“For it is in giving that we receive.” -St. Francis of Assisi
As followers of St. Francis, St. Clare, and our Foundress Mother Clara Pfaender, we center our lives on the Franciscan tradition of reaching out to those on the margins of society. We continue this tradition by meeting the needs of our time in collaboration with other organizations.
Through prayer, relationship-building and sharing of resources, we collaborate with organizations whose mission, values and priorities are similar to ours. We focus primarily on the following areas: care of creation; health and dental in underserved areas; refugees and immigrants; women and children in vulnerable situations. We are currently related to over 100 organizations.
Featured Organizations
Care of Creation
DeKalb County Community Gardens (DCCG)
DeKalb, IL
DCCG addresses the food needs in DeKalb County Illinois. The organization provides healthy, good quality food choices for the nearly 20,000 children and youth, as well as adults, in DeKalb County who are food insecure. DCCG manages over 15 acres of growing space. Since 2012 the organization has produced over 200,000 pounds of food for local pantries, daycare centers, schools, community meal locations, senior citizen centers, as well as to the Meals on the Wheels Program.
Refugee & Immigrant
Exodus World Service – Park Ridge, IL
Exodus World Service is a volunteer-based organization which serves Chicago-area refugees. The agency equips volunteers to support refugees with friendship and practical help, leading to self-sufficiency. Through different programs, the agency helps the refugees improve their English, study for the U.S. citizenship exam, and more. Also, it serves refugees with their most tangible needs of setting up households with basic equipment and supplies and providing groceries and/or baby necessities.
Health & Dental
West Suburban Community Pantry Inc (WSCP)
Woodridge, IL
The goal of this agency is to break down barriers to food access and increase services to underserved communities in DuPage and Will Counties —including Hispanic, Black, and immigrant populations. As an established food pantry with a strong history of service to the community and partnerships with other organizations, WSCP is uniquely positioned to provide food to families and ensure children in the surrounding school districts have the nutrition they need to learn and thrive. During the past year, WSCP distributed 2 million pounds of food and served 18,176 households comprised of 66,699 individuals.
Women & Children
Heartland Housing: Maskani Place
Milwaukee, WI
Heartland Housing houses and supports individuals and families who have faced chronic homelessness, particularly those who have a physical disability, chronic or co-occurring medical conditions, and/or mental health or substance use disorders. The agency serves a “triangle” covering Chicago and southeast Wisconsin, with supportive housing developments. Their Maskani Place is the only single site supportive housing property in Milwaukee, WI dedicated to helping families move from crisis to stability.
Other Purposes
Foundation Ankerpung LaLumiere/Women’s Center
Togo, Africa
La Lumiere (The Light) Center for Mothers in Togo, Africa was started in August 2012 as an empowerment center for poor mothers who are working on becoming economically self-sufficient through income generating projects. At the Center women work together, so that they get more done than each on their own. The mothers run a childcare facility, where their own children can also go, so that there is time left to support themselves as hairdressers or seamstresses, for example. By being active in the mother’s center, the women learn from each other and discover their qualities and talents.
