Dorothy Day (11/8/1897 – 11/29/1980) was an American journalist and social activist, who, after a bohemian youth, became a Catholic without abandoning her social and anarchist activism. She was perhaps the best known political radical among American Catholics.

Day’s conversion is described in her autobiography, The Long Loneliness. Day was a journalist and described her social activism in her writings. In the 1930s, Day worked closely with fellow activist Peter Maurin to establish the Catholic Worker Movement, a pacifist movement that combines direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent, direct action.

As part of the Catholic Worker Movement, Day co-founded the Catholic Worker newspaper in 1933, and served as its editor from 1933 until her death in 1980. In this newspaper, Day advocated the Catholic economic theory of distributism, a third option between capitalism and socialism.

Pope Benedict XVI used her conversion story as an example of how to "journey towards faith… in a secularized environment." In an address before the United States Congress, Pope Francis included her in a list of four exemplary Americans who "buil[t] a better future".

From Wikipedia

The Dorothy Day Foundation’s (DDF) mission is to provide resource-insecure Catholic Worker communities worldwide with links to capacity building resources. This may include mentor coaching for media, messaging, storytelling and sustainability fundraising to support their missions. Named in honor of Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, the foundation aims to help these communities flourish while sensitive to the vision and legacy of its founders.

DDF's pro bono mentor-coaching and support emphasizes mutuality, including the CW community’s mutual participation and sacrificial contribution, where both parties grow in relationship. Potential DDF financial contributions, if any, would be “last dollars in,” that is, after the CW community’s financial contribution has been made and documented. In so doing, DDF hopes to cultivate a culture of trust, hope, mutuality and self-sustainability.

Since the 2022 founding of Dorothy Day Tampa, we became acutely aware of resource-insecure Catholic Worker communities, both in the US and internationally. After helping a Madison, WI CW farm in 2023 to purchase an additional home in 2023, we questioned: Are there other Catholic Worker communities in need of our skill set – offering mentor-coaching for media, messaging, storytelling and fundraising, including donor cultivation?

Our clarion call to action? The 2/2024 CW announcement of the closing of Detroit’s Dorothy Day House after 47 years. While it is too late to serve Detroit, can we explore viable options to transformationally serve resource-insecure Catholic Worker communities? Do so in a fashion that is sensitive to Catholic Worker core values.

The Need – offering Catholic Worker communities support services, including financial support needed to sustain their missions.

The Work – helping resource-insecure communities flourish while preserving the legacy of their founders.

The Result – cultivating a culture of trust, self-sustainability, mutuality, and hope.

• There is an intense resurgence of interest in the life of Dorothy Day, especially among younger generations.

• A significant senior population is interested and willing to preserve the CW legacy

• Supporters want assurances that CW communities are viable long term.

• If Catholic Worker communities are attempting to do His will, serving with accountability and transparency, His provision will follow.

CW guests in need know that they will be honored as human beings, having value and worth.

CW communities model the unity of the One Body as they work together to love thy neighbor.

CW volunteers receive opportunities to use their unique gifts and talents to serve others.

Community ministries and agencies who refer guests to CW communities will help fill gaps in services