Faith in Action Outreach Ministries.
Working for peace, working for justice.
At the Franciscan Renewal Center, “Faith in Action” means putting your passion to work for social justice and positive change in the world. We are the hands and feet of Christ, and we are motivated by St. Francis’ revolutionary concept of what it means to embrace all of Creation with love, not blame.
Here, volunteer ministry teams await you — to tackle real societal needs throughout the state of Arizona.
Navigate this Page.
Faith in Action Team.
Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly (ALW).
Justice Formation in the Franciscan Way Series of Courses.
Our Christian faith invites us to become agents of God’s compassion in a wounded world. The Faith in Action Ministry of the Franciscan Renewal Center offers programs that help you act on that invitation. Our Act Love Walk courses are formation programs that provide opportunities to dig a little deeper into the issues we face in the 21st century. These programs offer time for participants to gather in small group/small faith community to study, explore and experience Christ’s call to care for the poor and vulnerable, live out peace and nonviolence principles, and care for our sister, Mother Earth in a lively, challenging, multifaceted adult learning process.
All is done through the lens of Scripture (Micah 6:8) and Franciscan spirituality. We offer stand-alone programs or workshops, 6 to 8 week “short” courses, e.g., Ubuntu Spirit of Solidarity and Terra Amata courses, as well as a 25-week complete course. Everyone is welcome to participate. In addition to participants, we welcome volunteer facilitators for these courses.
Contact: Laura Libertore – alw@thecasa.org
André House Lobby Bin Volunteers.
André House Lobby Bin volunteers serve by picking up donations in the André House bin in the Guest Lobby at the Casa and dropping them off at André House. The lobby bin accepts new and gently used men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and socks, backpacks, hats and baseball caps, and hygiene and over-the-counter unopened medicinal products, e.g., cough drops, ibuprofen, and aspirin.
André House typically receives Casa donations on Wednesdays. Bin volunteers are added to a contact list and contacted via phone by Guest Services Desk staff if the donation bin is full and needs to be picked up. Volunteers in this ministry do not serve directly on-site at André House in Phoenix.
Contact: andrehousevolunteers@thecasa.org
Care for Creation (C4C).
The Care for Creation ministry is committed to educating the community on ways to be better stewards of God’s creation. The ministry is engaged in projects that help the Franciscan Renewal Center lower its ecological footprint. Ministry members promote activities that encourage the Casa community to engage with Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, learn about environmental issues, and lessen their own carbon footprint. They also partner with other ecological groups in the Valley. The ministry members pattern their work on the life of St. Francis who understood himself to be a brother to all of God’s creation. People with a passion for working to protect our planet and educating others are encouraged to join this ministry.
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Contact: careforcreation@thecasa.org
Casa Grounds for Solidarity (Café Justo).
Casa Grounds for Solidarity Ministry supports a Mexican coffee growing and roasting cooperative by selling Café Justo brand organic, fair-trade coffee to the Franciscan Renewal Center community. Café Justo markets pure, organic, fair-trade coffee which is grown, harvested and marketed in the spirit of justice. The direct purchase of coffee from the small farmers of Chiapas and roasters of Agua Prieta provides fair wages, health insurance, and retirement benefits. This in turn offers a desirable alternative to migration thus keeping families together on their ancestral lands.
We invite you to become a volunteer seller with this ministry. Except for the summer months, coffee sales occur after all Masses the second full weekend of each month. Coffee may also be purchased at the Guest Services Lobby Desk and in the Books & Blessings Gift Shop.
See the different kinds of coffee sold. And remember, the difference is in the roasting.
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Contact: casagrounds@thecasa.org
Casa Habitat for Humanity.
Casa community members are invited to participate in Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona building projects. We partner with local faith communities to build homes for families who might not otherwise have the opportunity of home ownership. Be a part of this life-changing work. It is a hand up, not a handout. Volunteers aged 16-17 can participate in building; 18+ can work on roofs and operate power tools. No previous construction experience is necessary. There are a wide range of volunteer roles in addition to “building,” including helping on the leadership team (help the ministry to flourish) and organizing lunches for construction teams, etc.
Contact: thecasahabitat@thecasa.org
Casa Veterans Ministry (CVM).
Connecting. Serving. Healing. The Casa Veterans Ministry provides a safe place where service members, veterans and their families join in community to find healing from their wounds of service.
Purpose: We exist to respond to the spiritual and emotional needs of service members, veterans, and their families offering a welcoming and compassionate environment.
Mission: To take concrete actions to assist service members, veterans and their families with healing, education programs, events, and services designed to support their spiritual and emotional needs.
Six Project Areas:
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Healing of Memories: In partnership with the Institute for Healing of Memories we offer Healing of Memories (HOM) Workshops for veterans and service members. ​
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St. Francis: Journey of a Resilient Warrior levels 1&2. These are designed to offer healing insights from one of the most beloved but misunderstood saints. ​
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St. Joseph Baskets: Donations are accepted for the St. Joseph Baskets – a welcome basket that includes kitchen, bedroom and bathroom supplies for recently housed veterans transitioning from homelessness. ​
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Veteran Services Educational Programs: We provide educational opportunities for the community to understand moral injury, post-traumatic stress (PTS), and other veteran issues.​
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Community Prayer and Engagement: We offer a variety of events to bring veterans together with each other and with our civilian community. Example offerings are the Annual Veterans Day Picnic and Memorial Day Rosary.
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Building Spiritual Strength: an 8-week online program that has been found to be helpful for veterans, service members, and VA Healthcare workers. Participants may come from a variety of faith backgrounds and may suffer from moral injury or spiritual distress.
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Contact: casaveteransministry@thecasa.org
Engaging Spirituality and
Contemplative Justice Spirituality.
Courses and Programs
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Engaging Spirituality is a small group process that invites us to draw our broken and beautiful world into reflection and hold it in prayer. We practice living deeply/contemplatively as well as loving broadly/compassionately. To live an undivided life, we do not “turn away” from the struggles and suffering in the world, but instead create a safe space to bear witness to them. Consider Engaging Spirituality as a time to reconnect. Perhaps you are… longing to live an undivided life; ready to pattern your life around prayer and outreach; curious about how to be more present, aware, and awake; open to reconciliation, healing, and growth; seeking rest for your soul. The most important requirement is a longing for a deeper and wider appreciation for life.
Other contemplative courses include opportunities to slow down, listen deeply, breath, care, and connect. These contemplative justice programs include short courses or micro-courses offered during the seasons of Advent and Lent.
In addition to participants, volunteer facilitators are always welcomed.
Contact: es@thecasa.org
English as a Second Language (ESL).
“To touch the hearts of your students is the greatest miracle you can ever perform.” – St. John Baptist de la Salle, patron saint of teachers
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The Casa ESL Ministry teaches basic English language skills to immigrants. Generally, students are Spanish speaking. Ability to speak Spanish is not a requirement. There are two volunteer roles, and other roles as needed. The two main roles are Lead Instructor and Teaching Assistant. A teaching background is helpful but not mandatory. We use a team-teaching approach with a designated lead instructor. We use a total immersion approach and speak only English in the classroom. Lesson plans, classroom handouts and teaching materials consist of a combination of purchased texts and donated material, funded by several cash grants and donated services from the Casa. Classes are taught from September to May. The current ESL sites/locations are St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Phoenix, and Chicanos Por La Causa Community Center in West Phoenix. Along with teaching English, our volunteers connect and develop positive relationships with their students.
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Contact: esl@thecasa.org
Hunger Action Ministry (HAM).
The Vision of the Hunger Action Ministry (HAM) is to be a change agent in our community. Our Mission is to promote and support organizations, in the local community, that strive to reduce and eliminate hunger. Our mission involves:
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Action: Organizing service events at local food banks and having food drives at the Casa.
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Awareness: Educating the FRC (Casa) community on hunger issues through movies, speakers, and events; September is Hunger Action Month, and we observe it with a variety of special events.
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Advocacy: Promoting advocacy on significant issues related to local and national hunger with legislative interaction via emails, letters and, at times, face-to-face meetings with lawmakers.
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Here’s why this ministry cares about hunger in our community: about 29% of the world population are acutely hungry or food insecure (a lack of access to food). Many families in Arizona struggle to feed their children and themselves. In fact, Arizona ranks 15th in the nation for the poverty rate and 14th in the nation for food insecurity and 12th in the United States for childhood food insecurity. Arizona produces 12% of the nation's fruits and vegetables (third in the country) yet one in every seven Arizonans can’t keep food on their tables and many are just one job loss or medical crisis away from food insecurity. Arizona as a state has the third-highest rate of food insecurity among the western states.
Through education, advocacy, and service HAM hopes to do our part to reduce food insecurity. We hope you will consider volunteering your time and talents to our ministry. We welcome your inquiries about the possibility of joining the Hunger Action Leadership Team and about upcoming service events.
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See our most recent HAM newsletter.
Contact and sign up for HAM newsletter: hungeraction@thecasa.org
Just Scripture.
*JustScripture meets on the 2nd Saturday of the month, from 10 - 11:30 am on Zoom.
How does God’s Word speak to you through Scripture?
​Just Scripture is time set aside, monthly, for the Casa community to contemplate and share God's word -- food for the soul.
In Just Scripture we consider Biblical issues of justice and mercy that impact our world today and talk about how the Sunday readings connect with daily life and Franciscan values. Participants are invited to break open the Word by sharing how Scripture touched their hearts or minds. A background in Scripture scholarship is not needed. No fee is required. But how do you prepare for Just Scripture?
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ALL ARE WELCOME.
Matthew 25: Serving Asylum Seekers
Mission: Serve asylum seekers and increase community awareness of why they seek asylum
Vision: A world where all are welcome
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Matthew 25 volunteers provide a warm welcome, meals, gently used clothing, and hygiene items every Monday at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) Welcome Center in Phoenix. We experience the gift of renewing the lives of our asylum-seeking brothers and sisters. Volunteers strive to raise community awareness on migrant issues, and coordinate events at the Casa to educate about current, pressing issues that affect migrants and asylum seekers. Daily, we experience the gift of renewing the lives of our asylum seeker brothers and sisters. Matthew25 volunteers, who serve at the IRC Welcome Center, select the dates and times they want to serve through the IRC Portal. The IRC has a set of requirements plus an orientation process for all new Welcome Center volunteers.​
Contact: matthew25@thecasa.org
Peace Ministry.
Currently this team brings the Popcorn Pizza and Peace Movie Nights to the Franciscan Renewal Center community in support of World Peace Day (International Day of Peace), the ”Season for Nonviolence,” and Juneteenth. Several times per year, it also offers, after Masses, Divine Fair-Trade chocolate to the community.
The Season for Nonviolence (SNV) is traditionally celebrated from January 30—April 4, the memorial dates of the deaths of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At the Franciscan Renewal Center these 64 days of the SNV are observed throughout the year.
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As a fledgling leadership team, we need volunteers.
Contact: peace@thecasa.org
Valley Interfaith Project (Casa VIP).
Valley Interfaith Project is a broad based, non-partisan organization of institutions committed to developing the capacity of ordinary people to work on issues affecting families at the state and local levels. As a founding member of the Valley Interfaith Project organization, the Casa Valley Interfaith Project (or Casa VIP) chapter trains and empowers members to be active participants and leaders in all levels of our democracy. These include understanding local concerns, researching and presenting local issues, and developing the ability to interact effectively with public officials. Our Catholic faith calls us to work in the public arena on matters that affect the dignity of the human person, and to work in solidarity with the most vulnerable in our society. As the Catechism states, “It is necessary that all participate in promoting the common good” and “as far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life.” (Catechism, #1913-1915)
Contact: vipvolunteers@thecasa.org
Partnerships and Resources.
The Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
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Our Faith in Action ministry is founded on the Church’s social teaching, a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Read about the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)’s website.
The Salt and Light Model
As a community of faith, we believe that we need to be, more than ever, a source of clear moral vision and effective action. In the words of the scripture (Mt. 5:13-16), we are called to be the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” The pursuit of justice and peace is an essential part of what makes us Catholic. Read the document.
Connecting Ourselves to Our Communities and Our World
This world needs you. What can you do? The Casa is all about service to others as we seek to follow the model of St. Francis of Assisi. The Faith in Action Ministry partners with the following charity and justice organizations.
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Local & National Partners in Ministry and Resources​​​
Franciscan
Care for Creation Ministry
Casa Grounds for Solidarity
Casa Habitat Ministry
Casa Veterans Ministry
Hunger Action Ministry
Valley Interfaith Project Casa Core Team
Other
International Partner in Ministry