Catholic Charities Philosophy
One-stop Shop
A single locations for families and individuals to find services
Multi-faceted
Help in a short-term crisis and provide long-term support to enrich clients' lives
Central locations
Family resource centers are centrally located so they are easy to find and visit.
About Family Resource Centers
Individuals and families in need often have to call or visit multiple agencies to get the help they need. Finding the right help is time consuming, frustrating, and often confusing.
Family resources centers solve this problem. In one place, clients can find the services and expert advice to navigate a short-term crisis and find long-term support to enrich their lives.
Catholic Charities has operated family resource centers for more than 20 years. Our flagship family resource center is Catholic Charities at C. E. McGruder in North Nashville. We also have the Catholic Charities Family Resource Center at Casa Azafrán in South Nashville.
In early 2025, we launched a fourth Family Resource Center in Cookeville as part of our County Expansion program. The new center—currently operating at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 421 N. Washington Ave. in Cookeville—primarily serves residents of Putnam and Smith Counties while a permanent facility is being developed.
Services and expertise
Each Catholic Charities family resource center focuses on the specific needs of residents living in close proximity. Typical community risk factors include poverty, hunger, homelessness, abuse, neglect, poor health, evictions, mental illness, substance abuse and/or family conflict.
Generally speaking, each center offers:
- Basic Needs
- Emergency assistance to help pay overdue rent, utilities, and mortgage
- Food assistance
- Financial literacy
- Housing stability services
- Individual and family therapy
- Job training or career advancement
The specific services depend largely on the community’s needs.
A community hub
Partnerships are a enormous part of a family resource center’s success. Catholic Charities often provides space for other organizations to operate out of its locations so residents can meet multiple professionals in a single trip.
Family resource centers also serve as local hub of community activity and meetings. They provide a space where residents can collaborate to create a promising future by leading the development of community planning that best fits their unique needs to drive their future successes.
Tennessee Serves Neighbors will expand Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville’s successful Family Resources Center model over the next two years to more counties that are part of the Diocese of Nashville.
Catholic Charities is deeply grateful to Holy Family Catholic Church for their ongoing support of our many ministries that help neighbors in need. Their most recent donation included car seats, port-a-cribs, blankets, clothing, and diapers of all sizes—all much needed items for new and expectant mothers across the Diocese of Nashville who come to us […]
Earlier this month, we celebrated the reopening of the newly renovated C. E. McGruder Center in North Nashville. The morning began with a heartfelt prayer from Reverend John Beach, joined by his wife, Mrs. Margaret Beach, followed by remarks from Brittany Irby, Senior Director of Civic and Community Engagement in the office of Freddie O’Connell, […]
While October heralds the harvest season and a wave of gratitude for our abundance, many of our neighbors increasingly face hunger, housing insecurity, or financial hardship. Often their needs go deeper. I am heartened by strong support from our donors to answer the call to help. By sharing your abundance, you make a difference for […]