Embracing Summer at St. Francis Friends of the Poor
The summer season at the St. Francis Residences is a time to have fun together and celebrate our caring community. Our 300 tenants have been spending time outdoors and enjoying the sunny days.
Read more about what we've been up to the past few months, including a Memorial Day cookout, a trip to Allaire State Park, a tenant art spotlight, informative mental health awareness facts, and more.
Celebrating the Start of Summer
Our tenants gathered on Memorial Day for a cookout to celebrate the unofficial start of summer. Everyone enjoyed barbeque, corn on the cob, live music, and good company.
Trip to Allaire State Park
Our tenants made their way to Allaire State Park in New Jersey for a picnic, followed by a guided tour around the grounds of this once-bustling early-industrial village. Later, we enjoyed a train ride around the park, followed by fresh fruit!
Raising Mental Health Awareness
Jean (left) has been a tenant at the St. Francis Residences since the 1970s. She has lived in the same bedroom since the building was a single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel before St. Francis Friends of the Poor was founded.
We celebrated Mental Health Awareness Month in May, an important time to reflect on our mission. Our tenants face serious mental illness and experience isolative symptoms, often exasperated by the same medicines that aid them in their journeys to stability. The St. Francis Residences cut through these symptoms by emphasizing the transformative power of community.
Here are three key facts and quotes about mental health and permanent supportive housing:
In New York, 1 in 5 adults live with mental illness, and 1 in 20 live with serious mental illness.
“The mental health crisis is the defining challenge of our time, and New York will deploy every resource at our disposal to address this crisis” – Governor Kathy Hochul.
Our proven solution is Permanent Supportive Housing, an equitable model that combines permanent housing and in-house social services.
Tenant Art Spotlight
Cool Summer, 2010 – Acrylic on Canvas by Faye Lee
Get Involved with St. Francis Friends of the Poor
Your support makes a tremendous impact on the lives of our 300 tenants. We appreciate any form of support you can provide.
Donate Today. Your support provides a permanent home and community to nearly 300 formerly homeless folks living with serious mental illness at our three residences in New York City.
Volunteer. Share your talents to enhance our social, artistic, educational, and recreational programming as we work together to build community and promote well-being.
Corporate Sponsorships. We provide opportunities to individuals and corporations wishing to make an impactful gift to a program or activity that resonates with their philanthropic or marketing goals.
Career Opportunities. Join our mission-driven team to transform the lives of our tenants.