We've done it again! In 2007 St. Francis Center doubled the amount of groceries given to low income families. In 2008 we expect to see a 199% increasen in families served. In 2006 we welcomed each family to visit St. Francis Center once a month. In 2007 we increased that number to 2 times per month. Because of the great need in our community we recently committed to welcoming our families to receive food weekly.

The Family Food Program is offered to the community Tuesday, Thursday and now on Saturdays at 11am. By opening our doors on the weekend we are able to serve a greater number of people unable to come during their lunch break. We appreciate that families feel comfortable in receiving the services we provide.

St. Francis Center also hosts a community event on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the monthly 11am to provide families with other household necessities such as cleaning, hygiene products and clothing.

Support the Family Well-Being Project and provide families with basic necessities, such as medical treatment, which they might otherwise do without in order to feed their children.

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The goal of St. Francis Center’s Family Well Being Project is two-fold: (1) to provide, or to help secure through information and referral, a comprehensive and integrated network of services for participating families and (2) to develop within families the resources and capacity to stabilize their lives and reach increased levels of self-sufficiency.

Tenant Advocacy

In the densely populated Garment District and South Park neighborhoods, most people live in small, one-bedroom apartments with no air-conditioning in run-down slum buildings. Many units are inhabitable and complaints from residents include rats, mold, crumbling drywall and illegal evictions. Families or individuals who rent single room dwellings live in crowded conditions.  Most rooms are accommodated with a sink and a small closet area. There is usually one window often without a screen.  This makes child safety a major concern.  Makeshift cooking areas are designated.  This is a particularly trying situation for families.  Frail seniors in particular living in single room dwellings have extra safety concerns.  These hotels often do not have elevator service. 

To join the fight for fair housing, St. Francis Center assures that families receive help in resolving landlord-tenant disputes, improving physical conditions of the buildings and providing a sense of empowerment. Through a relationship with Strategic Action for a Just Economy (SAJE), families attend education workshops on tenant rights, training sessions and community organizing opportunities.

The Center employs a captain system to stay connected with the buildings. The “captains” are women that receive services from our various programs and also work as liaisons between the Center and the buildings’ other occupants. These leaders help coordinate regularly held events at St. Francis Center and provide information to their buildings.

Seniors Program

St. Francis Center provides weekly food assistance to the area’s elderly. In 2008 we doubled our services to seniors and welcome approximately 80 seniors to the Center for a Friday program from 10:30am - 1:30 pm. One senior comments, “I use this time to catch up with my friends.” There is a lot of catching up to do for seniors who have limited access to transportation and communication.

Each week seniors head home with two or three bags overflowing with nutritional food such as dairy, vegetables, and meat. Grandparents are then better able to assist their children and grandchildren.

Many seniors are not able to purchase much food and rely on the center for the majority of their meals. In addition to nutrition supplements, we lead discussions on health education. Cultural activities and physical exercise activities are held.

The program rotates activities weekly, although a repeated favorite is BINGO. Other activities include field trips; light exercise; religious ceremonies and presentations on home safety, nutrition and exercise. St. Francis Center continues these programs weekly to combat loneliness, isolation and depression among the seniors who look to the Center for support.