In 2023 for the first time, Franciscan Action Network held an unconventional benefit; we invited members of our Network to sponsor or buy a ticket and to give away their dinner to someone who truly needed it. The Network responded with such love and generosity that we did it again this year!

At that time, Jesus said,
“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.”
Luke 14:12-14

Thank you for supporting our annual benefit held in partnership with St. Francis Inn, a Franciscan Eucharistic community that ministers with people who are poor and unhoused in Philadelphia, PA. In June, 2024, FAN staff and friends spent a day at St. Francis Inn, serving dinner and learning from the guests about the circumstances that lead to economic hardship, as well as what helps people endure and overcome. FAN will also make a generous contribution to the work of St. Francis Inn.

The online program included testimony from guests at St. Francis Inn, Franciscans and others offering service there, and experts on issues related to poverty in the United States. The discussed included asnwers to questions like: Why do so many people fall into economic hardship and homelessness? What helps them to endure and overcome? What is the distinctively Franciscan approach to caring for their physical, social, and spiritual needs? Looking at the systemic level, what can Americans learn from the experience of other countries about how to mitigate poverty?

We proudly offer the recording of our online program below and on our YouTube Channel.