San Antonio

President and Chief Executive Officer J. Antonio Fernandez accepts the award on behalf of Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc.
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The San Antonio Division honors Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc. (CCAOSA), for their work providing culturally sensitive programs, bilingual services, and care for San Antonio families for 72 years. Accepting the award on behalf of the organization is President and Chief Executive Officer J. Antonio Fernandez.

CAAOSA is committed to empowering individuals and families with the goal of fostering independence. The organization provides more than 25 bilingual and culturally sensitive programs in 19 counties and provides services to more than 74,000 people each year, with more than 25,000 individuals receiving food, clothes, and housing assistance. CAAOSA also operates the oldest recognized immigration certification program in Texas and is the only Texas agency that provides legal guardianship services. CAAOSA also offers the Building Strong Families and Great Start Plus home-based parenting education programs for families that have been or are currently involved with Child Protective Services. The programs’ focus is to improve parent-child interaction, increase the families’ protective factors, and reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. The Refugee Services Program (RSP), the largest of all of CAAOSA’s programs, aids refugees who have been resettled in the United States through the U.S. Department of State. CAAOSA’s RSP resettles more than 750 refugees each year and helps them on their path to self-sufficiency. The RSP provides refugees assistance with acculturation counseling, adult education, referrals, housing, language interpretation and translation, job readiness and specific job training, job search and employment follow-up, medical services, and school enrollment for children. The program has a success rate of 98 percent for helping refugees attain employment within the first six months of arrival. Other programs offer counseling for families and resources for teens dealing with issues such as bullying and making good decisions.