McAuley Ministries is an independent, non-profit organization, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and rooted in the ideals of its founder, Catherine McAuley. Our ministry provides for the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, emotional support and guidance to the most vulnerable in our community.McAuley Ministries includes four programs: McAuley House, McAuley Village, The Warde-robe, and McAuley Community House. McAuley House provides a soup kitchen and social services to the community. McAuley Village is a two year transitional housing program for low income single parent families. The Warde-robe is a thrift shop which provides clothing at very reasonable prices. McAuley Community House provides safe, low-cost housing for five single men and women.

Description:
McAuley House, located at 622 Elmwood Avenue, provides a mid-day meal Monday through Saturday to 200 or more guests. Volunteers, who come in morning, help the Cook to prepare and then serve the meal. A team of 10-12 volunteers assists each day.

McAuley Village,located at Niagara Street,contains eleven 2 bedroom and eleven 3 bedroom apartments. Parents are required by their lease agreement to attend school, training or actual employment during their stay. Most require education before they can begin to think about a job that will give them the financial independence they need. Volunteers play an important role in the lives of McAuley families. Volunteer hours are late afternoon and early evening, a time when families are available for services. A cadre of volunteers provide mentoring, parenting programs, economic empowerment programs, and self-help workshops designed to promote positive feelings about themselves and management.

The Warde-robe, located at 1286 Broad Street in Central Falls, is a non-profit thrift store whose mission is serving low-income individuals and families in Central Falls and the surrounding community. We serve individuals in an atmosphere of respect and caring. The Warde-robe accepts donations of clothing and household goods, and sells these good-quality items at very low prices. The store also provides
clothing and goods free of charge to individuals referred to us from such agencies as Project Hope in Central Falls, and McAuley House in Providence.Each day, volunteers may greet customers, sort and tag clothing, reach out to the local community with fliers, and help dream of ways to expand and
deepen our mission.

McAuley Community House, on Farragut Street in Providence, provides support and guidance for its long-term residents. Volunteers are used on an occasional basis to help with the physical up-keep of the House.

History:
McAuley House is celebrating it's thirtieth anniversary this year. Under the direction of the Sisters of Mercy, the House was opened in 1975 on Gallop Street in the heart of South Providence, providing food, shelter, warmth, and compassion. Located later on Niagara Street, we moved to our present location in the summer of 2005.During all these years have been modest: a meal, a compassionate ear, and, when possible, whatever help we can provide in helping get through the challenges of their lives.

McAuley Village was begun in 1990 as an outgrowth of the McAuley House ministry with the goal of providing safe and affordable housing to single parents for a period of time as they equip themselves for their professional and educational growth.

The Warde-robe was founded in 1996 by two Sisters of Mercy who witnessed a need for affordable items in the Central Falls area. They opened a one-room storefront, eventually expanding into an entire first floor. In
2004, with both Sisters have retired, the store was taken under the wing of Providence-based McAuley Ministries. The mission has remained the same.

Contact person: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl, Administrator, (401) 941-9013, (email)
Office fax number: (401) 467-2760

Address:

622 Elmwood Avenue Providence, RI 02907 (See a map)

Directions:

From Downtown, go down Broad Street to Elmwood Avenue. Continue south, bearing left at Walgrren's Pharmacy. Two blocks further, we're onthe left, at the corner of Lenox Street and Elmwood. From 95, take the Elmwood Avenue exit and go north, past. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: in front --- Bus #20, < 1 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Handicap accessible?
	Yes
Interests Served:
	Solutions for Children, Youth, Families, Helping People in Crisis, Building Adult & Neighborhood Independence
Does your agency accept court-appointed volunteers?
	Yes

Overall Experience   
An amazing Thanksgiving effort

The McAuley House worked in conjunction with St. Michael's Church on Oxford to cook Thanksgiving meals and it seemed like we fed the whole city! Not only did we feed hundreds of people who came into the dining hall, but we also sent out more than 700 meals off-site. There seemed to be only about 20 - 30 volunteers at any given time. Everyone worked so well together and we managed to get everything done with few glitches. The organizers were wonderful and efficient. posted by daniken on December 31, 2006