Bullhead City hears Catholic Charities presentation as $127,000 remains in proposed budget

Catholic Charities Community Services presented details of its Legacy Foundation Christine Stamper Center for Help and Hope and its operations in Bullhead City on June 3 as council members asked about funding sources, outreach and program oversight.

The nonprofit said the shelter provides 57 emergency beds, meals and case management and operates 24 hours a day to serve people experiencing homelessness in the community. Catholic Charities also described outreach work aimed at people with serious mental illness and outlined how volunteers and local partners support daily operations.

The presentation matters because the council included $127,000 for Catholic Charities in the city’s proposed budget; council members said the city will still vote on the tentative budget and on a contract to renew funding at a later meeting. That means council is deciding whether to keep municipal funding in place while also considering additional reporting requirements and contract language requested by council members.

Kathy Peterson, executive director for Northern Arizona at Catholic Charities Community Services, described the shelter’s capacity and services: “We provide 57 beds of emergency shelter, 40 beds for individual men and women. 8 beds for veterans.” Peterson said the site includes family space for up to three families, laundry, showers, computers and Wi‑Fi, and that the operation serves meals to people who are not staying overnight.

Olivia McCormick, chair of the Catholic Charities board of trustees, told the council the organization has undergone accreditation and financial reviews: “We are a trusted organization…we just recently went through a very, very extensive deep dive in our financial reporting, the policies and procedures so that the board has a full understanding.” Paul Mulligan, president and CEO, described the agency as mission‑driven and said it uses a mix of government contracts, grants and philanthropic support.

Rebecca Vaughn, community relations and shelter operations manager, provided usage figures the shelter said cover the 12 months from June 1 last year through May 30 this year: “We’re at 84,000 meals,” Vaughn said. She reported about 15,570 bed nights systemwide in that period and said family shelter stays totaled almost 3,000 bed nights for roughly 14 families over the year. Vaughn also said Catholic Charities counted roughly 33,000 total service contacts (meals, case connections, laundry, referrals) across that year and that the shelter operates at or near capacity most nights.

Council members asked how the shelter is funded and how much support comes from the Catholic Diocese. Mulligan said the organization receives a mix of government contracts and grants and donations from parishioners across the diocese. Statements in the meeting referred to a diocesan fundraising appeal and used the term “budgeted $800,000,” but the transcript numbers about the diocesan allocation were unclear in places. The council requested that Catholic Charities provide clear, written accounting for diocesan and other funding sources when the contract is returned for council consideration.

Council members also pressed on outreach and shelter policies. The contract between the city and the contractor includes language prohibiting providing tentage or supplies that would facilitate outdoor living except in narrowly defined PATH program outreach circumstances. The council heard that the shelter’s PATH outreach focuses on people with serious mental illness and that outreach staff distribute hygiene supplies, water and other items as engagement tools while attempting to connect people into shelter and treatment. The PATH program was described as a federal outreach program (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) administered through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Council discussion clarified that tent camping is not allowed on city property except at Davis Camp where camping is managed under a permit or fee system. City staff said the city enforces a “zero tolerance” policy for unauthorized tent camping on public property and that outreach staff and police coordinate to encourage shelter use and to remove tents from public right‑of‑way.

Councilmember questions included requests for more oversight language in the city’s contract with Catholic Charities and for periodic reporting. Catholic Charities said it would be willing to provide regular updates; staff and agency representatives discussed returning quarterly reports to the council so the city can review program outcomes and finances.

What's next: The $127,000 remained in the proposed (tentative) budget at the workshop. City staff told the council the tentative budget will be considered for preliminary approval at the current meeting cycle and that a separate contract to renew funding for Catholic Charities will be brought back for council action at a future meeting, where council may adopt additional reporting or contract terms.

Community members who spoke during public comment both praised the shelter and raised concerns about campsite cleanup and public safety. One resident described volunteering at the shelter and urged continued community support; another said he frequently cleans up encampments and urged strict enforcement of the city’s no‑camping rules.

Ending: Catholic Charities asked the council for continued partnership while the city staff prepares the contract language and reporting requirements council members requested. The council signaled it would revisit the funding and the contract at upcoming meetings where both the budget and the contract will be formally considered.