The Homeless and Hungry Committee at St. Francis of Assisi parish offers parishioners the opportunity to assist homeless and hungry people in the greater Des Moines area. We do this by serving a local shelters and hosting various projects throughout the year:
- Coat Drive in the Fall
- Thanksgiving Baskets in November
- Angel Tree in December
- Lenten Crosses in March/April
If you have questions regarding this committee please email Montse Madden, Social Concerns Chair.
We also support 4 different homeless and hungry programs each month:
- St. Joseph Family Emergency Shelter: Volunteers provide dinner for approximately 30 people on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Contact: Kim Mallisee
- Central Iowa Shelter & Services: Volunteers provide the meal, supplies and serve downtown on the 9th and 10th of each month. View the signup here. Contact: Lisa Altringer
- Connection Café: Volunteers serve lunches for over 100 homeless and working poor the 3rd Wednesday of each month in downtown Des Moines. Contact: Carole Chambers
- Food Pantry Sunday: Volunteers coordinate a monetary collection for the local food pantries every 4th Sunday of the month. You can donate here. Contact: Randy Jensen
- Iowa Homeless Youth Center: Donations of food are collected to provide the meal on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. (September – May only) Contact: Amy Raedeker
To be added to the email list for these service opportunities, please send an appropriate email to contact listed above.