This is the heart of the Franciscan Family Apostolate mission in India. Over one thousand families in dire need receive a stipend provided by sponsors here in the United States. A sponsor pledges a monthly allotment used for basic necessities such as food, clothing and medicines. Assistance is continued until the family is self-sufficient and able to stand on their own. Many, many have been blessed with this ability. The goal is to help families help themselves. For an example of how your monthly support can help a family, please watch the video at the bottom of this page.
Need is the only criteria without regard to any race or creed. The only concern of the Franciscan Family Apostolate is to help families redeem themselves from the oppression of poverty and destitution.
Our staff visits a prospective family, who has either requested assistance or has been referred to us by some other source, to ascertain their need. At that time a profile of the family is prepared and photos are taken. These are supplied to the new sponsor for their consideration as to the nature of assistance needed. So deep is the poverty that there has always been a backlog of families needing assistance.
Once a family is sponsored, their situation begins to improve dramatically. Sending $25.00 per month greatly increases their income, more than doubling their earnings of approximately $10.00 per month. Periodic staff visits are made to the families to determine how they are moving along, if they have any special needs, and to assist in writing periodic letters to their sponsors. Additionally, the Apostolate, opens up a bank account for each family to insure the proper transfer of funds and to teach money management as most of the poor families have little concept of fiduciary responsibility.
For it is in giving that we receive.
St. Francis of Assisi
How Sponsorship Works
Staff Members Visiting a Family
Select a family from those shown on our Sponsor A Family page. You can learn about each family by clicking on their photo. Once you have selected a family, decide how much you would like to contribute monthly to support that family. We ask only that you give what you can afford. The minimum sponsorship is $25.00 per month. Of this amount, approximately 85% goes directly to your family. The 15% balance is used to cover administrative costs both in the USA and India and for the Community Development Fund which will also benefit your family.
Making Your First Payment:
You may use PayPal to send your first month’s support by filling in the amount you wish to contribute in the space provided on the family’s page and then clicking on the ‘Add to Cart’ button. You will then see a page which confirms your choice and allows you to pay through PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account to use this method, you will be allowed to use any credit card for payment). After you have completed payment in PayPal, you will be returned to our site to complete your order.
If you do not wish to use PayPal, you may to call or email the Franciscan Family Apostolate with your selection. If you are using Paypal to remit your donation, we would appreciate if you would please add 4% to your donation (approximately $1 for a $25 donation) to cover the cost of PalPal processing.
Once your initial payment is received:
You will receive a legend and photo of your family
You will receive our email newsletter.
You will receive quarterly letters from your family with news of how they are doing.
We highly recommend writing your family regularly – they want to know you and how you are doing. Send a photo – they will keep the photo on their family altar and pray for your intentions.
The Franciscan Family Apostolate has benefited from miracles of the computer age. Whereas communication with India was quite difficult in the past taking many weeks, now through the use of computers, email, and digital photography, information on any family under our care can be available within a few days time. The Franciscan Family Apostolate encourages sponsor communication with their families through its office in India. You can contact Sister Elsy or Sister Carmel by email and request such information as land and house needs, special medical needs, occupational and educational needs or dowry and marriage needs or merely an update on the condition of your family.
On-going payments to your family:
Sponsorship of a family is an on-going commitment. Your family will depend upon your support for food and medicines that they vitally need. To make a monthly payment for a family you are currently sponsoring from this website, simply click on ‘Existing Sponsor Donations’ in the scroll down menu of ‘How You Can Help’ on the gold bar running across most of the pages in this website. You will find instructions for entering your monthly payment and your family number. ,You can also mail your monthly payment to our CT office or send payments directly through your Paypal account. If you would like to set up an automatic schedule for your future payments to be withdrawn from your Paypal account, please contact our CT office directly.
If at any time you feel you must cancel your sponsorship, please let us know as soon as possible so we can find a sponsor to take over the sponsorship.
How to Sponsor a Family
Need is the only criteria without regard to any race or creed. The only concern of the Franciscan Family Apostolate is to help families redeem themselves from the oppression of poverty and destitution.
Our staff visits a prospective family, who has either requested assistance or has been referred to us by some other source, to ascertain their need. At that time a profile of the family is prepared and photos are taken. These are supplied to the new sponsor for their consideration as to the nature of assistance needed. So deep is the poverty that there has always been a backlog of families needing assistance.
Once a family is sponsored, their situation begins to improve dramatically. Sending $25.00 per month greatly increases their income, more than doubling their earnings of approximately $10.00 per month. Periodic staff visits are made to the families to determine how they are moving along, if they have any special needs, and to assist in writing periodic letters to their sponsors. Additionally, the Apostolate, opens up a bank account for each family to insure the proper transfer of funds and to teach money management as most of the poor families have little concept of fiduciary responsibility.
How Sponsorship Works
Select a family from those shown on our Sponsor A Family page. You can learn about each family by clicking on their photo. Once you have selected a family, decide how much you would like to contribute monthly to support that family. We ask only that you give what you can afford. The minimum sponsorship is $25.00 per month. Of this amount, approximately 85% goes directly to your family. The 15% balance is used to cover administrative costs both in the USA and India and for the Community Development Fund which will also benefit your family.
Making Your First Payment:
You may use PayPal to send your first month’s support by filling in the amount you wish to contribute in the space provided on the family’s page and then clicking on the ‘Add to Cart’ button. You will then see a page which confirms your choice and allows you to pay through PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account to use this method, you will be allowed to use any credit card for payment). After you have completed payment in PayPal, you will be returned to our site to complete your order.
If you do not wish to use PayPal, you may to call or email the Franciscan Family Apostolate with your selection. If you are using Paypal to remit your donation, we would appreciate if you would please add 4% to your donation (approximately $1 for a $25 donation) to cover the cost of PalPal processing.
Once your initial payment is received:
On-going payments to your family:
Sponsorship of a family is an on-going commitment. Your family will depend upon your support for food and medicines that they vitally need. To make a monthly payment for a family you are currently sponsoring from this website, simply click on ‘Existing Sponsor Donations’ in the scroll down menu of ‘How You Can Help’ on the gold bar running across most of the pages in this website. You will find instructions for entering your monthly payment and your family number. ,You can also mail your monthly payment to our CT office or send payments directly through your Paypal account. If you would like to set up an automatic schedule for your future payments to be withdrawn from your Paypal account, please contact our CT office directly.
If at any time you feel you must cancel your sponsorship, please let us know as soon as possible so we can find a sponsor to take over the sponsorship.
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