Fighting Poverty

Poverty robs people of dignity. It clouds the futures of children. It destroys families. As Friars, we believe it can be conquered.

Winning the Battle

By providing access to food, shelter, medical care, education and support services,
we’re empowering people and uplifting lives. Read our stories.

FOOD AND SHELTER AS A CATALYST

Friars Feed

Friars Shelter

Friars Support

Friars Educate

Friars' Lives

As Friars, we bring people together by giving them access to nutritious meals with a healthy side of human dignity. Each year our Friars and volunteers serve over 800,000 meals to our guests at soup kitchens, food centers and breadlines.

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Our shelters and permanent residences greet people with warm beds and open hearts. We offer showers, fresh haircuts, clothing and medication management to those without access. Friars often care for the mentally disabled and dependent who have suffered years of personal and institutional neglect.

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Friars provide a variety of support services to the poor and dispossessed. Medical attention, counseling and guidance are given to those striving to lift themselves out of poverty. Our rent and utilities assistance programs provide short-term support for people who cannot make ends meet.

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Friars provide educational support on many levels to meet a wide range of needs in the community. We grant qualified students scholarships to pursue their academic dreams while providing English Second Language courses to immigrants working to legally gain citizenship.

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As Friars, we are called to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis. This means renouncing all worldly possessions and devoted our lives to the service of those most in need. Our ultimate goal is to move people out of poverty with education, counseling, drug rehabilitation services, job coaching and more.

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Nearly 50 million people live in poverty. About a third of them are children. Poverty is a quagmire that’s difficult to escape.

POVERTY & EDUCATION

People burdened by poverty have less access to quality education. Insufficient nutrition and unstable housing make learning all but impossible for impoverished children, limiting later opportunities and perpetuating poverty. It robs them of a productive future and inflicts a cost on the rest of society.

POVERTY & HEALTH

Without access to adequate healthcare, people in poverty tend to have more serious health issues and live shorter lives. Health problems, in turn, affect the ability to work and hold a job. Emergency room visits increase when unchecked medical conditions are left untreated, imposing a great burden on the system.

POVERTY IS EVERYONE’S PROBLEM

Poverty is self-reinforcing. It takes its toll on countless lives and places a huge burden on society at large. But every person we lift from poverty becomes another stake in its heart. When we uplift lives, when we give people the tools to escape poverty, the cycle is broken, and we all benefit together.

FOOD, SHELTER & HEALTHCARE

WE START WITH THE BASICS, THEN WORK FROM THERE

Nutrition helps children concentrate. Concentration aids learning. Education is the key to escaping poverty.

A permanent address brings stability and emotional security, allowing adults to find productive work and children to succeed in school.

Access to healthcare helps prevent job loss, extends lives, and reduces costs related to emergency care.

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