety, and hope through 352 nights of emergency motel shelter.

Every eviction prevented, every family welcomed into shelter, and every child who could sleep safely indoors is a powerful reminder that love begins with meeting people where they are—and helping them find a place to call home.

For families forced to flee violence, persecution, or unimaginable hardship, beginning again in a new country can be overwhelming. A warm welcome, compassionate guidance, and a caring community can make all the difference.

CCS’s Refugee & Immigrant Services Program (RISP) is the only program of its kind in Lane County, providing comprehensive support through immigration legal services, case management, employment services, English language classes, and educational support for children. Together, these services help individuals and families from Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Ukraine, Venezuela, Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, Honduras, and South Africa build pathways with safe, stable, and hopeful new lives in our community.

During Fiscal Year 2025–2026:

• 125 households, including more than 37 children, received 378 personalized case management and supportive services.
• 17 families, including 30 children, participated in our Oregon Refugee Children Assistance Services (ORCAS) program, receiving school enrollment support, academic tutoring, wellness programming, and enriching summer activities.
• 55 individuals received employment services, including resume preparation, job application assistance, and interview support—and 88% secured employment.
• 14 ICE impacted households, all with children, received two months support of rent assistance, utility assistance and/or food allowing a window of stability to assess their next steps.
• Over 700 unduplicated immigrants received immigration legal services.
• 201 work permits approved, 43 green card applications filed, 76 asylum applications filed, 175 other applications filed.
• 11 neighbors became permanent residents, 2 neighbors became U.S. citizens and 590 households navigated RISP legal services through Oregon’s Universal Representation Program.

This work would not be possible without the extraordinary partnership of the Refugee Resettlement Coalition of Lane County (RRC). During the past year, 84 dedicated volunteers generously contributed 1,788 hours welcoming newcomers, furnishing homes, mentoring families, providing translation and transportation, and helping our newest neighbors build a sense of belonging.

Every family welcomed, every child encouraged, every new job secured, and every friendship formed reflects the power of a community that chooses compassion over fear and hospitality over indifference. Together, we are extending a welcome that changes lives—one neighbor at a time.

Love is also measured in the time we freely give to others. Every hour volunteered at CCS reflects a heart willing to serve and a commitment to strengthen our community. Whether serving on our board of directors, welcoming families, stocking pantry shelves, tutoring immigrant children, washing donated clothing, or lending a helping hand wherever needed, our volunteers bring compassion, kindness, and hope to every corner of our mission.

This past fiscal year, our many volunteers spent over 12,000 hours of their time with us, the equivalent of 6 full-time employees and an economic impact of $433,897! A special shout out below to those who spent in excess of 300 hours in our CSCs and top contributors in our RISP.

We are profoundly grateful for all the dedicated volunteers who generously share their time, talents, and gifts in service to others. Your selfless commitment expands our capacity to reach more neighbors, meet greater needs, and ensure that love is put into action every day. Thank you for making a lasting difference in the lives of those we are privileged to serve.