The Board of Trustees of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation has approved a grant from The Sisters of St. Francis Foundation Donor Advised Fund to Zepf Center in the amount of $50,000. These funds will be used to support the efforts of the agency’s Safety Net – Northwest Ohio’s only 24/7 emergency shelter for runaway and homeless youth.
The Sisters of St. Francis Foundation Fund envisions communities in which all members have equal opportunity to thrive. Consistent with their mission statement, grants from the Sisters of St. Francis Fund support a variety of organizations and programs which are working in one or more of the following areas: (1) aiding in the fight against human trafficking and/or offering support to its victims; (2) offering support to immigrants and refugees; and (3) broadly advancing social justice and equal access to opportunity through other programs and strategies.
Since its opening in 2016, Zepf Center’s Safety Net has been able to provide comprehensive, evidence and strengths-based services to nearly 1,200 youth, with the goal of bridging permanent connections with families, communities, schools, and other positive social networks. Currently, there are 3,600 youth at-risk for human trafficking in Ohio. In addition, Toledo Public Schools report that nearly 2,000 of their students are homeless. According to Deb Flores, Zepf Center CEO, “The grant will support the efforts of the shelter as the staff work to engage and care for this fragile and at-risk population.”
Greater Toledo Community Foundation is a public charitable organization created by citizens of our community to enrich the quality of life for individuals and families in our area. In existence since 1973, the Foundation has more than 900 individual current funds with assets of approximately $330 million. The Foundation provides philanthropic services for individuals, families, businesses, and corporations to meet their charitable giving needs. For more information on the Foundation, visit the organization’s website at www.toledocf.org or follow them on Facebook or LinkedIn.
To learn more about Safety Net and how you can support the services of the shelter, please visit www.zepfcenter.org. Zepf Center has been a behavioral health leader in the community for nearly 40 years and is prepared to meet the challenges associated with COVID-19 in order to create hope and recovery for the individuals we are privileged to care for. Zepf Center is certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International.