,,The year 2020 brought changes and challenges to everyone and we at Franciscan Action Network are no exception.
This Annual Report coincides with the start of our Executive Director, Stephen Schneck, PhD., who began his tenure with us in January, 2020. Steve jumped right in, engaging in public life with prophetic witness to the special Franciscan charism that inspires our staff, board, institutional members, and individual Franciscan-hearted supporters.
In March the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated in stark relief the fragility of America’s safety net. As our staff worked from home, we found ways to reinvent the way we advocate for those in poverty, migrants and refugees. If it can be called good news, we saw a beautiful response to the lack of human movement from God’s wondrous Creation. Clear air and blue skies in some of the world’s most polluted cities were something to celebrate as Pope Francis’ encyclical on creation turned 5 years old.
We also experienced ugly new instances of racial discrimination, food insecurity, increasing poverty, rising suicide rates and gun violence due to the pandemic. All these issues called for us to step up our engagement in 2020 and we rose to the challenge.
We invite you to read our Annual Report, which showcases some of our proudest moments from the past year. We look ahead with hope and determination inspired still by the messages from Saint Francis and Saint Clare.