This month (August 12), the world will commemorate the United Nations’ International Youth Day set aside to acknowledge the contributions and resilience of young people and shed light on the challenges they face daily around the globe.
Closer to home, Saint Francis Ministries workers and staff are privileged to witness that incredible resilience of children every day.
Since 1945, when Rev. Robert Mize Jr. opened a small home for 12 boys in Ellsworth, Kansas, SFM’s mission has grown from the notion that every young person deserves the chance to be seen, supported, and given a second chance – regardless of where they live, their social status, and the trauma that led them to us. As a result, SFM has grown into a ministry spanning six states, offering foster care, adoption, behavioral health services, Family Centered Treatment®, independent living programs, and in-home prevention, all built around the belief in the dignity and worth of every child.
International Youth Day reminds us that youth in our programs aren’t defined by the trauma or instability of their past. They are, like all young people, full of potential, capable of leadership, creativity, and remarkable achievement. Our job is to walk alongside them through foster homes that offer stability, through case management that includes their voice, and through independent living services that prepare older youth to step confidently into adulthood.
This Youth Day, consider helping a child find the hope they need to heal and to navigate the challenges of life successfully. Join our mission, and partner with SFM to heal and make lives and families whole again. Learn about all the ways you can help at www.saintfrancisministries.org/join-our-mission.
