At its first f

Eloise Cotton

ormal meeting of the 2012-2013 Fraternal Year, the Assembly invited two representatives  from the Saint Francis House in Littel Rock to address the members about its function.  This imvitation followed a visit to St Francis by Faithful Navigator Ed Miller and  Bill Nosek, and it  designed to help the Assembly make a decision about a potentail new patriotic venture.  There was a good turnout for the meeting and an enthusiatic response  to the speakers, Employment Director Eloise Cotton and Reintegration Director Ken Mace.

"The mission of the St. Francis Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program is to provide a means of addressing the diverse employment needs of the homeless veteran.  

Ken Mace

It has implemented a program that targets female veterans and veterans with families.  The program is funded through a grant from the Department of Labor, and it partners with the Arkansas Workforce Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other homeless service providers in the community.  The focus of the program is to provide employment services to assist the homeless veteran with viable employment and a stable living environment."

Following the presentation, the Assembly decided to work with the St Francis House.  A number of knights signed up to be part of a committee to determine the extent of involvement.  On an interim basis, about 20 boxes of items were selected from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Treasure Sale just before its conclusion on Saturday.  The items were delivered to St Francis the following week.

Mike Kerwin is the liaison between the St Francis House and the committee, which is in the process of discerning how best to complement  the efforts of the staff in meeting the needs of the homeless vets.