St Francis Community Services

PRACTICING THE TEACHINGS, COMPASSION, AND LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST, ST. FRANCIS COMMUNITY SERVICES WALKS WITH OUR VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES, TO BUILD RESILIENCY AND TO ADVOCATE FOR JUSTICE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE LEGAL AID FOR IMPOVERISHED FAMILIES, CHILDREN, IMMIGRANTS AND VETERANS; BILINGUAL AFTER-SCHOOL AND SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMMING; BILINGUAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING; BILINGUAL CASE MANAGEMENT; THE VIETNAMESE HEALTH CLINIC; LONG-TERM, WRAP-AROUND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING IMPOVERISHED FAMILIES; HOUSING COUNSELING; LONG-TERM DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC DEVASTATED LOW-INCOME IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN FY21. MOST SFCS CLIENTS LABOR IN THE UNDERBELLY OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY, TAKING CASH FOR CLEANING HOUSES, LANDSCAPING AND ROOFING. DURING THE PANDEMIC, 69% LOST WORK AND 82% DID NOT RECEIVE BENEFITS. SFCS LAUNCHED THE IMMIGRANT HOUSING JUSTICE PROJECT IN AUGUST 2020 TO ASSIST IMMIGRANTS FACING EVICTION DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. STAFF NEGOTIATED WITH LANDLORDS AND PROVIDED $129,530 IN RENT ASSISTANCE TO SAVE 102 IMMIGRANT FAMILIES FROM BECOMING HOMELESS. MEANWHILE, SFCS CONTINUED ALL OTHER SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANTS, MEETING CLIENTS OUTDOORS OR VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE AND PHONE TO ENSURE SAFETY. SFCS IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS HANDLED 948 CASES INVOLVING CITIZENSHIP, DACA RENEWALS, ASYLUM REQUESTS, WORK AUTHORIZATION AND MORE. EIGHTY-SIX CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN TUTORING, HOMEWORK HELP, GUITAR/ART CLUBS, READING CHALLENGES, OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. BILINGUAL THERAPISTS COUNSELED 127 SPANISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN AND ADULTS, WHILE BILINGUAL CASE WORKERS HELPED 201 HOUSEHOLDS WITH EVERYTHING FROM FOOD TO MEDICAL BILLS. FINALLY, THE VIETNAMESE HEALTH CLINIC CARED FOR 162 VIETNAMESE ELDERS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS.

AS COURTROOMS ACROSS THE REGION STRUGGLED TO FUNCTION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SFCS' LEGAL ASSISTANCE MINISTRY CONTINUED TO PROVIDE FREE REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY. SFCS ATTORNEYS AND STAFF PREPARED CLIENTS FOR APPEARANCES, VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE, IN COURTS ACROSS THE REGION. THEY UNDERTOOK 215 FAMILY LAW CASES, NEARLY FOUR TIMES MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. AN INFUSION OF PRO-BONO VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS ALLOWED SFCS TO HANDLE 99 GUARDIANSHIP CASES AND SERVE AS GUARDIAN AD LITEM FOR 265 ABUSED OR NEGLECTED CHILDREN IN 158 CASES. MEANWHILE, THE VETERANS ADVOCACY PROJECT PROVIDED LEGAL COUNSEL FOR 50 LOW-INCOME OR HOMELESS VETERANS. ATTORNEYS WORKED TO SETTLE 208 MUNICIPAL OFFENSES FOR VETERANS AS WELL AS CLIENTS ENROLLED IN OTHER SFCS PROGRAMS.

THROUGHOUT FY21, SFCS CONTINUED TO COLLABORATE WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ST. LOUIS TO OPERATE A "COVID CALL CENTER," WHICH ADDRESSED THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED ECONOMIC SETBACKS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE CALL CENTER TAPPED CARES ACT FUNDING FROM ST. LOUIS CITY AND COUNTY TO PROVIDE MORE THAN $2,254,000 IN RENT AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE FOR 1,124 STRUGGLING HOUSEHOLDS. MEANWHILE, SFCS SUSTAINED ITS IN-DEPTH CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, PROVIDED VIA PATHWAYS TO PROGRESS, ANOTHER JOINT EFFORT WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES. PATHWAYS CASE MANAGERS MET WITH CLIENTS ON FRONT PORCHES OR LAWNS TO WORK THROUGH CHALLENGES WITH EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, EDUCATION AND PERSONAL FINANCE. PATHWAYS TO PROGRESS IN FY21 SERVED 77 FAMILIES, INCLUDING 216 CHILDREN. ALL THE FAMILIES HAD AN INCOME AT OR BELOW 130% OF U.S. POVERTY GUIDELINES UPON ENROLLMENT. DESPITE DAUNTING BARRIERS POSED BY THE PANDEMIC, 56% - OR 43 OF THE 77 HOUSEHOLDS - WORKED EITHER PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME DURING THE YEAR, AND 83% MAINTAINED STABLE HOUSING.