FRANCISCANS SHARE BREAD WITH EVERYONE. EVERY DAY.
HELP US MAKE KINDNESS MORE COMMON.
The FRANCISCAN CHALLENGE is Franciscan Friars Charities’ bi-annual fundraising campaign that supports the works and ministries of the Franciscan friars in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, as well as at Franciscan Missions in Jamaica and Africa.
YOUR GENEROSITY
WILL BRING
CARE TO OVER 2 MILLION CHILDREN, WOMEN, AND MEN IN DESPERATE
NEED OF OUR HELP
Through the FRANCISCAN CHALLENGE, we can beg for those too busy surviving to beg for themselves and ‘challenge’ those with God’s grace in their hearts to perform small acts of kindness for those in need.
“Remember that when you leave this earth,
you can take with you nothing that have received—
only what you have given.”
― St. Francis of Assisi
Be the act of kindness that restores faith, inspires hope, and bridges the gap between despair and dignity. Please, help us help those who seek us out for food, medicine, and safety from physical abuse. With your support, we can be there for EVERYONE. EVERY DAY.
Will you take the Challenge and be the moment of God’s grace they desperately need?
Negril, Jamaica
Did you know that zip code is a better predictor of health than genetic code? It’s true: where you live matters. Our access to security and opportunities has a direct effect on our health. For the residents of Negril, Jamaica—the homebound in poverty-stricken areas just miles from beach resorts—security and opportunities are basically non-existent. Crime is frequent and often goes unreported. There are no steady jobs. Families are a hurricane away from being homeless. The pursuits of education and health care take backseats to survival. It’s hard to think of families, let alone children, living without basic health services and hope.
St. Francis Inn
Ruth and her two young children are homeless. The single mother struggled to scrape up the next meal for her kids and dress them with warm clothes. In the winter. That was before Ruth found St. Francis Inn, the Franciscan soup kitchen in Philadelphia that feeds over 200 homeless, hungry, unemployed and poor guests every day. The Inn’s thrift shop makes sure the children have coats and sweaters.
Franciscan Outreach Food Bank
The people lined up outside the Franciscan Outreach Food Bank in Southfield, MI, provide a telling snapshot of our country’s wonderful diversity and troubled times. Some are black, some are white. Some are homeless or addicted. Some are Asian, some are Hispanic. Some are low-income seniors whobarely scrape by on social security. Some are young and nervous about the future. Some are unemployed parents who are struggling to care for their kids.
YOUR SUPPORT CHANGES LIVES
THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG FRIARS
CARE FOR THE POOR
CARE FOR ELDERLY FRIARS
What is the work of the Franciscan Friars?
The core of our mission is to live out a Gospel life and serve all the people of God regardless of their faith, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or nationality.
What makes the Franciscan Friars different?
The Franciscan Friars have always been thought of as “of the people and with the people.” Living in community is one of our core values and helps the Friars to be a little more down to earth. The Friars never see themselves as better than anyone and are not judge-mental and are very accepting of everyone.
Why do the Franciscan Friars need money?
The Franciscan Friars do not beg for themselves but for others and most importantly for the poor and desperate they serve. However, there are times that need a stronger call and that is now. In the tradition of begging, we are asking for money for three very important causes: • one to educate our young men who desire to become Franciscan Friars • for our work with the 2 million poor and desperate men, women and children who come to us each year, a tradition we have been doing for over 800 years • and to take care of our sick and elderly Franciscan Friars who have helped so many for so long and now need care of themselves.
