ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- People of Hope: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a traveling storytelling museum celebrating the power of Christian service, will begin its three-year journey around the United States on Thursday, March 26, in New York City.

Produced by Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the People of Hope Museum will ultimately visit more than 150 communities to promote empathy and inspire visitors to find ways to serve those in need in their local communities. The initiative is made possible thanks to a 2024 grant of nearly $5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. through an invitational round of its National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life.

"Filled with inspiring stories of neighbors helping neighbors, the People of Hope Museum will restore your faith in humanity," CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson said. "The museum is a moving testament to the transformative power of simple acts of service, and we can't wait for people all over the country to walk away inspired to love their neighbors and spread hope."

Housed in a digitally outfitted semi-truck, the People of Hope Museum features 42 original, authentic video stories told by Catholic Charities staff and volunteers from agencies around the country. In these brief, powerful videos, the storytellers share moving first-person accounts of what it means to serve someone in need in their darkest moment.

Beyond these powerful stories, the People of Hope Museum contains:

• An interactive poverty simulation of stepping into another person's life, making difficult choices and experiencing the realities of living on the margins;
• A learning library featuring curated 2- to 4-minute audio segments from seminal books on poverty, social isolation, bridgebuilding, and community action, including by best-selling authors Arthur Brooks, Matthew Desmond, Robert Putnam, and others; 
• National and state data illustrating the scope of need and the vital role of social services organizations across the country; and
• A recording studio that allows attendees to share their own stories of hope and service.

"The People of Hope Museum reminds us that happiness is something we build together, and that it grows from love," said Brooks, whose book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, is featured in the museum's learning library. "When we invest in our neighbors and strengthen the bonds between us, we create meaning—which in turn helps us solve big problems. Best of all, meaning is the surest path to a happier, more enriching life."

The People of Hope Museum will open to the public for the first time on Thursday, March 26, just north of Union Square (on Broadway between 17^th and 18^th Streets) in New York City. During its two-day stop in New York, the museum will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 27.

From March to December 2026, the museum will progress through 21 states, from Texas to Ohio and from Maine to Florida, mostly in the eastern half of the United States. It will then tour the western states in 2027. In the first half of 2028, the museum will visit communities that were missed or would like a repeat visit.

To learn more about the People of Hope Museum and to sign up to receive alerts about when the museum will be near you, visit PeopleofHope.US. To join the hundreds of thousands of people across the United States who serve their neighbors in need as volunteers every year, find your local Catholic Charities agency today.

About Catholic Charities USA
Founded in 1910, CCUSA is a national membership organization that supports and represents 169 Catholic Charities agencies across the United States and in five territories. Collectively, the Catholic Charities network each year serves more than 16 million vulnerable people, regardless of their faith or background, through food and nutrition programs, affordable housing, disaster relief and a variety of other humanitarian services.

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SOURCE Catholic Charities USA