The Social Justice Group – This group serves as an umbrella ministry for St. Francis’ social justice efforts – St. Vincent de Paul, B.R.E.A.D., and Creation Care. The purpose of the group is to promote information sharing and cross participation in our parish’s social justice work thereby strengthening each group’s effort. We meet quarterly and parish members who are a part of any of the individual social justice efforts or who are generally interested in promoting Catholic social teaching are invited to take part in these meetings.
CONTACT: KAREN SCHEID klscheid@gmail.com
St. Vincent de Paul, St Francis of Assisi Conference – Home visits are made to those in certain zip codes who are in need of both spiritual support as well as a needs assessment for material items for their homes or perhaps help with rent or bills – for a limited time. Training is required for the assessment. Prospective clients call our St. Vincent de Paul number to discuss their needs and after an assessment is made members determine the level of monetary support that can be given. If you are not trained to provide an assessment, you can always assist spiritually and personally with other needs of the client.
CONTACT: LORRI KUCZYNSKI lorrik09@gmail.com
St. Vincent de Paul members also offer material, financial and/or volunteer assistance to the following organizations:
- NNEMAP – We help supply the NNEMAP food pantry with food and personal hygiene items through drives at St. Francis as well as with monetary donations. It is a wonderful experience to personally help the shoppers in a variety of ways.
CONTACT: ROY CLARK 614-297-0533 and www.nnemappantry.org
- St. Francis Center in McArthur, Ohio – We collect school supplies during the summer and deliver them in August for this very worthy community. 10% of the money collected from the St. Francis of Assisi Craft Fair also goes to this Center.
CONTACT: FRANK SCHNEIDER fschnei@columbus.rr.com
- St. Lawrence Haven – Once monthly, on the 3rd Sunday between masses, we make sandwiches and deliver them to St Lawrence Haven. Come join us! We have a good time making them. These sandwiches help feed some of the more than 400 individuals who come each weekday to St Lawrence Haven.
CONTACT: LORRI KUCZYNSKI lorrik09@gamil.com
- J.O.I.N. – (Joint Organization for Inner city Need) - JOIN provides material needs to low income families. They will also help with payment of utility bills, rent, bus passes and other necessities. They are often looking for volunteers.
CONTACT: 614-241-2530
- Funeral Fund – Provides financial support for some of the burial expenses of people who die with little or no resources.
CONTACT: LORRI KUCZYNSKI lorrik09@gmail.com
- Women Affirming Women – This group offers up to 25 women at/or below the poverty level a 3 day respite from their daily lives as caretakers. Each July a retreat offers these women a chance to rest and take care of themselves. Social Workers help identify the women who would qualify and names can be referred by others. We collect jewelry, scarves, new perfume and makeup etc. throughout the year for the women.
CONTACT: LORRI KUCZYNSKI lorrik09@gmail.com
B.R.E.A.D. – (Building Responsibility, Equality And Dignity) This organization was founded by a former St. Francis of Assisi Pastor along with other faith leaders from a variety of diverse congregations in Columbus. Their goal is to identify and bring to the surface community problems that need to be tackled, especially at the government level, and to research the problems to identify workable solutions. Every year there is a meeting at St. Francis of Assisi for the parishioners to voice their concerns in terms of social justice needs. And then it takes off from there!
CONTACTS: KAREN SCHEID klscheid@gmail.com
PAT CASSIDY jpatrick@yahoo.com
Creation Care Team – This Team strives to create awareness of our Christian obligation to be good stewards of what Pope Francis calls, “our common home – Earth.” Among other activities, team members have helped plan Earth Day commemoration Masses, held a special Earth Day hospitality Sunday, developed “green’ parish use guidelines, and researched recycling options for the parish. The Team meets about four times a year and welcomes new members and new ideas for promoting environmental stewardship as a spiritual calling.
CONTACT: KAREN SCHEID klscheid@gmail.com
Other Social Justice Ministries
Outside of St. Francis of Assisi
| Helping Students Overcome Barriers to Success-Sponsored by Catholic Social Services |
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Education is the key to increased earning power, and community colleges are an affordable option for low-income students. But more than 60% of community college students fail to graduate within six years. Low-income students face unequal barriers to achieving a college degree and miss out on the life-changing opportunities that come with it. Money is a factor, but is only a quarter of the problem.
Some of Franklin County's hardest-working residents are working multiple jobs and raising families while studying to attain higher education degrees—all with the goal of improving their families' lives. For many of these students, it only takes one crisis to derail their plans. In the words of CSCC President David Harrison, "Many of our students are a flat tire away from dropping out.”
Two-in-three community college students are food insecure, 50% are housing insecure, and 13% are homeless. With these odds against them, it is easy to see why low-income students might see a college education as being beyond their reach.
At Catholic Social Services, we want to do something about this. We are already helping working-poor families break out of poverty for good through our various anti-poverty programs, so when we saw what our colleagues in Fort Worth, Texas were doing to help low-income students persist in community college through their Stay the Course™ program, we knew they were onto something—and that Ohio students needed it too.
That's why we will launch the Stay the Course™ program at
Columbus State Community College in August! |
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