Mission

The mission of St. Francis Center is to serve homeless and near homeless families and individuals in the underserved neighborhoods of Greater Los Angeles in the manner of St. Francis of Assisi by:

• Serving their immediate needs;
• Educating, empowering and accompanying them;
• Providing them with the tools necessary to build better lives and neighborhoods;
• Addressing the systemic causes of poverty through advocacy.

Vision for 2014
As a Franciscan service for homeless and near homeless families and individuals in need, St. Francis Center will:

• Serve a greater percentage of those in need in our area;
• Be valued by our neighbors as a vital, safe and highly sought-after community center that provides comprehensive services and referrals for our individuals and families;
• Maintain an extensive referral network of health and social service agencies;
• Build community among those we serve;
• Provide access for children and adults to opportunities not typically available by economic and geographic limitations;
• Have developed sufficient resources to ensure the long-term viability of the Center.

• In the dignity of all persons;
• That adequate resources exist for basic necessities;
• That as members of the human race, we are called to support each other in
       any way we can;
• That the Catholic Faith, the teaching and example of St. Francis of Assisi in particular, provide an especially powerful model for working with and among the poor.

Believing this, we are committed to:

• Working toward realizing each individual’s full human potential by facilitating the resolution of immediate needs and crises;
• Establishing within the Center an environment where all individuals have a real sense of being welcome;
• A dynamic helping process based on shared responsibility and ministry between those served and those serving;
• Being open to the needs of all people;
• Serving in the spirit and manner of St. Francis of Assisi.