As we continue to assess our priority areas of service in alignment with our mission, we are committed to making changes that best serve clients while being good stewards of resources. With that back drop, several changes are in store for St. Francis Community Services and the people we serve.
St. Francis will refocus efforts in St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren counties. This involves closing the office on Jungermann Road (effective 4/30/16) while increasing the activity of the Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry in this region. Other Catholic Charities federated agencies continue to serve people in need in this region, as well.
We will respond to the needs of impoverished families in north St. Louis through a different path. St. Francis will close the Fr. Tolton senior center (effective 6/30/16), while expanding to focus on people who are impoverished and disenfranchised in north St. Louis City neighborhoods (starting January 2017).
Additionally, St. Francis will help City Greens and the Midtown site transition successfully to independence. The City Greens market will become its own entity as of 6/30/16. We will take the first six months of fiscal year 2017 to position the Midtown site to stand on its own outside of St. Francis (by January 2017). We believe this will give Midtown the opportunity to continue its 30-year legacy of outstanding service to low-income residents of eight city neighborhoods.
St. Francis will continue to operate Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry, the bilingual Southside St. Louis City location, as well as the new “Pathways to Progress” initiative in north St. Louis County. Clients served by the sunsetting programs will have access to similar services at other agencies. Home-bound seniors assisted by Fr. Tolton Center, for example, will continue receiving meals, but from another senior center in north St. Louis City.
Each of these changes will help us better serve our community and put the resources we receive from our supporters to the best possible use. To learn more about St. Francis Community Services, follow us on Facebook /SFCSSTL and Twitter @sfcsstl
