The Saint Francis Foundation

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2 The Saint Francis Foundation Rooted in our Episcopal tradition, Saint Francis Community Services has a long and storied history of service to children and families. Since our founding, we have dedicated ourselves to the needs of struggling children and youth. Advocating for them. Working to protect them. Doing everything possible to ensure that every person served gets a chance at a happy, fulfilling life. Yet we know that even the most well-intentioned and effective ministry cannot sustain itself without maintaining an eye toward the future. There will always be children in need, and we must be prepared to help them. The Saint Francis Foundation supports the mission of Saint Francis Community Services, providing healing and hope to children and families. Telling our story with congregations and Church leaders, we strive to build relationships and share the Gospel through collaborative ministry. "Through partnerships with parishes and dioceses across the country, we support the work and ministry of Saint Francis Community Services, whose mission is modeled on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, says The Rev. David Hodges. "Like Francis, our namesake, we work to restore the lives of those who have been separated from their homes and families, and victimized in a variety of circumstances. To restore hope to an individual is a great gift one can give to another human being, and at Saint Francis, we work to do that every day." Foundation staff travel the country to share our mission and story with congregations and Church leaders so we can build relationships and share the Gospel through collaborative ministry. By working with the Foundation, you can help serve people in the greatest need through programs that save, enrich, and restore lives. To learn more about the many inspiring ways Saint Francis is providing healing and hope to children and families, visit or call to arrange a visit to your congregation or diocese. 2 To support Saint Francis and help heal those in need, visit

3 Our Healing Work Saint Francis Community Services has always sought to serve with the unconditional love of Christ. What began as a home for boys on the Kansas prairie is now a multi-faceted child and family services ministry serving 10,000 people in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, and Mississippi. Every person in our care is a child of God with inherent dignity and worth. Employing 1,200 social workers, therapists, support staff, and clergy Saint Francis provides a host of programs and services: Foster care (regular, therapeutic, juvenile justice) Adoption Family preservation Substance use counseling and treatment Residential treatment for children with psychiatric needs Independent living and supported employment for cognitively disabled adults Residential, restorative therapy for minor female victims of sexual trafficking Our experience makes Saint Francis a unique resource for others who work to heal children and families. That s why we ve entered into a relationship with the Episcopal Diocese of El Salvador to provide our expertise as they respond to the poverty, violence, and trauma families face in their country. Saint Francis, providing healing and hope to children and families. 3

4 Meet the Team Good stewardship requires a thoughtful, experienced, and energetic team that is passionate about providing healing and hope to children and families. Meet the people of The Saint Francis Foundation: The Very Reverend Robert N. Smith Dean, President, and CEO of Saint Francis Community Services robert.smith@st-francis.org The Reverend David B. Hodges President and Chief Development Officer of The Saint Francis Foundation david.hodges@st-francis.org The Rev. Benjamin Thomas, Th.D. Director of Church Relations benjamin.thomas@st-francis.org The Rev. Dr. Louis Smokey Oats Sr. Advisor for Church Relations smokey.oats@st-francis.org John M. Hoskins Senior Philanthropic Advisor john.hoskins@st-francis.org Martin Kramer Director of Development marty.kramer@st-francis.org Amy Cole Assoc. Dir. of Development amy.cole@st-francis.org John Strah Assoc. Dir. of Development john.strah@st-francis.org Victoria Spicer Director of Marketing vickee.spicer@st-francis.org 4

5 Fostering in Faith Sometimes, the most powerful act we can perform on behalf of children is to hold them in our prayers. Unfortunately, the children most in need have no one to pray for them. Some of these children have been waiting a long time for a family to call their own. It s easy to lose hope. Just knowing that you are praying for them, thinking of them, and hoping for them can give them the optimism and courage they need. Fostering in Faith is a program that enlists congregations and individuals to pray for children in need of adoptive families. Fostering in Faith ensures that children desperate for forever families are held in prayer and remembered by our faith communities. Here s how Fostering in Faith works: Each month, Saint Francis sends participants a brief biography and photo of a child in need of a forever family. The bio includes a prayer, composed specifically for that child, to help guide you in communal or individual prayer. You elect to receive Fostering in Faith via or USPS. Congregations can insert copies in their Sunday bulletin, incorporate the prayer into their service, share it with prayer circles, or distribute copies to parishioners to take home. Each quarter, we ll include updates about previously-featured children. You ll learn if a family has adopted a child for whom you ve prayed or, if a child still needs your prayers. Every child featured in Fostering in Faith knows that people are praying on his or her behalf. Fostering in Faith costs you nothing to participate only your time and your love. You simply pray. To enroll in Fostering in Faith, visit and click on prayer Saint Francis will take care of the rest. God has not given up on these children and neither will we. Sonny Faith Steven 5

6 Healing for girls The sex trafficking of minor girls is an especially insidious and destructive threat to the dignity of the human person. It occurs nearly everywhere, preying upon our most vulnerable youth. The damage it inflicts affects the whole person physically, psychologically, spiritually. As experts in child welfare, Saint Francis is uniquely positioned to address the needs of female victims of child sexual exploitation. Clover House is one way we re helping traumatized girls recreate lives of wholeness. Opened in 2016, Clover House is a restorative, residential program where girls come to heal in community. Our therapeutic, conceptual, and spiritual model is as simple and profound as a field of clover. As children, we ve all searched for that elusive four-leaf clover, hoping it might transform our life in some meaningful way. Yet through patient searching we learn to recognize the beauty of the three-leaf clover that, in its abundance, creates the fabric of the field. It is within this fabric, this abundance, that we discover the possibilities open to us on our journey. Clover House brings together girls with a shared experience, skilled and gentle mentors, and a program responsive to the needs and experiences of the individual. We focus on the whole person, giving each girl the time and space to discover a future of promise. By fostering a homelike environment, strengthened through community and grace, we help her find her own path that leads to physical, psychological, and spiritual wellness. Together we can help these girls heal. Your gift will enable Clover House to grow as we enrich our program with equine therapy, gardening, farming, and more to help the girls connect with nature and its healing power. 6 Searching, discovering, transforming. Girls come home to healing at Clover House. Learn more at

7 Bridgeway Programs For Saint Francis, the right to self-determination is intimately tied to human dignity. The Bridgeway Apartments Program in Picayune, Mississippi, provides supervised living and supported employment services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) so they have a voice in how they live their lives. Each of Bridgeway s 24 residents has his or her own apartment, plus access to recreational facilities and a range of social activities. Our staff supervises residents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to provide support and ensure their safety all while encouraging the maximum level of independence for each person. Our Supported Employment program helps residents find fulfilling, paid work. Participants receive help in applying and interviewing for a job. Bridgeway job trainers then provide employees with ongoing training, coaching, and one-on-one support at no cost to the employer. With the exception of one retired resident, everyone living at Bridgeway has been employed with a Picayune business for 3-16 years. Saint Francis is currently the only organization in Picayune providing these services to persons with IDD. Yet, many more people need them. Moved to follow in the way of Jesus, Saint Francis is responding to that need. We hope to soon expand our services in Mississippi by adding apartments and providing supported employment and quality-of-life programs for non-resident cognitively disabled persons living in the community. You can help support the dignity and independence of intellectual and developmentally disabled adults by making a gift at: 7

8 The Brown Family Chapel Our state-of-the-art residential treatment facility was designed with a focus on healing. Every aspect of the design nurtures the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children dealing with mental health and behavioral issues. Those spiritual needs were in mind when The Rt. Rev. Michael Milliken, Bishop of the Diocese of Western Kansas, consecrated the Brown Family Chapel, located within the heart of the facility. Bathed by sunlight pouring through stained glass representing Christ, The Good Shepherd, Bishop Milliken prayed, Through the ages, Almighty God has moved his people to build houses of prayer and praise, and to set apart places for the ministry of his holy Word and Sacraments. With gratitude for the building of the Brown Family Chapel, we are now gathered to dedicate and consecrate it in God s Name. Sylvia Brown first learned of Saint Francis at St. George s Episcopal Church in Bossier City, Louisiana. For nearly four decades, she and her husband, retired Air Force Colonel Joe Brown, have enthusiastically supported our ministry to children and families. The Brown Family Chapel is a testament to their compassion for children we serve and to their confidence in the mission of Saint Francis Community Services. Thanks to the Brown Family - and to the generosity of our other donors, partners, and friends children at the campus have a place of peace, reflection, and prayer. WORK WITH US E. Iron Salina, KS givingto@st-francis.org TheSaintFrancisFoundation.org df