According to the World Bank, over 712 million people—about 9.7% of the world—are living in extreme poverty, trying to survive on less than $2.15 a day. Progress has been made in certain areas, but the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts, and climate disasters have sent us backwards in heartbreaking ways.

Poverty isn’t just a number; it’s the absence of basic things every person needs to live with dignity. It’s children going hungry, their growth and futures forever altered. It’s families without clean water, facing diseases they should never have to worry about. And it’s the lack of education that keeps this vicious cycle spinning, leaving entire generations without the tools to break free.

• Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of children living in extreme poverty, reaching 40% in 2022.
• Nearly 90% of children living in extreme poverty reside in either sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia. 
• 1.1 billion people, including 566 million children, live in multidimensional poverty, accounting for just over 18% of the world’s population. 

We are convicted that God intends for all of His people to experience life to the fullest. We receive continual requests from our Franciscan friars around the world requesting funds to serve their parishes, as they pour themselves out in service to others. But with the needs so great, we must rely on the financial generosity of people like you to continue uplifting and spreading hope among those for whom darkness encroaches continually.

Would you give a generous gift today to help our missionary friars care for children and others living in extreme poverty around the world?

Recent Project Highlights

Poverty alleviation projects

Everything we do is in service of the poorest of the poor around the world, from disaster relief, to education projects, to bringing healthcare to communities that desperately need it.

Several projects funded each year target specific needs of impoverished communities that don’t fit neatly into one primary focus area, but play a crucial role in addressing poverty. Recent projects have included:

• Assistance to homeless people in the area of Templo San Francisco, La Veracruz neighborhood, Bogotá Colombia
• A housing project for the HIV infected and poor in Dindigul
• Programs for the Neighborhood Centers of Mission San Francisco in Salta, Argentina, which included a soup kitchen, music, and tailoring services
• Indigenous community support in India