An innovative collaboration of two decades-old community nonprofits, the Catherine McAuley Center and Friends of the Poor, our agency was born in 2025 with the goal of honoring the dream of our foundresses, Sister Anne Paye, RSM and Sister Adrian Barrett, IHM. These two remarkable women began their respective agencies with nothing more than an open heart, helping hand, and a Higher call to serve those most in need. Together, we now serve more than 25,000 unique individuals in the Lackawanna and Luzerne County areas.

At Friends of the Poor and Catherine McAuley Center, we offer a safe space where vulnerable individuals and families find not just food and shelter, but hope. Through compassionate support and innovative pathways to stability, we break the cycle of poverty and ignite the power of human potential.

Our mission extends beyond immediate relief. We build bridges to self-sufficiency, restore dignity, and champion the inherent worth of every person. Through direct service, community building, and fearless advocacy, we’re not just addressing poverty.  We’re reimagining a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.