A throng of men and women gathered one day during The Great Depression outside St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street in New York City, begging for food, clothing and money. At the front door of the friary, a Franciscan friar gave everyone a sandwich and five-cent coin. That simple act of compassion and generosity on the morning of Sept. 26, 1930

It looks like a typical storefront – potted plants in the window, an inviting waiting area, workspace cubicles. But the sign – Franciscan Connection – indicates this isn’t an ordinary office storefront at all.

Not even the light drizzle could dampen the spirits of “Sharon” and her five children as they waited for St. Francis Inn to open for dinner. The single mother brings them to the Franciscan soup kitchen in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood three to four times a week for a warm, nourishing meal.

Jennifer Byrne and Erik Otten were traveling on parallel paths – their lives spiraling into an abyss of homelessness, poverty and addiction. St. Anthony Foundation not only saved them, but it also transformed their lives, as it has for thousands of others since its doors opened in 1950