~ Please join us for Sunday Worship ~
10 am: Holy Eucharist Rite II - in person and livestreamed
Outreach Programs
Backpack Project for Our Brother's Place
Members of the St. Francis parish family are again asked to remember the homeless people who seek shelter and a way to improve their lives at Our Brother’s Place, a unit of the Bethesda Project in Philadelphia, as you do your Christmas shopping. St. Francis has supported this very important outreach program for over 25 years, and the needs of those who are helped are as great.
Personal articles most needed include: backpacks and warm winter clothing (such as jackets, socks). Other items needed include gloves, hats, scarves, blankets, and toiletries (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shaving cream, shampoo, etc.).
PLEASE DO NOT WRAP GIFTS! Collection bins are in the Narthex. The deadline for bringing your Backpack Project gifts to the Church is Sunday, December 15, 2024. Donations can be dropped off to the church Sunday mornings or Monday through Friday, 9 am to 2 pm.
If you would like more information regarding this very meaningful Christmas outreach project, please contact Jim Crowley. We thank you in advance for your generous support of the needy.
The mission at Thistle Hills is to serve women from the Chester County and Coatesville areas who are survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction that deserve a second chance at life. Trinity Church, Coatesville is the supporter of this mission and St. Francis has been and continues to collect items needed by the women who live there. Please donate what you can. There are lists of needed items in the Narthex along with a collection bin. Donations can be dropped off to the church Sunday mornings or Monday through Friday, 9 am to 2 pm.
Supplies for Thistle Hills
New opportunity to help refugees in West Chester. A Ukrainian family (grandmother, mother and two teens) from Kharkiv have moved to West Chester through the sponsorship of a local couple and are doing very well. Funds are being raised for rent and other living expenses at https://gofund.me/3f258bbd. More information about the family is posted on this site.
To do more for refugees, please visit the Nationalities Service Center at nscphila.org where you'll find many opportunities to donate your services or contribute goods to persons in need. Sign up for NSC's newsletter to get periodic updates on what you can do to help. For future furniture pickups, send photos to John Groch.
Church Farm School
Church Farm School is an independent boarding and day college preparatory school for bright, motivated young scholars in grades 9-12 looking for an extraordinary educational opportunity at a reasonable cost.
To help these terrific scholars with their wardrobes (they are required to wear coats and ties for Chapel, dress in business casual attire for school and keep their clothes in good condition), the School enthusiastically requests donations of gently used or new clothing, appropriate for teenage boys in sizes small, medium, large and extra-large. As the weather is changing, hats and gloves would also be greatly appreciated!
Donated items can be put in the bin located in the narthex.
For more information about donating clothes please contact Cindy VanHefter.
Over the last several months, thousands of our Afghan sisters and brothers fleeing the turmoil of their homeland have been received by the United States. Some are being resettled in our region. Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), a ministry of the Episcopal Church, USA, with its affiliates, partners, and supporting churches, is one of only nine national agencies through which refugees enter the United States.
For information about EMM, visit https://episcopalmigrationministries.org/givewelcome.
To donate to Episcopal Migration Ministries, click HERE.
It is well known that our nation faces a mental health crisis. Bishop Gutierrez recently charged our diocese with helping to address this critical need. Over the last year, St. Francis has been building a relationship with the Chester County branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Two members of St. Francis, Mike and Susan Lenkaitis, are now undergoing training with NAMI for future acts of ministry in through that organization. Is God calling you as well? For information on mental health support groups, trainings, and other opportunities with NAMI, please visit https://namichescopa.org/.
Current needs at the West Chester Food Cupboard are: unexpired, non-perishable food items, i.e. canned meat, canned fish, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce (cans or plastic jars), hearty soups, canned fruit. Also personal care items: soaps, toothpaste, toilet paper, disposable diapers (sizes 5 and 6), baby wipes, and feminine products.
A collection bin is in the Narthex.
Thank you, as ever, for your support of the West Chester Food Cupboard
…because no one should go hungry!
Founded in 2009, Chester County Food Bank’s mission is to mobilize and educate the community to ensure equitable access to nutritious and familiar food. They provide food support for immediate nutritional needs in addition to education and wellness opportunities to address the root causes of food insecurity. The Food Bank provides diverse distribution outlets and varied forms of food access to maximize outreach in culturally appropriate ways.
St. Francis participates in the CCFB Raised Bed Garden Program and donates hundreds of pounds of produce each year to the West Chester Food Cupboard, one of the Food Bank's partners. The Chester County Food Bank helped church volunteers construct the beds, and they supply seedlings and seeds at no charge for the church vegetable garden every spring.
Episcopal Relief & Development is mobilizing with Anglican agencies and other partners in order to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine.
Working through the Action by Churches Together Alliance Episcopal Relief & Development will provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needed assistance.
Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s International Disaster Response Fund will provide humanitarian assistance for the crisis in Ukraine.
Support for Ukraine
Many organizations are assisting the people of Ukraine during the current crisis. A suggested list to consider for your financial support is in the Narthex.
In Our Local Community
The Arc
(Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)
Brandywine Valley SPCA
Community Volunteers in Medicine (Medical and Dental)
Domestic Violence Center
of Chester County
Home of the Sparrow
(Women and children’s shelter)
National Federation of the Blind
(Reading Ministry)
Philabundance
Safe Harbor
(Homeless Shelter)
Surrey Services
(Care of elders)
Volunteer English Program