LAKE CHARLES — The People of Hope Museum is coming to the Diocese of Lake Charles.
This free, immersive experience will be hosted by Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana on Monday and Tuesday, October 19-20, 2026, at the Lake Charles Event Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive. The traveling exhibition is sponsored by Catholic Charities USA.
Made possible by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Catholic Charities USA launched the People of Hope Museum, housed in a 53-foot tractor trailer, in the spring of 2026 with a goal of visiting more than 150 communities across 21 states through June 2028.
The one-of-a-kind traveling museum shares professionally produced, first-person stories from Catholic Charities staff and volunteers across the country, highlighting meaningful encounters with individuals and families in need.
“I hope our community will come out in force to experience the People of Hope Museum,” said Sister Marie Josepha Kluczny, RSM, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana. “I think it will be a very meaningful learning experience — great for families, field trips and club outings, volunteer and youth groups, government and community service organizations — really anyone who wants to better understand the realities of poverty.”
As some content addresses sensitive themes of poverty and stories of past trauma, the museum experience is intended for those 14 years of age and older.
The Catholic Charities network, with 169 agencies across the United States, invites you to discover the transformative power of Christian service. Visitors to the mobile museum will experience:
- An interactive poverty simulator of making difficult choices and experiencing the realities of living on the margins.
- A recording booth to share their own stories of hope and service.
- An audio library featuring seminal works on poverty, social isolation, bridgebuilding and community action.
- National and state-level poverty data illustrating the need and the vital role of Catholic Charities agencies across the United States.
“The point is not to leave people discouraged about poverty. Above all, the museum is about hope,” Sister Marie Josepha added. “Through short videos, it tells the inspiring stories of dozens of staff and volunteers from Catholic Charities agencies across our country — true People of Hope — who have found joy in lightening the burdens of others.”
The People of Hope Museum invites visitors to:
- Grow in empathy for those served in their community.
- Get involved through volunteering.
- Gain awareness and understanding of the many good works of Catholic Charities.
- See Christianity as a vibrant, living, healing faith.
“I think the museum will also challenge visitors to make an examination of conscience,” said Sister Marie Josepha. “Am I a person of hope? Do I notice those who are suffering around me? Does what I say, what I do, generate hope in others? How can I more faithfully imitate Jesus as the Source of all our hope? How can I become a person of hope?”
The mobile exhibit is scheduled to be parked on Gill Street near the Lake Charles Event Center Amphitheater. Learn more at PeopleofHope.US
