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Franciscan Works

Franciscan Works is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for the poorest of poor children in developing countries through ed...Learn more

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Franciscan Works - Liberia Mission is fundraising
Replace Water Tower at Liberia Mission
Every Child Should Have Safe and Reliable Access to Water

Our current water tower at Liberia Mission is deteriorating due to the rainforest conditions that allow for vegetation to take root in the small crevices of the concrete structure. Over time the concrete cracks and falls off, causing the iron rebar infrastructure to rust, and the ever-weakened structure becomes prone to collapse. This is obviously dangerous for our students and staff.

We are in desperate need of a replacement. On this national day of giving, we humbly and prayerfully ask for your support. We are raising $10,000 to help cover the cost of demolishing the old water tower and installing a brand-new water tower. Your gift will ensure that our students and staff have safe and reliable access to water.

The new tower will hold more water tanks, providing clean drinking water for over 500 students and staff, and will be adequate to sustain the demands of our future expansion projects—such as an early learning center or high school. Our very own students who have studied masonry will be able to assist hired experts in the construction of the new water tower, providing them with a unique learning opportunity to expand their knowledge in the field of construction.

We need your help to make this possible. Will you join us?

Our current water tower:

Plans for the new tower:

Learn More About Franciscan Works + Liberia Mission

At Liberia Mission in West Africa, we care for 500 poor and orphaned children who live in the aftermath of Liberia’s brutal civil war and deadly Ebola outbreak. These tragedies took countless lives and contributed to a lack of infrastructure, intergenerational poverty, and poor healthcare in Liberia. Since 2003, Franciscan Works has been supporting Liberia Mission, a community of love, learning, work, and prayer. Here, students are learning to become future leaders in their families, communities, and country.

Liberia Mission consists of a secure 10-acre campus and an adjoining 15-acre farm property. The main campus houses St. Anthony of Padua School, St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, separate residence buildings for boys and girls, and accommodations for program managers and American volunteers.

Learn more about our students, residential facilities, church, school, piggery, and farm at Liberia Mission here.
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23 supporters
Franciscan Works is fundraising
Franciscan Works: #GivingTuesdayNow
Please join us in supporting Franciscan Works + Liberia Mission, Inc. this #GivingTuesdayNow! As the entire world responds to COVID-19, supporting and lifting up the world's most vulnerable communities is more important than ever. Therefore, we humbly and prayerfully ask for your support of Franciscan Works + Liberia Mission, Inc., so that we can continue to serve Liberian children, particularly at a time when the Mission is placed under quarantine in order to provide a safe opportunity for children to shelter-in-place as we weather the storm of this global pandemic.

Background on Franciscan Works: According to a UNICEF study released in 2016, Liberia is home to the highest proportion of out-of-school children in the world -- with nearly two-thirds of primary-aged children not accessing school. Franciscan Works is looking to change Liberia's position on the UNICEF trend line by empowering Liberian youth through faith formation, Catholic education, and life skills training.

More specifically, Franciscan Works is a non-profit organization that funds Liberia Mission in West Africa. Since 2003, Liberia Mission has been a community of love, learning, work and prayer. Here, over 500 poor and orphaned children, survivors of Liberia's brutal civil war and Ebola, are learning to become future leaders in their families, communities, and country.

Liberia Mission consists of a secure 10-acre campus and an adjoining 15-acre farm property. The main campus houses St. Anthony of Padua School, St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, separate residence buildings for boys and girls, and accommodations for program managers and American volunteers.

Learn more about our students, residential facilities, church, school, piggery and farm at Liberia Mission here.

Background on #GivingTuesdayNow: #GivingTuesdayNow is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 – in addition to the regularly scheduled Dec 1, 2020 #GivingTuesday – as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. Learn more about #GivingTuesdayNow here .

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17 supporters
Franciscan Works is fundraising
Support Girls' Education at Liberia Mission
Did you know that according to Unicef, Liberia has the highest proportion of children out-of-school in the world? This especially affects girls who need education to secure future earnings, be strong decision makers in their homes, and stay healthy. That is why we welcome over 200 girls into our program and offer them scholarships so they can stay in school.

As we prepare for summer and a new school year, we need your support to raise funds for our female student scholarships. Please give and help us reach our goal of $500. This gift will be used for 2 scholarships that will be given to girls in our community. Thank you for helping empower our girls to be strong female leaders!
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13 supporters
Joe Sehnert is fundraising
Summer Work Program

Liberia Mission's Summer Work Program provides skill training, infrastructure improvement teaches the children of the mission to earn and manage money.

Our Project: Rehab our Piggery

Who will benefit: We have 53 high school students and 35 elementary students who want to participate in the program.

What will the project include: fixing lighting and plumbing to the piggery, refinishing the walls and replacing rusted roof panels. Creating a fenced in field for pigs to forage and roam.

Skill Development: Plumbing, Electrical, Masonry, Roofing, Welding, Construction, Design and Project and Financial Managment
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22 supporters

From Franciscan Works

Fundraisers by the organization that needs your help

Organized by Franciscan Works
Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
Help Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery This Giving Tuesday!

Franciscan Works is raising $14,000 to make major structural renovations to Liberia Mission's student-run piggery. St. Isidore's piggery, named after the patron saint of farmers, not only provides a sustainable income for Liberia Mission, but it also provides an avenue for students to receive instruction in humane animal husbandry practices and sound business lessons that can be applied in the future.

Guided by the charism of St. Francis, students learn how to become good stewards of God’s creation by raising 100 pigs and bringing them to various markets: local community members, Liberian butchers, and members of the foreign expat community.

After years of enduring Liberia's harsh rainy and dry seasons, our piggery is in dire need of a major renovation. Termites have weakened wooden beams that support the roof. Major leakages in the tin roofing have rotted the wooden trusses responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of the roof itself. These leaks have also robbed our pigs of a dry and warm environment during the rainy season. This is particularly harmful to newborn piglets.

Additionally, the pigs have, over time, created holes in the flooring of their pens that not only accumulate water–which breeds mosquitoes and promotes malaria–but also creates unsafe physical conditions for them.

Please consider donating to this project so that, while our students learn vital agricultural and business skills, our pigs and piglets may live in a safe and healthy environment that would bring joy to the heart of St. Francis!

View pictures of the piggery's damage in the slideshow video below:

About Franciscan Works

Franciscan Works is a Chicago-based Catholic non-profit that is led and run by Catholic laity. We serve the poor and vulnerable in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Since 2003, Franciscan Works has provided financial and operational support to Liberia Mission, a community of love, learning, and prayer for poor and orphaned children in Liberia, West Africa. Liberia Mission provides a quality Catholic education and life skills training opportunities for over 450 students and a loving home for 30 resident students.

Working together, Franciscan Works and Liberia Mission empower young Liberians to break the cycle of poverty and become faithful adults of character and integrity who can support themselves, their families, and their community. This challenge is very real in Liberia, a country that experiences intergenerational poverty, poor healthcare, and lack of infrastructure from two civil wars and a deadly Ebola outbreak.

We cultivate the individual potential of children living in poverty so they can live as God intended, making full use of their talents and abilities for the common benefit, in communion with God, nature, and all humankind. Our mission is built upon three pillars: God, Education, and Work.

Learn more by visiting www.franciscanworks.org
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19 supporters

About Franciscan Works

Franciscan Works is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for the poorest of poor children in developing countries through education rooted in Gospel values in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. We develop the individual potential of children living in poverty so that they can live as God intended, making full use of their talents and abilities for the common benefit, in communion with God, nature and all humankind. Liberia Mission, Inc., located in West Africa, is the primary ministry of Franciscan Works. Liberia Mission is a community of love, learning, work and prayer dedicated to empowering poor, orphaned, and abandoned Liberian youth with faith and education.

17W144 Terry TrlWillowbrook, IL 60527-6024

Find Franciscan Works at

Causes

Catholicism, Education, Community and economic development, Philanthropy

Established

1972

Verified on GoFundMe

2023

Tax ID

23-7116589

NTEE code

Single Organization Support

Franciscan Works is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 23-7116589. Donations are tax-deductible. Select content is provided by GuideStar.

Recent Donations

Mary therese Ravens donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$1002 yrs
Anonymous donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$252 yrs
Robert Swayze donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$5002 yrs
Carol and JR Smith donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$5002 yrs
Walter Fahr donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$502 yrs
Alison Metcalfe donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$402 yrs
Elisabeth Murrell donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$1002 yrs
Kurt Heyrman donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$1002 yrs
Kate Britton Giaimo donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$2502 yrs
Anonymous donated to Renovate Liberia Mission's Piggery
$302 yrs

Franciscan Works

A new way to support Franciscan Works

Replace Water Tower at Liberia Mission