Every afternoon, hundreds of East St. Louis children leave school and go to Griffin Center, where they participate in recreational activities or meet with tutors who help them with their studies. Griffin Center serves about 425 children from six public housing developments. Griffin Center programs are located at four “community spaces” owned by the East St. Louis Housing Authority and leased for $1 a year to Catholic Urban Programs of East St. Louis, the parent agency of Griffin Center. In return, Griffin Center’s social service and educational programs are provided free to children and families who live in the developments. Catholic Urban Programs is an affiliate of Catholic Charities of Southern Illinois through the Diocese of Belleville, but Griffin Center serves predominately non-Catholic children.