The Franciscan Center

The Franciscan Center, Inc., was founded in 1989 by Sally Ley and the late Jean Kelly as a homeless shelter an sack lunch program.  The worldwide Secular Franciscan Order however, was founded over 800 years ago by St. Francis of Assissi, and was the inspiration for the St. Charles Fraternity in Fort Wayne to create the Franciscan Center.  Over the years, the Franciscan Center has changed to serve the needs of the community.

At the Franciscan center, while all programs are overseen by a small staff the true heart and soul of the organization is our comprehensive network of dedicated volunteers.  Over 4,300 individuals contribute more than 9000 hours to the center each year and are instrumental to the success of our programs.  Volunteers range in age from five to eighty-five, but all have one thing in common: they lend their neighbors a helping hand whenever possible, and help to create blessings in the lives of others.

Sack lunch program - ​Over 1,200 lunches delivered to the hungry each Saturday. It takes more than 30 volunteers and 75 hours each week to prepare sack lunches.

​Food Pantry Program - Neighborhood families come to the food pantry once a month to receive groceries and a smile. It takes more than 350 volunteer hours to serve an average of 800+ families each month!

​Medicine Cabinet - This unique program serves individuals with over-the-counter medications, toiletries and personal hygiene needs. These basic necessities are not covered by food stamps or offered by other area pantries. In just 4 hours each month the Medicine Cabinet serves over 400 families.

​Feed My Sheep - This program encourages community groups, business groups, neighborhood associations and churches to support the Food Pantry by providing the tools for organizing their own food drives to benefit the Franciscan Center. The organization also provides specialized shopping bags with the Feed My Sheep logo. When donations are made the filled bags are collected and distributed by the Franciscan Center.