FOCUS FAQ’s – FOCUS North America

FOCUS North America

FAQ's

For 10 years FOCUS North America has provided opportunities and resources to communities in need across the country. We are known for serving the whole person, and we address the ultimate cause of poverty in the world: disconnection from Christ and disconnection from one another. In this historical time as we see deepening separation between people and with Christ, FOCUS North America seeks to provide people with opportunities to serve alongside and discover their kinship with others. Our impactful programming is designed to be responsive to the tremendous needs of our neighbors all while encouraging connection between those serving and those being served as Christ would desire.

What is FOCUS North America’s mission?

As An Expression of Christ’s Love, FOCUS exists to serve the poor by bringing together Orthodox Christian churches and community partners to provide food, occupation, clothing, understanding, shelter, and other assistance to address the needs of local communities.

What does FOCUS stand for?

FOCUS is the Fellowship of Orthoodx Christians United to Serve

How does FOCUS North America fulfill its mission?

Through providing opportunities and resources to communities in need, FOCUS North America reduces barriers for people facing the disheartening challenges of poverty. Our 6 local centers located across the country along with the national programming of youth leadership (YES), back to school supplies, and hygiene kits, assists people in empowering themselves to live out Christ’s call to serve.

What is the need that FOCUS North America is addressing?

Poverty.

With over 40 million people living below the poverty level in North America, FOCUS North America’s programs are designed to address the multifaceted, complex issue of poverty. Roughly defined as the lack of resources to provide the necessities of life–food, clean water, shelter and clothing, poverty is also the lack of access to services such as health care, employment, hygiene, and education. We as Othodox Christians further believe disconnection from Christ is being in poverty. FOCUS North America’s programs seek to approach serving “the poor” from this perspective.

Where does FOCUS operate?

FOCUS works closely with Orthodox parishes and communities engaged in our mission across the United States. In addition to engaging Orthodox parishes across the country, FOCUS operates the following programs and centers:

St. Herman House – FOCUS Cleveland–Homeless Shelter, community meals, case management
FOCUS Minnesota at FOCUS House–Clothing Pantry, Food Shelf, community meals
FOCUS Detroit–Food distribution and Clothing Distribution
FOCUS Southern California–Food programming and distribution
FOCUS Gateway City –Community meals, and probation/parole re-entry programming
FOCUS West Central PA–Previously incarcerated re-entry programming
Youth Equipped to Serve (Program)–Orthodox Leadership training
Back to School (Program)–School Supplies
St. Nicholas Outreach (Program)–Hygiene Kits

If your parish community is interested in becoming a FOCUS partner, please reach out to us at JavaScript required to view address.

How can I get involved with FOCUS?

Pray

Support FOCUS by remembering our work and those we serve in your prayers.

Give

Support FOCUS financially by being a monthly donor. The majority of every dollar goes directly to programming. The funding that is used to support administrative costs is used wisely to ensure the programs have the support needed to provide impactful programming.

Serve

Our volunteers are the heart of our service. As an organization whose mission it is to connect people and share the transformative love of Christ, our volunteers share more than just time. It is the volunteer whose Christ-like compassion gives hope to the many facing homelessness, hunger, mental illness, domestic violence, addiction, and even prison.

Since we believe the root of all poverty is disconnection, we strive for connection to be at the forefront of everything we do. Christ calls us all to serve, and at FOCUS we seek to provide opportunities for Orthodox Christians to not only reach out to their neighbors experiencing poverty through meaningful service, but understand service through the context of a living faith.