Ed McCarron served as Director at the House of Charity from 1995 to 2016.  The New York native had served in the military, attended Oklahoma State University, and came to Spokane with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps from 1983-86. In a recent conversation he spoke thoughtfully about many people he served with at HOC, and the contributions each made to the operation.  Ed McCarron If there’s one thing readers should know… People matter. People are important. We can talk forever about

A historical look at HOC's impact, by Mary Joan Hahn Every evening, more than 100 individuals seek the safety and security of Catholic Charities Eastern Washington’s House of Charity (HOC) in downtown Spokane . Patrons are men experiencing homelessness and often suffer from co-occurring disorders. Issues such as childhood trauma, addiction, the loss of family or work, untreated medical conditions, or tough personal circumstances they cannot yet resolve prove as understandable

Along with their teenage son, they were displaced when a tree fell on their apartment during a December windstorm, rendering it uninhabitable. After receiving short-term help from the Red Cross and various friends, they found a room in a modest hotel while they recovered and sorted out their next steps. This consumed almost all of their own resources. Cindy receives disability income and Tom was not able to continue working while moving the household and trying to recover bel