Caritas Slovenia was founded in 1990. In 1995, it became a member of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Europa.

Caritas Slovenia’s mission is to advocate and care for the human dignity of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion, especially families and children, elderly people, migrants and homeless. The organisation works in Slovenia and also abroad. It implements projects in countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Europe (Balkans) and Asia.

In Slovenia, Caritas provides a variety of services such as covering basic needs (food, school supplies, paying bills etc.) and social welfare programmes (addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs, maternity homes, clinics for people without health insurance, assistance to victims of trafficking, programs for disadvantage children).

It also implement awareness raising and advocacy project on global issues (focus on schools, politicians and general public), on the issues of climate changes, HIV/AIDS, migration and development etc. in collaboration with other national Caritas.

In 2016, 163,400 people benefitted from Caritas Slovenia’s programs. Over 96,270 people in need across Slovenia received material assistance, including 81.356 members of families, 11,242 elderly, 2,318 migrants and 1.354 homeless. The material aid distributed included 3,668 tons of food, clothes, payment orders to 14,060 people and school supplies such as workbooks to 12,548 children. 1,047 people in bigger distresses and emergencies received material help in higher amount etc.

Beside material support Caritas professional staff and parish volunteers also offered over 10,000 individual counselling sessions, organised 31,290 home visits and events for 20,747 elderly people and 20,000 children and youth. The social welfare programmes provided assistance to 3 victims of human trafficking, maternity homes to 176 women and children, drug rehabilitation to 195 drug addicts and provided care in shelters to 73 homeless people. In summer, Caritas Slovenia organised seaside camps for 687 children, family members and elderly.

Overseas, Caritas Slovenia’s development projects include support for improving health conditions (such as construction of health centres, prevention – health education and career training of local health staff), access to quality education for children (building schools, support of teachers with proper payment, providing school books and meals for children etc.), safe and secure water provision, food security for malnourishes children and support poor families with livelihoods. In the implementation of individual projects and assistance programs in Slovenia and abroad, Caritas Slovenia cooperates with the government and other NGOs.

In the last 11 years, Caritas Slovenia has been working with local organisations in sub-Saharan Africa countries, such as Rwanda, Burundi, Central African Republic, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Madagascar. With the Slovene missionaries and the local Caritas, and thanks to the co-financial support of Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, the Missionary office and of other European Caritas, Caritas Slovenia built and equipped 6 schools, 1 kindergarten, 4 health centres, 3 maternity hospitals and 10 bigger water wells. It also supported HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases prevention programs, reproductive health programs and capacity building of local health staff.

In Sri Lanka, Caritas Slovakia cooperates with Caritas Sri Lanka to provide micro-financing to to families that would like to start a business.

In Western Balkans, Caritas Slovenia runs several projects with the local Caritas. These provide material assistance and services like home care. For the years 2017 to 2019, with the co-financing of Ministry of republic of Slovenia and in partnership with Caritas in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Caritas in Serbia, Caritas Slovakia is implementing a series of development cooperation projects for social and economic empowerment of women.

Since 2011, supports in Serbia an awareness raising project for school teachers and children about taking care for the environment, active citizenship, volunteering and children rights.

Slovenia is regularly hit by floods. In emergency situations, Caritas Slovenia’s emergency response team provides humanitarian relief in the form of food, tents, water and clothing. In 2015 and 2016, Caritas Slovenia worked in cooperation with the government and other Slovenian Civil Society Organisations to provide assistance to over 490.000 refugees and migrants, who crossed Slovenia.

In the cases of bigger international emergencies Caritas Slovenia organises fundraising campaigns in Slovenia and supports local Caritas through CI EA.

Caritas Slovenia organisational structure consists of a national office, which is located in Ljubljana, 6 diocesan Caritas and 457 parish Caritas which are spread throughout Slovenia. Overall, Caritas Slovenia has approximately 100 staff and 11,000 volunteers who carry out activities and programmes. In 2016, Caritas volunteers provided 547,474 voluntary hours.