SHARE of McLean

Provides assistance to people in need including a food and clothing pantry.  In addition to sending funds, we held a summer food drive for SHARE.

Salvation Army Grate Patrol

Provides a mobile canteen to serve the homeless and needy. In 2019, Outreach funds were used to purchase food for making over 700 bagged meals as well as socks and other supplies.  Franciscans distributed the meals and supplies on the Grate Patrol four times in 2019, and in October we made and served nine gallons of soup.

Shepherd’s Center of Great Falls

Provides rides at no cost for homebound senior citizens in Great Falls to get to important medical or other appointments, and to essential tasks such as grocery shopping.

Second Story

Programs include a teen shelter for local youth in crisis; young mothers’ program; homeless youth program; safe, supportive after school programs; and other community support for families, altogether serving hundreds of young people and families in the area.  Franciscans take Sunday dinners every other Sunday to the teen shelter. (This is ongoing during the pandemic.)  In 2019, we held a school supplies drive, Thanksgiving food drive, and apron fundraiser for Second Story.

Boys Home of Virginia

Founded in 1906 by an Episcopal priest, it provides shelter and security for boys who have no suitable home or those whose needs are best served away from home, with programs to develop boys mentally, physically, socially and spiritually.

Jackson-Feild Homes

Provides innovative, intensive therapeutic services using best practice trauma models for boys and girls in residential care and community-based services.

St. Francis Creche Preschool Scholarships

Provides need-based assistance to a child in our preschool, where students have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential by participation in prayer, play, the arts, and cognitive exercises.

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington

St. Francis was one of 12 Episcopal Churches that founded Samaritan Ministry in 1986 for those experiencing homelessness, poverty or other debilitating challenges.  Its innovative next-step program empowers people to develop capacities and address barriers they face in order to live sustainable purpose-driven lives.  In 2019, Franciscans held a fundraiser for Samaritan Ministry, a toiletries drive, a children’s Christmas gift drive, and our annual Christmas party for Samaritan Ministry and Housing Up families.  At the party, we provided a buffet, Christmas crafts, Bingo, and “gift shop” where parents chose gifts for their children.

Housing Up

Provides affordable housing and comprehensive support services to homeless and low-income families.  Our children’s Christmas gift drive and annual Christmas party benefited both Samaritan Ministry and Housing up families.

Habitat for Humanity NOVA

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia rallies our community to work together to help families build strength, stability, and self-reliance to create better lives for themselves and their children through the purchase of their first home, built by the families and community volunteers working together. St. Francis supports Habitat through the Fairfax Interfaith Coalition for Habitat, which allows us access to roughly 12 volunteer build days throughout the year, to Restore (used building and household materials) store volunteering, and other activities.

Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Foundation

Empowers and improves the lives of people with cognitive, physical, and psychological disabilities through the benefits of equine assisted activities and therapies. One program aids wounded veterans in recovery at no direct cost to the veteran or the family.

Five Talents International

Partners with local churches in developing countries to form community savings groups, small groups of neighbors who save together and offer each other loans.  Five Talents also assists group members with literacy skills and financial management training.

Solar Sister

Trains and supports women in rural African communities to build sustainable businesses that deliver clean energy directly to people without power.

American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans

AFECS seeks to focus attention on the needs and priorities of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and assist in meeting the needs of the Sudanese peoples.

Diocese of Ezo

St. Francis Church has a covenant relationship with the Diocese of Ezo.  Ezo is extremely remote and lacks basic services. St. Francis donates money for clean water, medicine, electricity, and other purposes.

St. Francis Basic School in Juba

St. Francis church helped establish and now provides ongoing support to the St. Francis Basic School in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. During normal operations, the school provides education and food to several hundred students. (Our support and funding for this project is managed by the Vestry and not the Outreach Committee).

Cornerstones

Cornerstones in Reston, Virginia is a multi-service organization that promotes self-sufficiency, through both support and advocacy, for those in need of food, shelter, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other services.  St. Francis Outreach has been a long-time supporter of Cornerstones through donations from its budget and through special projects.  In recent years, we have held annual diaper drives for the Cornerstones’ shelter for homeless families and individuals, Embry Rucker Community Shelter.

Weekly tutoring at Garfield Elementary

Garfield Elementary School is in DC’s Ward 8.  Franciscans tutored children in literacy skills and planned additional fun activities designed to help improve their skills.  A children’s used book drive was held at St. Francis, and the books were distributed at a Garfield Elementary book fair, which was organized by Franciscan tutors.

Virginia Hospital Center

A supplies drive for the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade Mission Trip to Honduras

Annual Diocesan Service Trip

Franciscans participated in the annual Diocesan Service Trip to Appalachian Virginia.  The week’s work included roofing projects and housing upgrades for residents in need, wetlands research, and tutoring local elementary school children.