Each fall, guided by recommendations from our Outreach Committee, St. Francis is proud to award grants to a number of inspiring nonprofit organizations. We focus on supporting those who serve the most vulnerable and underserved in Stamford and nearby communities.
Many of these organizations are close to our hearts—parishioners are often involved as leaders and volunteers. Below, you'll find the 2024 grant recipients and a glimpse into the meaningful work they’re doing.
Americares Free Clinics provide quality health care to Connecticut’s low-income uninsured residents while treating each patient with dignity and respect. Their clinics are staffed by both paid employees and volunteers and draw upon the resources of community hospitals, laboratories, specialists, and pharmacies to ensure access to a comprehensive health care delivery system. Americares Free Clinics is a source of pride and enrichment to the communities it serves.
Back to School Shop is an all-volunteer organization which provides economically disadvantaged elementary school children in Stamford with the opportunity to “shop” for brand new clothes, backpacks and school supplies for free, in a one-day event prior to the start of school. Giving these children the opportunity to choose their own brand new items, like their more fortunate peers, helps build the confidence and enthusiasm they need for a successful start to the school year. Since its first event in 2015, Back to School Shop has served nearly 2,500 children with the help of hundreds of community volunteers.
Founded in 2011, Building One Community (B1C) welcomes newcomers from around the world. Its programs provide English Language Learning, family services, academic enrichment for youth and adults, skills training and employment services and immigration legal services. So far, B1C has served over 19,000 immigrants from 129 different countries.
(In the Video, you just might recognize some St Francis people!)
Since 1980, the Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC) has provided free, confidential counseling and advocacy for domestic violence victims and their children in Norwalk, Stamford, and surrounding areas. DVCC offers housing and legal advocacy, trauma-informed counseling, and emergency safe housing. Services are multicultural, multilingual, and focused on creating safer environments for individuals and families.
Domus empowers disconnected and disengaged youth by offering a range of personalized support programs designed to help them build brighter futures. Working hand-in-hand with community partners, Domus addresses the challenges faced by young people in Stamford and beyond—whether it’s earning a high school diploma, finding a living-wage job, or successfully reentering the community after incarceration. With compassion at the core of every program, Domus provides the tools, guidance, and encouragement youth need to overcome obstacles, gain stability, and thrive on their own terms.
Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education, health and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. Our multi-faceted network of health, education and human service programs give individuals and families the tools needed to establish a strong educational foundation, overcome complex and critical problems, carry on healthy productive lives and achieve personal improvement.
Filling in the Blanks fights childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekends. It started in 2013 and has expanded to include over 100 sites throughout Fairfield and Westchester Counties and has delivered over TWO MILLION-weekend meals to children in low-income households.
Inspirica is one of the largest providers of services to individuals and families who are homeless and those facing housing insecurity in CT. Each night, they house approximately 475 people and each year they serve more than 3,000 people! It operates 12 facilities in lower Fairfield County and provides an extensive array of support services. It is one of a few organizations in the nation that address the physical components of these issues and the underlying root causes on a single, powerful end-to-end platform.
INTEMPO is a Stamford, CT-based youth-development organization that provides high-quality classical and intercultural music education to children predominantly from immigrant backgrounds and from communities underrepresented in the arts. It is committed to connecting the dots between intercultural music education and its influence on the overall development of children.
Since its founding, Kids In Crisis has provided critical social services to nearly 170,000 babies, children, teens and their families. It has received local and national recognition for its work, and serves as a model for other organizations throughout the world. Their Helpline is staffed 24 hours a day and provides free phone and face-to-face intervention, counseling and referrals. The agency works with families who are facing domestic violence, mental illness, homelessness, substance abuse, economic difficulties and more.
The mission of New Covenant Center is to provide a nutritious meal to those who are hungry. By creating a safe, warm and compassionate environment, they are taking the first steps toward empowering men, women and children to reach their full potential and regain their dignity and self-respect.
Starfish Connection is an all-volunteer org addressing Stamford’s academic achievement gap via long-term mentoring, after-school and summer programs, and educational support to promising students from Stamford's underserved families. Mentors are paired with students to provide these resources from grades 3 - 12. Their goal is to ensure that these students reach their potential and achieve their dreams of attending competitive 4-year colleges, breaking the cycle of poverty for themselves and future generations.