In that spirit, that’s what continues to drive the Gift-a-Family program, coordinated by the Mission Integration Committee and Service Excellence Department at Franciscan St. Francis Health. The annual program serves residents primarily on the city’s south side to an area near the border line of
Franciscan St. Francis employees and their respective departments adopted families earlier and began collecting new clothing, small household items and children’s toys and gifts.
“Each year we identify families who have been referred to us, and while they have different backgrounds they all share a common denominator – they’re needy and often in desperate situations,” said Shirley Fox, chair of St. Francis’ Mission Integration Committee. “Our initial goal this year was to assist 50 families, but our employees stepped up and we easily surpassed that goal.
Employees of Franciscan Alliance Information Services, which has partnered with the hospital for many years on the Gift-a-Family program, also provided all of the food baskets and toiletries.
The food baskets were blessed by Father John Mannion of St. Francis Spiritual Services on Dec. 15 before employees delivered the items to families.
