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FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Everything you need to know about St. Francis Center Los Angeles.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
St. Francis Center is located at 1835 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, CA 90015.
For directions, please click here.
There is plenty of metered parking available on Hope Street and meters accept coins and credit cards. The meters start at 8 am and will not turn on or accept payment until then. If you are volunteering with us for breakfast, please feel free to step out at 8 am to fill your meter.
St. Francis Center’s email newsletter features stories about our guests, news about our programs and upcoming events and much more! You can sign up to receive our weekly email newsletter by clicking here.
St. Francis Center (SFC) has provided hunger relief for homeless and extremely low-income families and individuals in metropolitan Los Angeles for 51 years. As a resident of St. Joseph Church, Father Hugh Noonan, Order of Friars Minor (OFM), saw the growing number of poor families and homeless individuals who knocked on the doors for food and help. Before St. Francis Center was founded, the parish had a small food pantry as part of our social ministry; but Fr. Hugh wanted to do more. In 1972, with the help of the lay Franciscans, he founded SFC and began serving coffee and doughnuts and distributing clothing to the poor and homeless. In 1993, the Center became incorporated as a 501(c)(3). The board of directors purchased the building in which we still operate, just several blocks away from the original location at St. Joseph Church, with the financial support of foundations and individuals.
DONATION QUESTIONS
Donations can be made online through our secure website at https://www.stfranciscenterla.org and clicking on the “Donate Now” button in the top right corner of the home page or, alternatively, clicking here. Checks should be made out to: St. Francis Center, and can be mailed to 1835 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, CA 90015.
Yes, St. Francis Center is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our Federal ID Number is 95-4479271. All donations to St. Francis Center are tax-deductible. Upon making a donation, you will receive an email (online donation) or letter (check donation) as receipt of your donation that you may use for your tax purposes.
You can select from one of our specific donation options through our secure website at https://www.stfranciscenterla.org and clicking on the “Donate Now” button in the top right corner of the home page.
- $5.75 will feed 5 warm meals to the homeless.
- $16 will feed a family a bag of groceries.
- $50 will send a child to day camp.
- $70 will feed a homeless individual for 1 month.
- $128 will feed a senior groceries for 2 months.
- $250 will send a child to overnight camp.
- $260 will feed breakfast to 225 homeless individuals for a day.
- $768 will feed a family with groceries for a year.
You can also make a donation to honor a friend, relative or special person. A donation to St. Francis Center is the perfect way to honor loved ones.
St. Francis Center could not exist without the generosity of individual donors. The organization depends on these donations to provide programming and maintain its facilities.
92 cents of every dollar goes back to our programs and services!
St. Francis Center appreciates donations of food and clothing from our generous supporters. Donations are distributed among homeless and low-income individuals and families served by the Center. Donation drop offs are welcomed at the Center. Please take a look here to find ways you can support SFC at little to no cost to you! If you would like to make an in-kind donation, we kindly as that you email us at donations@sfcla.org to check with a staff member before dropping off donations.
Urgent need for Men’s: New Underwear and New Socks, Gently Used Pants and Belts.
General: Blankets, Shower Supplies (travel and regular size), Household Items, Small Sandwich Bags & Gallon Size Ziplock Bags.
For Children: Diapers (all sizes), New or Gently Used Clothing & Shoes and Baby Wipes.
VOLUNTEERING QUESTIONS
Volunteers play a vital role in supporting every aspect of SFC’s daily operations, from working directly with homeless and extremely low-income program guests, to helping organize donations of food and clothing, and even providing administrative assistance. Having volunteers work the “front lines” of our programs solidifies their connection with guests and allows them to see firsthand how SFC meets the immediate needs of the families and individuals served. For a current list of volunteer opportunities available, please click here.
NO WALK-IN VOLUNTEERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Our volunteers are very important to us, and we depend upon their generosity and support to serve our community. With that being said, normal volunteer shifts are 2 ½ to 3 hours long. We ask that volunteers stay for the duration of the volunteer shift in order to help with prep, implementation, and cleanup of the programs.
To ensure that our programs run smoothly, volunteers must notify the volunteer coordinator of any cancellation via e-mail or phone call at least 24 hours in advance of their reservation (72 hours for weekend reservations). If the volunteer coordinator is not notified in advance, we may restrict future volunteering.
Donations can be made online through our secure website and clicking on the “Donate Now” button in the top right corner of the home page or, alternatively, clicking here.
Checks should be made out to: St. Francis Center, and can be mailed to 1835 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, CA 90015.
No letters of recommendation or service hour letters are required prior to volunteering. Once you volunteer with us, we will be happy to write you a service hours letter. For a current list of volunteer opportunities available, please click here. NO WALK-IN VOLUNTEERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
We love hosting group volunteer opportunities! If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity that allows you to directly serve a community in need, look no further! From team building, corporate volunteer events, school projects, to birthdays, we would love to have your group volunteer with us.
Currently, we can host groups of up to 15 volunteers. To schedule your group, please check out our Group Volunteer Opportunities Page or reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator via e-mail or phone (213.747. 5346 x. 111).
Please note that opportunities for groups can fill up months in advance, so please reach out at your earliest convenience.
Please note that opportunities for groups can fill up months in advance, so please reach out at your earliest convenience.
PROGRAMS QUESTIONS
Through the Family Well-Being Program, St. Francis Center offers weekly Pantry Services for families, youth, disabled adults, seniors, veterans, and those living in supportive housing. Not only do guests benefit from groceries that staff and volunteers distribute through the program, but the food pantry also serves as a means to introduce families and individuals to the Center’s other services, including holiday adopt-a- family, health care, summer camps for youth, as well as a variety of partner agency programs through our resource services, which now include case management. Combined these program offerings provide guests with the tools necessary to build better lives and neighborhoods.
SFC also serves the disadvantaged children of our pantry guests through our Youth Programs, offering opportunities that engage them in a variety of activities that build self esteem, spur personal growth and open their eyes to new opportunities and a brighter future!
SFC’s Homeless Well-Being Program is designed to help end the cycle of poverty for our guests, who may find themselves at our doorstep due to a variety of life-changing events, including job loss, addiction, illness or injury. The Homeless Well-Being Program provides homeless guests with warm meals and sack lunches six days a week through our served meal service. We also provide health and hygiene services, mail service, as well as a variety of partner agency programs through our resource services, which now include case management. For a full list of program hours, please view our programs calendar here.
Our breakfast six days a week is open to anyone in need. Please join us Monday from 7:30-8 a.m., Tuesday-Friday from 7:30-9 a.m., or Saturday from 8:30 -10:00 a.m. All Pantry Service program recipients must first register on Tuesdays between 10 a.m.-12 p.m., provide a photo ID; proof of address and fill out an application with information used for our internal census.* Once registered, guests will receive a pantry card that is valid for one calendar year from Jan 1- Dec 31.
Registered guests get to choose from a variety of items, including fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, rice, beans, and canned food. All items are presorted and organized by volunteers on shelves to replicate the grocery store shopping experience. The majority of the food and goods utilized in the program is donated by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Food Finders, Amtrak, Target and Lucky Supermarkets.
St. Francis Center provides services to residents living in the following zip codes: 90011, 90220, 90222, 90223, 90224, 90006, 90007, 90013, 90014, 90015, 90017, 90021, 90057. If you are not within these zip codes you may receive services as a referral guest.
Guests may come once a week for pantry services. To see pantry services program days/hours of operation please click here.
St. Francis Center does not provide shelter on site, but our staff will connect you with local partners who provide shelter and supportive housing. Emergency shelter options may be available as well. Please contact our resource specialist for more information at 213.747.5347 x.109.
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