St. Francis Friends of the Poor

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St. Francis Friends of the Poor

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The St.

📍Chelsea since 1980
We provide permanent supportive housing to formerly homeless people living with chronic mental illness 🏘️
Across our three residences, we are home to 255+ people 🩵
Message us for volunteer opportunities! Francis Residences serve adults living with serious mental illness, primarily schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, who have a history of chronic homelessness. Our services include:
- affordable, low-barrier housing
- deeply subsidized meals
- on-site psychiatric and medical care
- medication management
- money management
- a robust arts program
- socialization, recreation, life skills, and health & wellness groups

09/16/2026

We heard the Rockettes are counting down 100 days ’til Christmas, so naturally, we took that as our cue to audition🎄👯✨
The precision. The synchronization. The kicks. We’ll be waiting by the phone. 📞😂
A huge thank you to our wonderful yoga instructor Marissa Anteby, CEP, ERYT 500 for leading our tenants through this fun routine and always finding ways to keep our community moving, laughing, and trying something new.
Radio City Music Hall , what do you think? 😉

09/14/2026

Ask Timothy what having a home of his own means to him, and his answer is simple: “Everything.”

When Timothy moved into St. Francis Friends of the Poor on March 4, 2025, he reached a milestone he had been working toward for years. For the first time, he had a space that was truly his own.

“This is the first place I’ve had to myself,” he says. “It feels good to finally have something of my own.”

Timothy’s journey here has been shaped by perseverance and community. Growing up, he struggled with reading and concentration and received special education services for a learning disability. As a young adult, Timothy began experiencing mental health challenges. Treatment and community-based programs helped him better understand his mental health, develop coping skills and build a support system.

Through an Assertive Community Treatment team, he eventually joined Brooklyn Community Services, a clubhouse program that welcomed him “with open arms.”

Along the way, Timothy worked at 7-Eleven, a juice bar and community programs and held custodial positions. But he continued working toward one important goal, having a home of his own.

After experiencing housing instability, Timothy entered the shelter system. A connection through BCS eventually led him to St. Francis Friends of the Poor, where he was offered an interview.

Today, Timothy says he has found much more than housing.

“I’ve got friends. I’ve got people who support me. It feels like everybody’s my friend over here.”

His favorite memories include a patio barbecue, seeing Wicked the Musical on Broadway, and our annual Bear Mountain trip. Home has given him somewhere to feel safe, relax, welcome friends, heal, and grow.

Timothy loves writing music, playing video games, learning Spanish on Dualingo, and, especially, the New York Knicks 🏀. Knicks in five!

When asked what he is most proud of overcoming, Timothy says, “My past. Everything I came up out of.”

The message he hopes others remember?

“Anybody can achieve anything they want in life, no matter how impossible it seems.”

We’re proud Timothy has found a home and community with us.

09/10/2026

A joyful celebration of movement, Caribbean culture, and community! 💃🏽✨
A huge thank you to Chrislyn Lashington for leading a wonderful Bèlè dance class for our tenants! Using traditional skirts and the vibrant movements of Bèlè, Chrislyn created an experience that was not only fun and engaging, but also thoughtfully inclusive, making sure tenants with different levels of mobility could participate and enjoy the class.
We’re so grateful to Chrislyn for sharing this beautiful tradition with our community and creating a space where everyone could move, connect, and dance together ❤️

08/31/2026

This summer, our residents have been celebrating the Summer of Sports together! From cheering on the New York Yankees at our Annual Yankee Trip to gathering for the Knicks’ victory (Knicks in five) and FIFA World Cup watch parties, there has been no shortage of team spirit

Whether watching the action unfold on the big screen or experiencing it live from the stands, these events brought residents together to share their love of the game, enjoy great conversations, and create lasting memories. The Summer of Sports has been a wonderful reminder that sports have a unique way of building community, sparking joy, and bringing people together ⚾️⚽️🏀

08/27/2026

Our day at Palisades Interstate Park was one to remember! 🌲☀️ From the incredible food prepared by the talented Chef Jancarlos Castillo to karaoke, yoga, games, and plenty of laughter, our tenants had the best time soaking up every moment together

A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers, who brought so much energy and heart to the day, leading games and groups, joining in on karaoke and yoga, and making sure every tenant felt included, celebrated, and special
Special shout to Marissa Anteby, CEP, ERYT 500 for leading the yoga group with so much engagement and ease

Great food, beautiful views, and even better company made for a truly wonderful day!

08/24/2026

Supportive Housing Week is a time to celebrate the power of safe, stable housing and the lives transformed through community, compassion, and care.

As pioneers of Permanent Supportive Housing, we’re proud to continue leading the way by providing more than a place to live, we create opportunities to thrive. Across our three permanent supportive housing communities, residents have access to the stability, services, and support they need to build brighter futures.

This week, we honor our residents, dedicated staff, and partners who make this work possible every day. Together, we’re proving that housing is the foundation for hope, health, and healing.

08/17/2026

Today, on National Nonprofit Day, we celebrate the power of nonprofit organizations to create stronger, healthier, and more compassionate communities.

For over 45 years, St. Francis Friends of the Poor has been committed to providing permanent supportive housing for men and women who have experienced homelessness and live with serious mental illness. Guided by the Franciscan belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every person, we strive to create more than housing. We create a community where people can find stability, support, and a true sense of belonging.

This work would not be possible without our dedicated staff, generous donors, volunteers, community partners, and everyone who believes that every person deserves a safe place to call home.

Thank you for being part of our mission. Together, we're building a future where compassion leads the way and every person is treated with dignity.

Happy !

08/14/2026

What can we say? Serving your community and showing up for its most vulnerable members is kinda chic 💅✨

08/11/2026

We said goodbye to one of our original tenants, Bobby.
Bobby first came to St. Francis Residence in November 1987, not long after our residence on 8th Ave opened its doors. After an incredibly difficult childhood and years spent moving between foster care, psychiatric care, shelters, and the streets of New York City, he found a place to call home.
Those who knew Bobby remember him as quiet, sincere, funny, and kind. He loved bowling, working in the kitchen, celebrating holidays with the community, and playing basketball in the courtyard, where many joked he was the "Michael Jordan" of Residence III.
In 1992, Bobby left St. Francis, and for the next 24 years we lost touch. City-run programs closed, life took him back to the streets, and no one knew where his journey had led.
Then, in 2016, Bobby was found at Port Authority and brought to Bellevue Hospital. Mickey McGuire, the same SFFP Intake Director who had welcomed Bobby to St. Francis in 1987, was there to welcome him home once again.
Upon his return, Bobby said he wanted to come back to St. Francis to watch his DVDs and smoke his ci******es, his simple pleasures. To those who worked with him over the years, he was remembered as "sweet, funny, and delightful". Former staff also recall "a sweet, sweet man... vigilant enough to survive the streets and make his way back home."
These photos capture Bobby during his early years at Residence 3. We share them today in remembrance of a man whose life reflected both the hardships of homelessness and the power of community, second chances, and belonging.
Rest in peace, Bobby. You will always be part of the St. Francis Friends of the Poor family.

Address

New York, NY

Website

https://www.stfrancisfriends.org/

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