Through our Outreach Committee, St Francis awards grants to a number of worthy, nonprofit organizations. Our primary focus is on organizations and programs that serve the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of Stamford and neighboring communities. Below are the 2024 recipients with details about each organization.
Americares Free Clinics provide quality health care to Connecticut’s low-income uninsured residents while treating each patient with dignity and respect. The delivery of high-quality health care is their primary goal – keeping people healthy and out of the hospital so that they are better able to take care of themselves and their families. 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. Since 1994, health care valued at $141 million has been delivered to more than 28,000 patients. Click WEBSITE and VIDEO buttons to learn more about the organization.
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. Many local children are unable to purchase necessary school supplies, a warm winter coat or sneakers that fit. 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.
Click VIDEO below to see a video from Back to School Shop’s inaugural event, and WEBSITE for additional information.
In 2011, they opened their doors to welcome newcomers from around the world. Immigrants who once relied on fragmented services - or had no help at all - found a place designed with their needs in mind. Since then, thousands of immigrants and non-immigrants in the Stamford area have come together to build a stronger, united community.
Originally founded as an affiliate of the Westchester-based Neighbors Link Network, they rebranded as Building One Community (B1C) after their 5-year agreement ended. Their new name reflects their core mission: to support the successful integration of immigrants and their families.
To learn more about Building One Community and its mission impact, click WEBSITE below. Click VIDEO below - 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. As a state-certified agency recognized by the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV), 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. Click WEBSITE for more details.
About 1 in 5 young adults in CT are disconnected or disengaged. Through love-infused programming, Domus helps young people in Stamford and beyond overcome obstacles that jeopardize a bright and stable future. Their trauma-responsive approach combines their Relational Model (how they work) with their Program Models (what they do) to support youth in making positive changes. From earning a diploma and securing a living-wage job to transitioning back to the community after incarceration, their work empowers young people to transform their own lives and thrive. Clicking WEBSITE will open a new tab with additional info.
Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education, health and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 300 professionals and hundreds of trained volunteers work together to provide our communities with a wide range of responsive and innovative services. 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. Lots mors info by clicking WEBSITE and VIDEO.
Filling in the Blanks fights childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekends. This non-profit was founded by mothers and community activists, Shawnee Knight and Tina Kramer, who created it as a way to marry their loves of community, children, food and charity. 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. Please click on WEBSITE and VIDEO to learn more about this amazing organization.
Inspirica is one of the largest providers of services to individuals and families who are homeless and those facing housing insecurity in CT and the largest in lower Fairfield County. Each night, they house approximately 475 people and each year they serve more than 3,000 people!
Inspirica 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.
Click the buttons below for Inspirica's website and a video about their work.
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. See and hear more via WEBSITE and VIDEO buttons.
Since its founding, Kids In Crisis has provided critical social services to nearly 170,000 babies, children, teens and their families. Kids In Crisis staff serve on more than 20 children’s advocacy working groups at the national, regional, state and local levels. Kids In Crisis has received local and national recognition for its work, and serves as a model for other organizations throughout the world.
“It all starts with a phone call,” says Shari Shapiro, Kids In Crisis’ Executive Director. “The Kids In Crisis 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 all 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. New Covenant Center could do none of these things without the support of its many hardworking and faithful volunteers! Thanks to you all!
Click WEBSITE for more information. Click VIDEO for a talk given by John Gutman, Executive Director of New Covenant Center.
Starfish Connection, Inc. is a 501c3 corp. initiated by Judith & David Martin in 2008. It 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 the city’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.
Read more about their Mission & Goals by clicking SLIDES. Click VIDEO for a talk given by Donna Wolff, PhD, Executive Director of Starfish Connection, Inc.