Catholic Charities’ work showcased in ‘People of Hope’ traveling museum

These promises were clipped inside a tractor-trailer converted into a traveling museum that illustrates the hard choices faced by men and women living on the margins of society and how Catholic Charities responds.

For Gwen Hinton, the museum reinforced her desire to work for social justice.

“It just deepened our desire to be the kind of change we want to see in the world,” said Hinton.

She and her husband, Mike, worship at St. Andrew Church in Roswell. Both are active in serving the poor at their parish and giving their time to the night shelter at the Shrine of Immaculate Conception in Atlanta.

Visiting the exhibit on Aug. 5 helped the two of them gain a deeper understanding of the work they are already doing, she said. The exhibit revealed how charity is necessary, but it’s also important to fix the structures that can keep people in poverty, she said.

This unique museum turned the spotlight on neighbors in need and those who help them. It is called “People of Hope: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” Built into a retrofitted tractor-trailer, the museum was parked between St. Peter Chanel Church and Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell for its two days in Georgia.

The People of Hope Museum is to visit more than 150 communities across the country. The initiative comes from a grant of nearly $5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life.

Vanessa Russell, CEO of Catholic Charities Atlanta, greeted visitors. She said a goal of the traveling exhibit is to move beyond dry statistics and “humanize poverty” by allowing people to hear stories and become immersed in the lives of others. The hope is that experiencing the hardships “hit your heart” in a way numbers cannot, Russell said.

For two days, more than 120 people walked through the museum for an immersive experience. Viewers got the chance to learn about the lives of five individuals facing hard choices, including families with special needs children, a widow living on limited income and former prisoners resettling after incarceration.

Does the prisoner take a higher-paid mechanic job, at the risk of violating parole as he is surrounded by friends from the old neighborhood? Or the widow with a high heat bill, weighing whether to pay her rent, her heating bill or medicine?

Alison Hernandez, a Catholic Charities senior staff member working with refugees, said challenges faced by the poor can be hard to resolve because they are caused by a web of overlapping issues touching their lives.

Catholic Charities Atlanta is focused less on financial assistance as “case workers educate to empower individuals,” she said. The work covers a range of challenges that make life hard based on people’s unique circumstances, from lowering medical debt and working with housing counselors to registering for federal aid programs, she said.

Part of the museum is dedicated to hearing video testimonials from volunteers who accompany people facing dire situations. A small library allowed visitors to get a list of books and other resources to improve communities and strengthen connections between neighbors and serving the poor.

In 2025, more than 10,000 women and men in the Atlanta area were served by the nonprofit Catholic Charities. Some 631 volunteers contributed to the effort. Russell said additional volunteers will be vital to assist people as the federal government reduces its financial support for these types of services.

“This is taking the numbers and giving you the story behind the numbers,” Russell said. “That helps them grow a little bit in their compassion but also on the other hand to really inspire them to action.”