Thanks to a loving volunteer at FOCUS Minnesota, neighbors who rely on their bagged lunch outreach received something special for the Fourth…homemade cookies decorated with the American Flag.
FOCUS North America’s 2022 Annual Report is out and results are clear – the difference you made was incredible! Check out the video version of the report here.
FOCUS North America’s Summer Back-to-School Backpack and Supply Drive is off to a great start with nearly 700 backpacks already ordered by various parish communities and organizations for the upcoming school year.
In the Gateway City of St. Louis, MO, FOCUS Director, Fr. Matthew Mcdonald and a handful of FOCUS volunteers have been reaching out to ex-offenders, walking with them on their journey back to a life on the outside.
FOCUS Detroit is partnering with Oasis of Hope Christian Church and Living Waters CDC to work at the Garden of Hope.
OVC’s current cohort recently visited St. Herman House to work alongside our team at FOCUS Cleveland. While there they served a hot lunch, mulched the garden, and joined the community for prayers.
Every spring and fall, Youth Equipped to Serve (YES), a ministry of FOCUS North America, helps coordinate day trips so that youth and young adults can be exposed to and engage with poverty in their communities. One of these trips just concluded in Kansas City.
Someone who has received mercy and compassion can know the impact of such things better than anyone. Time and again, we hear of people who have been served by FOCUS ministries who then become volunteers or supporters themselves. Their gifts may not be large in a strictly monetary sense, but the heart of gratitude behind their gifts and the sacrifice of their offering is immense.
The winter in St. Paul/Minneapolis Minnesota is cold–oftentimes seeing temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit. On one of these particularly cold yet sunny days, FOCUS Minnesota’s volunteers worked outside distributing free lunch bags to people in need when they noticed a woman lying in the recessed doorway.
“There’s an incredible negative impact in not being able to have clean clothes – on your health and on your mental state,” says FOCUS Minnesota Director, Vera Proctor. In vulnerable and marginalized communities, people suffer because the tools needed to stay clean and healthy are not available.
FOCUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, FEIN: 26-4427803
