THE FRANCIS CENTER WELCOMES YOU

Thank you Troop 10094!

Girl Scout Troop 10094 came to the Francis Center on March 27 to donate several boxes of Girl Scout cookies. These will be distributed to our neighbors from our food pantry. The Francis Center thanks the Girl Scouts for their thoughtful donation!

OUR MISSION

Find help from the Francis Center

The Francis Center is a non-profit food and clothing pantry started by Catholic Franciscan priests over 50 years ago. In the spirit of St. Francis, we strive to feed and clothe the most vulnerable in our society.

Today the lay volunteers that work at the Francis Center are from all faiths. We supply food boxes, clothing, toiletries and household goods to the community in East Multnomah County.Whether it be homelessness, health issues, unemployment, underemployment or immigration issues, the Francis Center is there to help disadvantaged residents break the cycle of poverty and hunger.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-other-fns-programs

March Totals:

How many neighbors received food boxes?

795 Families
2,067 People

How many people received clothes?

221 People

How do we help so many neighbors?

60 Volunteers
1,182 Hours

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

January 2025

As we enter 2025, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our volunteers, donors, the Oregon Food Bank, and the philanthropic foundations that support The Francis Center. Your efforts and donations helped us serve over 8,200 families in 2024—that’s 22,000 people. That’s prayer in action! Our 68 faithful volunteers are working harder than ever to keep up with demand. We are grateful for our all-volunteer staff and donors that enable The Francis Center to continue its mission.

Thanks to your generosity, we’ve completed key updates, including replacing three aging freezers in the food room, striping the parking lot, and installing new water pipes throughout the facility. Our new conveyor belt system, which will safely move products in and out of the basement, is nearly finished. It should be operational in February. Another area we have been working on is our media outreach. Our new media team will be improving our website, updating information, pictures, and content. They recently activated the website to enable The Francis Center to accept online donations. I feel all these enhancements will allow us to serve our community more effectively. I welcome everyone to visit our revitalized space soon!

As we look to the future, I ask for your continued prayers and support. May the new year bring joy, health, prosperity, and blessings to you and your loved ones. Together, let’s continue to inspire hope. God bless from all of us at the Francis Center!

Rudy

“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
― St. Francis Of Assisi