The Always Rising Capital Campaign, supporting the construction of the new CHRISTUS Our Daily Bread facility, is a visionary investment in rebuilding the bodies, minds, and spirits of Galveston's homeless, here where the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word first began ministering.
Rising to Challenges Since 1866
In response to a plea from Bishop Claude Dubuis, three French nuns from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word arrived in Galveston in 1866. He charged them to open an infirmary for the sick and infirm of every kind. While the Sisters eventually expanded to other parts of the State, they always maintained a presence in Galveston. Today, the legacy lives on through CHRISTUS Our Daily Bread.
In the mid-1980s, Sister Ursula O'Keefe was serving as the director of the mental health department at St. Mary's Hospital, the hospital that grew out of the original infirmary. She saw a dire need to care for those found wandering the Galveston streets. With no program to assist Galveston's homeless, Sister Ursula together with Sister Martha McMahon and Ted Hanley, the program’s associate director, worked together to establish CHRISTUS Our Daily Bread, which opened in 1986. And 39 years later, Sister Ursula's founding philosophy still remains - to recognize the dignity of the person.
Our Daily Bread was intended to be more than a soup kitchen right from the start. In addition to feeding the hungry, we provide our homeless clients a day shelter, a medical clinic and mental health services, a clothing distribution service, personal hygiene kits, and many referral services to help them face the underlying issues that put them on the streets. In many instances, our clients are homeless for less than a week - neighbors who are on the brink of chronic homelessness. Whether a client has been homeless for years, a single day or anything in between, we are there alongside them to provide hope and the resources to get them housed and back on their feet.
Our mission is clear: to replace our current small and inadequate storefront with a 13,500 square foot, state-of-the-art facility that will be a beacon of hope for Galveston’s homeless community. This project is a bold step forward—a $13 million investment over five years to rebuild the bodies, minds, and spirits of over 1,000 individuals annually.
- $10 million for a new facility to create a space that meets the dignity and needs of our clients.
- $3 million to expand programs, ensuring holistic services that help individuals recover and rebuild their lives.
Accommodating growth within our Case Management Services to get clients off the streets, into housing and employed with a new belief in themselves
Enhancing our programmatic offerings through increased training and education classroom space
Addressing specific health needs of clients, including expanded medical and mental health services
Allow increased collaboration with community partners as increased space will allow for more partnerships and services
Our Daily Bread By The Numbers Annually
1,000+ clients served
30,000+ meals provided
1,000+ government documents secured
2,500+ hygiene and clothing packets distributed
2,000+ volunteer hours
700+ mental health counseling sessions
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