When it comes to behavioral health, it’s tempting to focus on symptoms rather than the causes. But as Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in.”
One of my favorite podcasters, Roger Bennett, ends most of his shows—which are about the game the rest of the world calls football, but we call soccer—with the exclamation, “Courage!” It was something he started doing during the earliest days of the pandemic, inspired by the way Dan Rather had done so at one point in the 80s and in the 50s how Edward R. Murrow had concluded his broadcasts with “Good night, and good luck.”
Hopefully, you were able to spend some time with the elder members of your family last Sunday. In case you missed it, September 10 was Grandparents Day.
Saint Francis began as a boys’ home in the small Kansas town of Ellsworth, Kansas. Fr. Bob Mize Jr., an Episcopal priest, had seen too many young men get into trouble and then disappear into the criminal justice system. He believed that they – and all of us – deserve a second chance. He believed that there is room in every life for redemption.
Today, more than 150 million Americans are expected to take to the air and to the highways in anticipation of the Labor Day weekend. That’s about half of the adult population in this country, and it couldn’t happen without other people.
For most families living in the six states served by Saint Francis, a new school year has begun. That means more children and young people are now moving about in the mornings and afternoons.
School begins this month for many students across the U.S., including the six states in which Saint Francis Ministries serves. That means back-to-school sales for clothes and supplies. Yet, despite the sales, many families find it a challenge to purchase the supplies their children need to begin the school year. What’s more, teachers often must dip into their own resources to provide materials for their students.
As the summer comes to a close and the back-to-school season approaches, it's time to consider the needs of children and families who are less fortunate. Is there room in your cart for another? By extending our compassion and generosity, we can empower these children with the tools they need to thrive academically and beyond.
Earlier this week, Tuesday to be exact, the world observed World Listening Day, established in 2010 to celebrate listening. Why, you might ask, does this matter? What does it have to do with child and family welfare?
No one wants to see a child removed from home and placed into foster care. In fact, foster care should always be considered a last resort, necessary to keep a child safe and healthy. Even then, it’s a temporary solution – until a child can safely return home to a family restored to health.
