you make a difference!

Every child deserves someone in their corner. And, for 175 years, OLV has been there for those in need. With your help, we still are.

Long before there were safety nets, there was Limestone Hill (what is now Lackawanna). Here, children with nowhere else to go found a home, a meal, and someone who believed in them. Today, that same promise reaches between 10,000 and 12,000 children, teens, and families every year through OLV Human Services.

A Legacy of Caring

Venerable Nelson Baker never turned a child away. He saw a hungry orphan, a frightened teenager, a young mother with no place to turn, and he made room. He called it his "City of Charity," and he built it one act of compassion at a time.

That work has never stopped. For 175 years, the doors at OLV have stayed open to children in need, carried forward by the Sisters of St. Joseph, generations of dedicated staff, and donors who believed as Father Baker did: that no child is beyond hope.

Today, OLV Human Services (OLVHS) is one of the region’s largest non-profits. And while the needs have changed since Father Baker’s day. The heart behind the work has not.

Today’s children carry burdens that can’t always be seen: trauma, anxiety, depression, and the weight of hard beginnings. OLVHS is regarded as a leader in behavioral health programming, offering care that meets young people where they are and helps them heal, grow, and move forward with confidence.

Your Gift Makes it Possible

When you give to OLVHS, you become part of a story that began nearly two centuries ago. Your support helps a child feel safe, a teen find their footing, and a family find its way back to each other.

Father Baker trusted that generous hearts would always answer the call. They always have. Will you answer it today?