Kansas awarded contracts, Texas campus changes
March 2024 · Mission Brief
The State of Kansas has awarded Saint Francis Ministries the case management services contract for Areas 1 and 2, comprising 65 counties in central and western Kansas.
The State of Kansas has awarded Saint Francis Ministries the case management services contract for Areas 1 and 2, comprising 65 counties in central and western Kansas.
The Saint Francis Ministries Advocacy Team has remained busy over the last month monitoring bills and working to positively influencing policies that impact child welfare.
Saint Francis friends and colleagues honored a nearly 30-year career in child welfare with the recent retirement celebration of Linda Arthington in Salina.
They met in Loughton, near London, on a blind date in 1962. By June 1, 1963, they had married, and suddenly, Christine McPherson became a U.S. Air Force wife. Her husband, Ed, had graduated high school in Chicago, where he worked as a surveyor before enlisting in the Air Force in 1955. Trained as a radio maintenance technician, he spent 26 on active duty, serving in Germany, France, Morocco, Vietnam, Turkey, and England. Christine made her first trip to the United States in 1965 when Ed received orders for Georgia. Stateside, they spent time in New York, Illinois, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and Oklahoma. The couple, with their two children, returned to England in 1981, where Ed retired and then worked as an Air Force civilian food service supervisor for 10 years.
Last May, Kendra Scott Jewelry and their Wichita shoppers partnered with the Saint Francis Foundation to raise funds for children and families. During the “Kendra Gives Back” Mother’s Day fundraising event, the store donated 20 percent of all sales during a portion of the day. Store manager Ciersten Bolen presented a check for $803.68 to the Foundation’s Shaynna Brown at the time.
March has been deemed Social Work Appreciation Month, an opportunity that allows us time to pause and honor the efforts of professional social workers who have dedicated their career to serving vulnerable populations. Social workers serve in multiple sectors including hospitals and healthcare settings, schools, community mental health centers, etc. Today I would like to highlight the work of social workers in the child welfare system.
Saint Francis Ministries considers ourselves fortunate to have leaders so committed to children, families, and the mission to bring them healing and hope. Multiple members of the Senior Leadership Team have served with Saint Francis for decades, providing a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and experience to the work we do. Last year, we bid adieu to three of them, as they retired after a combined 105 years in child welfare.
Former Chief Operating Officer Trish Bryant will retire this year, after nearly three decades of service with Saint Francis Ministries. She began as a youth service worker at the Salina West residential campus. Trish’s impending departure has prompted an organizational restructuring of senior executive staff and departments.
Saint Francis Ministries partnered with Scheels® Wichita last month to give several youth in foster care a special Christmas. As part of the “Shop with a Cop” event, Scheels gave 10 pre-selected teens a $500 gift card which they used to shop before the store opened on December 10. Each teen was also teamed with a law enforcement officer during their shopping spree.
Since 1945, Saint Francis Ministries has served the needs of children and youth. Guided by our mission and vision, Saint Francis Ministries remains dedicated to the protection, nurturing, and healing of children and families.