Catholic Charities Family Services

Gallup is the first American founded city in New Mexico. It started as a railroad camp and later depended on coal and uranium mining for its economic base. It is now home to Native Americans, Hispanic peoples, Anglo-Euro persons and people of several other ethnic groups. No longer a railroad town, the main economy is Native American arts and crafts, especially Navajo rugs, silver jewelry, dream catchers and kachina dolls. About 30% of our population lives in poverty.

Our Family Services in Gallup works cooperatively with other agencies in the city of Gallup to provide for the many and varied needs of families and individuals. In order to maximize our effectiveness we have developed communication and service systems to minimize duplication of services. Catholic Charities will provide emergency food vouchers to the local grocery store as well as to the food pantry for families who are working to secure food stamps. We will also provide for any other unmet need, often "sharing" costs with other non-profit agencies willing to help with prescriptions, baby formula, eye glasses, temporary shelter in cases of loss of home due to fire... We are part of a network that assists transient persons who get stranded in Gallup. Our program for transient assistance, supported by local churches, has served as a model for our other Catholic Charities offices. We do whatever it takes help people get in a better position to help themselves.