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The purpose of the St. Francis Project is to bring the hope, healing, compassion, forgiveness and joy of the kingdom of God to a world broken by despair, suffering, anger and need.

 

The St. Francis Outreach Project was started by Trinity Episcopal Church in 2008.  It was a commitment to raise and give back $1,000,000 to our communities over a ten year period.  The monies were given out through grants, whose criteria were based on the Prayer of St. Francis.  Trinity’s ten year commitment ended in 2019 and three local churches joined with Trinity to extend this ministry another three years.  These churches are First Presbyterian Church of Florence, First United Methodist Church of Florence and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. The goal for each year is $50,000, with a single grant cycle whose due date is July 31st.  Guidelines and applications are available on this web site. For 2020, we only have $25,000 to give away and we are asking only for grants under $5,000.

Through these grants, the St. Francis Project has helped to fund addiction ministries and non- profits, provided professional counseling for rape and abuse victims, developed Florence based medical services for AID’s patients, provided Hospice services for those who cannot pay, given daycare and summer scholarships at the YMCA, developed an emergency fund for homeless children in the Florence City Schools, provided anger management counseling at the Florence City jail, fed and clothed those in need.  It has sent a Fourth Grade class on a field trip to the McWane Center in Birmingham, sent troubled youth to their first professional baseball game, bought desks for a sixth grade teacher in Waterloo and provided training for school resource officers to recognize child abuse.  It built the new playground at the Salvation Army and helped to activate the alarm system in their new housing unit.  Since its first grant cycle in 2009, Funds have been distributed to 101 different agencies, ministries and individuals in the Shoals area.

The fund is supported by fundraisers and financial gifts throughout the year and administrated by a 12 member board of directors, representative of our four churches. If you would like to make a donation to this ministry, please make checks payable to The St. Francis Project and mail to P.O. Box M, Florence, AL 35631.  All gifts are tax deductible.

If you would like to become involved with this life changing ministry, please contact the church office at (256) 764-6149.

St. Francis Grant Recipients, 2009 – 2019

 

AIDS Action Coalition

The Alpha Center

The Arc of the Shoals

Big Brothers/ Big Sisters

Brandon Ministry Center

Caring Place (previously Westminster Interfaith Caring Place, WICP)

Children’s Museum of the Shoals

Colbert County Fame Girls Ranch

Colbert/ Lauderdale Attention Homes

Community Action of Northwest Alabama

(Meals on Wheels, Vision Project)

Community Theatre, Inc., dba The Shoals Theatre

Cooperative Community Ministries, Inc. (Help Center)

Cramer Children’s Center

Crossroads Community Outreach

Discovery Outreach

Dyslexia Center of the Shoals

Easter Seals of Northwest Alabama

ECM Newborn Nursery

Edgemont United Methodist Church, Angel Food Ministries

Epilepsy Foundation of Alabama

Florence Addiction Recovery Manor (The F.A.R.M)

12 For Life Fund

Florence City Schools

Florence City Schools/ Harlan and Weeden

Elementary School Resource Officer

Florence City Schools, Homebound Program

Florence City Schools, Florence Learning Center

Florence City Schools/Social Workers

Florence City Schools, Harlan Elementary School

Florence City Schools/ Harlan and Weeden

Elementary School Resource Officer

Florence City Schools/Harlan Elementary/4th Grade

Florence/ Lauderdale Public Library

Freedom House

Gospel Truth Church

The Healing Place

Heart of Alabama Save, Rescue, Adopt

Helen Keller Foundation, Helen’s Closet

Helen Keller Foundation, Cancer Resource Center

High Tide Adventure

Homeless Care Council of NW Alabama

Hospice of the Shoals

Kid Care-A-Van

Kids of the Kingdom Preschool

Lauderdale County Children’s Policy Council

Lauderdale County Juvenile Drug Court

Lauderdale County S.P.A.N. Program (Special

Program for Achievement Network)

Life Management/Anger Management Program

Martha Jo Daniel, L.P.C.

Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry

Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church

Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church

Mustard Seed of Faith

NAMI Shoals, Inc

New Beginning Ministries, Inc

New Beginning Church

Northwest Alabama Reading Aides

Northwest Alabama Spay and Neuter Assistance

NW Community Health Association,

(Shoals Community Clinic)

One Place of the Shoals

Outreach Reentry Ministry

PAWS

Project Say Something

Rape Response (Shoals Crisis Center)

Rolling Riders

Room in the Inn Shoals, Inc.

Safeplace, Inc.

Salvation Army of the Shoals

Sexual Assault Division at One Place of the Shoals

Shoals Area COARMM, Inc.

Shoals Area Community for the Employment of

People with Disabilities

Shoals CASA

Shoals Crisis Center

Shoals Entrepreneurial Center

Shoals Family Council (Families First)

Shoals Family Success Center

Shoals Habitat for Humanity

Shoals Scholar Dollars Foundation, Inc.

Shoals Special Needs Hub

Shoals Storytelling Festival

Sidney Safe Foundation

Singing River Equine Rescue, Inc.

Success By 6

St. Vincent de Paul Conference

Tennessee Valley Art Association

Threadgill Primary School

United Way of Northwest Alabama

Walk With Me Foundation

Waterloo Alumnae Association

Waterloo School Cafeteria

Waterloo School 6th Grade

Westminster Interfaith Caring Place (WICP)

Wilson School Sixth Grade

Wright Cemetery Board

YMCA of the Shoals, summer day camp program

YMCA of the Shoals, Children’s Backpack Program

YMCA of the Shoals, After School Scholarships

The St. Francis Project

In January of 2009, Trinity Episcopal Church adopted a new outreach ministry called the St. Francis Project. The objective of this project is to raise and give away $1,000,000 over ten years to agencies and ministries in our community and world. The money is given out primarily through grant applications and the criteria for these grants are based on the prayer of St. Francis, or as our mission statement reads:

To develop true servants of God and bring the hope, healing, compassion, forgiveness and joy of the kingdom of God to a world broken by despair, suffering, anger, and need.

The St. Francis Board will review grant applications twice a year. The deadline for the first cycle is January 31st, with grants announced by April 1st. The deadline for the second cycle is July 31st, with grants announced by October 1st. All grants requesting $5,000 or more are asked to apply by the January 31st deadline. Grants requesting less that that amount may apply at either time. The amount and method of funding for any grant remains at the discretion of the St. Francis Board. The Board may choose to fund large grants quarterly or semi annually.

Guidelines for Funding

  1. All grant requests shall answer to the needs expressed in the prayer of St. Francis: To alleviate hatred, injury, discord, doubt, despair, darkness, sadness.
  2. All recipients of grants shall furnish a yearly accounting of their grant monies. A new grant application will not be considered until this accounting has been received.
  3. All grant requests of $5,000.00 or more shall also be sponsored by a lay member of Trinity Church and requested by a nonprofit, 501-C3 organization.
  4. All grant requests of $5,000.00 or more should be submitted by the January 31st deadline.
  5. The majority of funding shall be used to support local community needs and projects and reflect the value of our Christian faith.
  6. Monies disbursed can be used for
    • Administrative purposes
    • Scholarships
    • Specific items and/or needs
    • Capital campaigns
    • Seed monies
    • Support for:
      1. Health issues: for example: handicapped programs, mental health ministries and programs, prescription drug support
      2. Human Welfare: for example: youth programs, hunger programs, shelter & housing programs, senior citizen projects, daycare, job training, family support programs & direct service organizations
      3. Human rights programs
      4. Evangelism: for example: theological education and missionary project
  7. No grants will be given to:
    • Annual fund-raising campaigns or fund-raising dinners.
    • Deficit financing, debt service, or loans.
    • Support for political candidates or political organizations.
    • Production costs of films, videos or television programs or purchase of commercial television or radio time.
    • Honoraria for distinguished guests.
    • Charities operated by service clubs.
    • Scholarly research leading to a book or group travel.
    • Group travel.
    • Memorials or endowment funds.
    • Medical research or requests from hospitals.