Salina, Kansas – March 30, 2023 – Saint Francis Ministries finalized the sale of its Elm Street offices last week, bringing to a close an era has lasted nearly as long as the 77-year-old child and family services not-for-profit.
Central Kansas Foundation (CFK) Addiction Treatment, Inc., had recently approached SFM about purchasing the property to accommodate their need for extra space, and since Saint Francis has been looking for ways to consolidate resources at its Otis Street campus, the sale proved mutually beneficial.
The building at 509 E. Elm Street served as Saint Francis Ministries’ corporate headquarters from 1959 to 2018. After SFM moved its corporate offices to Otis Avenue, the Elm Street building and modular offices spaces continued to house the ministry’s Out-of-Home/Permanency Case Management, Adoption, Outpatient Behavioral Health, and Prevention Services.
Formerly the segregated Dunbar School, the historic structure was the sole school for African American students in Salina until the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision in 1955. The school closed in 1959 and was subsequently purchased by what was at the time called “The Saint Francis Academy” to serve as its corporate office. Founder and President Rev. Robert Mize Jr. retired that same year from Saint Francis, but the building remained the organization’s headquarters until it moved to the campus of the former St. John’s Military School at 110 W. Otis Avenue in Salina.
“This sale offered a great opportunity for two community partners to work together for the benefit of both and for the community at-large,” said Chief Operating Officer Trish Bryant. “CKF does important work, and we are glad we are able to help them meet a need for additional space so they can continue to expand the services they provide.”
Saint Francis has begun a phased transfer of offices and staff from the Elm Street location to Jack Vanier Hall on the Otis Avenue campus. The modern building offers ample space to house SFM’s Reintegration, Foster Care Homes, Independent Living, Behavioral Health, and Transportation programs and staff.
They expect to be fully moved to the new location by June.
About Saint Francis Ministries
Saint Francis Ministries work encompasses foster care, therapeutic foster care, adoption, family preservation/intensive in-home services, residential care, and community outreach services. Strongly rooted in the Episcopal tradition, SFM was founded by an Episcopal priest in 1945 in Ellsworth, Kansas. The organization now serves more than 11,000 individuals through child and family welfare services in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, and Arkansas. Additionally, Saint Francis provides supervised living and employment services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Mississippi. The organization is headquartered in Salina, Kansas. For more information, visit www.saintfrancisministries.org or call 800.423.1342.
