It’s Spring at St. Francis Friends of the Poor!

Spring is here, and Easter is around the corner. To welcome the new season, we want to share news and highlights from our community earlier this year.

How Communal Living Works

St. Francis Friends of the Poor provides its residents comradery, consistency, and comfort. 

How We Got Our Start:

In 1980, St. Francis Friends of the Poor was established. Our three founding Friars opened an 80 single-room occupancy (SRO) building with a lobby, kitchen, dedicated space for art, and TV lounge that resembled the place they called home, the St. Francis of Assisi Friary on West 31st Street. Our founders drew on the communal living they had been accustomed to in the Friary and applied it across all three St. Francis Friends facilities.

How It Works Today:

Over 43 years later, this core living model thrives for our tenants. It fosters a community of neighbors who interact for various weekly activities, daily meals, and assistance with their medications, money, and benefits.

Meet Sheila, Art Coordinator at Residence Three

“In general, I am here to enrich their lives. I enrich details of their environment, in the residence, in their creative healing, and through experiences in the city, too. To me, it’s about taking that extra piece of their creations and passions to enhance their experiences. For example, they love to sing, so I want to get surround-sound speakers to fill the space with what they love to do. I carry their stories and pass them on; I take pride in that.”

Grants from Speaker Adrienne Adams and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine

Suad and Ivy wearing new prescription glasses thanks to generous grants.

A huge ‘thank you’ to Speaker of the New York City Council Adrienne Adams and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine for recognizing the power of permanent supportive housing with $35,000 and $5,000 grants. These grants actively bear the cost of medical expenses otherwise not covered by insurance, such as Ivy and Suad’s prescription glasses, transportation to and from doctor appointments, medical-grade mattresses, costly copays, and dentures, to name a few. Thank you to all those who have believed and continue to believe in our work! Your support means more than you know.