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Saint Francis of Assisi |
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| Sacramento, CA | Ministries of Care | Step/Breakfast Ministry | Social Justice | How You Can Participate | ||||
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St. Francis Parish offers a daily welcoming presence, a safe sleeping space and a nutritional breakfast to approximately 16 of our homeless brothers and sisters. We serve over 100 in a year. Mission Statement
We Are Called To “Feed the Hungry” & “Shelter the Homeless” Our brothers and sisters who are homeless and find shelter with us every night need your generosity and prayerful support. Donations provide the following services:
Goldenrod donation envelopes are available in the racks at the back of the church and may be placed in the collection basket or mailed in. You can also donate online. You will be asked for a donation amount. On the "Make Your Payment" page, select "Outreach to the Homeless (Step Ministry Fund)". Breakfast Ministry Volunteers serve a simple meal every morning to the Guests who stay in our courtyard. This ministry depends on our volunteer teams as well as on food and monetary donations from the rest of the parish. Food Donations The following items may be brought to church on the first Sunday of the month and placed in the shopping cart inside the mainentrance of the church or brought to Parish Center during the week:
We supplement these items with our purchases of cheese sticks, fresh fruit and milk. We cannot use canned goods. PLEASE do not drop off perishable items or clothing. Financial Donations: Financial donations are welcome and appreciated to cover these expense items and may be made using the goldenrod Step Ministry donation envelopes which are available in the racks at the back of the church and may be placed in the collection basket or mailed in. You can also donate online. You will be asked for a donation amount. On the "Make Your Payment" page, select "Outreach to the Homeless (Step Ministry Fund)". From Our Step Ministry Volunteer Coordinator Dear friends of the Step Ministry, Thank you for your generous support of our beloved Step Ministry.
... To experience the Step Ministry is to experience all the good, the bad and the ugly in life, only in concentrated form. It is a microscosm of the macrocosm. One of the lessons of the Steps is to learn to accept and say "yes" to all life has to offer with love and humility and heartfelt gratitude to the Creator of it all. ... Welcome to the family. Blessings to all, Nora Sanguinetti
Our Step Guests Are Greateful "I have a lot of gratitude for finding this place and I thank God each day for the guidance to find it. I want you to know that the team of volunteers you have gathered to help the people that come as guests are as close to angels as possible. They are so appreciated for all their time, energy and patience they give to each guest and this cause, it is a good cause and is so much needed in our community. Please tell each one of them they are appreciated so much and convey a "thank you" to each one of them for me. The world is a better place because of you and all of them. You truly have compassion and concern. I thank you with all my heart. I am 53 and this is the first time in my entire life that I have no place to call home and you have made it easier to deal with. Thank you..."
For More about the Step Ministry Note: The title, "Box Seats," is derived from a standing joke that developed during our very beginning on the front steps of the church. As you may know, flattened cardboard boxes are used by homeless folks to cushion the unforgiving hardness of the concrete and also as insulation from the dampness that seems to rise up out of the ground like a malevolent spirit when the sun goes down. Each evening guests and Step Ministers alike would sit on the top step of the church on flattened cardboard boxes sharing the details of their day and watching the hustle and bustle of passesrby finishing up their respective days. Upon arrival of an additional guest or minister, someone would always flop down a vacant piece of cardboard and beckon the new arrival up with the greeting, "Hey, come on up. We've got box seats. The view is great!" All would laugh no matter how many times this scene was repeated.
Step Ministry to the Homeless The courtyard of our Parish Center provides a sacred dwelling place where a community of ministers and homeless guests meet each other on holy ground and give witness and dignity to our shared experiences. This ministry is rooted in Scripture and responds to the call to welcome strangers, provide shelter to the wanderer, love thy neighbor, and not turn away from the needs of others. As a Step Minister, you have the opportunity to serve as a welcoming presence for the homeless guests of the St. Francis Step Ministry one day a week from 6-7:30PM. The Step Ministry provides a safe, peaceful and private place to sleep in the Parish Center Courtyard. This ministry is rooted in Scripture and responds to the call to welcome strangers, provide shelter to the wanderer, love thy neighbor, and not turn away from the needs of others. More Information:
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For More Information Please Contact: Kay Skoniecnzy (916) 443-8084 x111 KayS@stfrancisparish.com |
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“God comes in every voice, behind every face, in every memory, deep in every struggle.”
Our Step guests are grateful for the warm welcome they receive at St. Francis. The following thank you is from a recent guest:
One day each week