Who We Are

Holy Family Institute provides help, healing, and hope to children and families throughout Western Pennsylvania. For more than 125 years, we have been guided by a mission rooted in faith, hope, and love. Founded in 1900 by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth as a refuge for orphaned children, Holy Family Institute has grown into a trusted cornerstone of the community.

We create and sustain alternative learning and career training environments, offer compassionate family support services, and help individuals address significant financial limitations. You can always find us in the schools and neighborhoods with the greatest need. Today, we operate a continuum of care that includes three schools, six community-based programs, and three programs for immigrant youth. One of our schools, Nazareth Prep is a private Catholic high school for students of all backgrounds featuring a weekly corporate internship program for students. In 2025 alone, Holy Family Institute and its programming supported more than 40,000 families and children.

The families we serve have often experienced significant trauma and need care and support to heal. For this reason, Holy Family Institute maintains a trauma-informed culture throughout our programs and services. We provide care within the community, giving families the tools they need to thrive, the resources they need to establish stability, and the support they need to live responsibly and build healthy, meaningful relationships.

To fund our mission of serving children and families in crisis, we also depend on generous donors,  and volunteers to further our mission of service through Holy Family Foundation, our separately incorporated fundraising entity.