The Catherine McAuley Center has offered educational and supportive services in the Cedar Rapids community since 1989. Today, CMC has grown to be a Place of Welcome, known for offering hope and life changing services to more than 700 individuals each year!
The Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) founded in 1989 by the Sisters of Mercy, named in honor of Catherine McAuley (1778-1841), who founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, and devoted her life to educating women and serving the vulnerable. Catherine’s values continue to influence the organization today, and the Sisters of Mercy remain faithful supporters of the Center through sponsorship, volunteer service, and leadership on the Board of Directors.
For over thirty years, the Catherine McAuley Center has been a place of welcome where our neighbors have the safety to learn and grow. As our community has evolved, we’ve adapted to meet its emerging needs, providing services to over 700 individuals – immigrants, refugees and women experiencing crisis – in the last year.
Our former building, a repurposed convent, was bursting at the seams, with tiny offices forged out of closets and tutoring sessions squeezed into the kitchen and lobby. The lack of space translated into waiting lists and unmet needs. To fulfill our commitment to our community, we embarked on a journey in 2018 to create a new place of welcome that has allowed us to expand services and achieve accessibility.
The new, current building, at 1220 Fifth Avenue SE, is just blocks away from our former facility. This space will increase the number of people served by CMC, equip more individuals in our community with skills and connections that contribute to self-sufficiency and community integration, improve the quality of services provided, and contribute to the vitality of the Wellington Heights neighborhood.
Since the move, CMC has expanded programs, added new services, and increased its capacity to serve even more of our neighbors. This includes the addition of:
Even as it has grown and evolved, the Catherine McAuley Center has stayed true to its core mission of offering hope and opportunity to individuals seeking to gain the knowledge and skills that will help them lead self-sufficient and fulfilling lives.
Moving into a larger facility ensured that the Catherine McAuley Center’s location would not just meet the current needs, but would be a place where our neighbors could find hope and opportunity for years to come.
Leave a legacy that forever connects you to an inclusive community that welcomes thousands of people from around the world and from a variety of backgrounds. You can ensure that future generations will have meaningful opportunities to achieve their goals with a legacy gift through your will or trust.
Your legacy gift will meet the needs of the time, whatever they may be, far into the future.
Today, a new generation of women, adult learners, and immigrant and refugee newcomers are making their OWN history. Take a moment to see how our neighbors are building their own legacy, here in our local community!
