In Progress

Initiatives

Collington Square Project

A mixed-use development that will provide outside resources (Basketball Courts and playgrounds) and community amenities to the Collington Square neighborhood in Baltimore, MD

OSHA Weekend Training

A two-day training course that provides participants with the knowledge and skills they need to comply with OSHA safety standards.

  • Which programs Ex. Flaggers & Certificates at the end of scheduled training
  • A program that provides training and certification for flaggers, who are responsible for directing traffic around construction and utility work zones.
  • Skill Jobs: A program that provides training and job placement assistance for individuals who are interested in developing skills in the respective fields relating to OSHA landscaping and construction.

Single Mothers & Fathers

A program that provides support and resources to single mothers and fathers, including parenting development, job training, and educational development.

  • Parental Development
    • A program that provides parents with the knowledge and skills they need to raise healthy and successful children.
  • Job Trade training
    • A program that provides training in a variety of job trades, including construction, electrical work, and plumbing.
  • Educational Development
    • A program that provides individuals with the support and resources they need to complete their education and achieve their career goals.

Housing Assistance

A program that provides grants and loans to help individuals and families obtain affordable housing.

  • Grants
    • The Francis Family Foundation provides grants to organizations that are working to address pressing social issues in the Kansas City community.
  • Loans
    • The Francis Family Foundation provides loans to individuals and families who need assistance in obtaining affordable housing.
  • Program
    • The Francis Family Foundation offers a variety of programs and services to help individuals and families reach their full potential.

Veterans and Senior Living

  • The Francis Family Foundation is committed to supporting veterans and seniors. The foundation aims to provides grants to organizations that are working to improve the lives of veterans and seniors in the community. For example, the foundation has goals to support programs that provide housing assistance, healthcare services, and social support to veterans and seniors.
  • The Francis Family Foundation is a valuable asset to the community. The foundation's programs and services help individuals and families reach their full potential and build a better future for themselves and their community.

Past

Initiatives

Basketball Training

A youth basketball program that provides training and mentorship to young athletes from all backgrounds.

  • Mentorships
    • A program that matches youth with adult mentors who can provide guidance and support.
  • Drills
    • A program that provides youth with opportunities to participate in a variety of drills and exercises to improve their athletic skills.
  • Student Athlete Development
    • A program that provides student athletes with support and resources to help them succeed academically and athletically.

The Steve
Francis Basketball Academy

The Steve Francis Basketball Academy believes strongly in learning through experience. Our camps comprises of players of varying skill levels. We strive to give our campers tools to improve their game and reach their goals. Our coaches take a personal interest in each camper to help them improve their game.

The inaugural camp took place at Sunnyside Community Center July 19-23, 2021. Francis created this basketball camp to offer a one of a kind experience to the Sunnyside Community and welcomed the campers ages 6-13 free of charge.

Sunnyside Up!

The Steve Francis Foundation launched in 1999 when Steve Francis decided to use his very first endorsement check from Reebok to revitalize the neighborhood community center near his childhood home on Maple Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland. This was before he was selected as the #2 overall pick in the NBA Draft. The number of hours Steve spent at this Center in his younger years playing football, basketball, baseball, volunteering and studying were countless. That is where he met his closest friends, coaches and mentors. This is the place and these are the people that he would turn to during his most challenging times.

When it was time to launch his Foundation in 1999, Steve knew what the mission would be: to provide recreational and educational opportunities to at-risk youth. This vision had been with Steve since his childhood.

For over 20 years, Steve’s Foundation has been fulfilling this mission through recreational programming; a scholarship program that distributed over $640,000 in scholarships in honor of his Mother Brenda Wilson; and sharing food, gifts and household items to those in need around the holidays.

The worldwide pandemic changed everything in 2020. In this time of growth and reflection, Steve linked up with a new mentor in Pastor James Nash of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church and through discernment and reflection, realized a calling to the Sunnyside Community. Pastor Nash introduced Steve to the community and together they identified how The Steve Francis Foundation could make an impact in Sunnyside. 

Steve has a new vision-Sunnyside Up!-which is a multi-layer effort to improve educational and recreational opportunities for youth in the Sunnyside Community. Initial efforts include distributions of food, toys and household items around Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020 and a basketball camp and school supply distribution in Summer 2021.

Next steps include The Steve Francis Foundation partnering with the Sunnyside Community and the Houston Parks & Recreation Department to develop a public-private partnership with the goal of repairing, upgrading, and maintaining Sunnyside Park and Community Center so that the youth have a home in the community for educational and recreational opportunities much like Steve did in his youth.

Stay tuned as there will be much more to share about The Steve Francis Foundation’s Sunnyside Up! initiative very soon. 

Additional Links:  Sunnyside Community Center   Pastor James Nash