The Faithful Fools is a charitable and educational organization created in
1998 to be present with and to address the existence of poverty in the midst of
material wealth. Aware of our judgments, we seek to meet people where they
are through the arts, education, advocacy and accompaniment.
Our Mission
We are called to a ministry of presence that acknowledges each human's
incredible worth. Aware of our judgments we seek to meet people where they are,
through the arts, education, advocacy and accompaniment. We participate in shattering
myths about those living in poverty, seeing the light courage, intelligence,
strength and creativity of the people we encounter. We discover on the streets
our common humanity through which celebration, community and healing occur.
Faithful Fools in the Twin Cities
Featuring Theater by Martha Boesing
The Fools will be visiting the Minneapolis - St. Paul Twin Cities
from May 3 through May 17th!
Come say hello! Come see a play! Come on a Street Retreat!
The
Faithful Fools just completed 10 years on the streets!
On Sunday, March 30th, they celebrated at the worship service of the
First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco. Rev. Kay
Jorgensen, Sr. Carmen Barsody, AFRIAD, and various other Fools talked
about their Foolish experiences.
Listen to the service with terrific commentaries from Melissa,
Mason, Nicolette, Jana, and more.
The Faithful Fools Street Ministry is incorporated as a 501 (c) (3)
charitable and educational organization.
The founders and directors of the Faithful Fools are two women with strong
religious convictions. Sister Carmen Barsody
and the Reverend Dr. Kay Jorgensen bring Catholic and
Unitarian Universalist training and traditions to the street ministry.
They welcome you to join them in their spiritual foolery.
"Faithful" in our accompaniment of people with a presence that
acknowledges each human's incredible worth.
"Fools" are one who see the world in all its glorious absurdity and
act on what they see.
"Streets" being a place where we discover our common humanity
making way for celebration, community and healing to occur.
"Ministry" is a way of living and being in the world that mirrors
the presence of God.
Hat Factory
Faithful Fools now have a Hat Factory open Tuesdays and Thursday from 2:30 to 5:30.
The "factory" is a community sewing project and all are welcome to drop in to make your their fool’s hat or make hats for Faithful Fools to disperse in the world.
There are fabrics and machines to make the foolish hat you’ve always dreamed of.
Suggested donation for materials to make your own hat is $5. Or you can volunteer your time to make a hat for Faithful Fools.
Kirsten Hove is our “Fool Seamstress”. Volunteer Sewers are need to help assemble the designers’ hats. For details contact Kirsten at 415 971-5717.
Nicaragua Fools
In January 8 Faithful Fools traveled to Nicaragua. Elise Spofford, a
Franciscan Associate from MN and I took photos that show the magnificent
spirit of the people.
Elise also made a little
video of Colegio San Francisco de Asís, the school that Faithful
Fools, Franciscan Sisters and Ada Frazer of Nicaragua Restaurant all
help create a place for 175 children to study.
JD is an Old Fool. Her poems speak to relationship and perception. The
Faithful Fools' Will To Print press has just issued a chapbook of
collected works called Water.
Some poems tell a story and some do not. Some are dialogue gone off. They come from her experience, observable or from within her own heart and mind alone.
The earliest in this collection was written when she was about 18, the most recent just this year. She says, The people who reside in these poems are real, living and breathing at one time or another---or not. They reside in the complex of the abstract and the concrete, my awareness, humor, rage, ambivalence, grief, love, incredulity and the struggle these and other states of mind and heart, spirit and body, create."
Excerpt from “ Wild Flower Diary”:
Potato, snap dragon, phlox: families
that watched you from the wall thin
as a calendar month: August,
March, December. Days left unmarked
filled with remedies, herbal teas
and salts that came too late.
Excerpt from “Shoot”
It’s decided then. You change
careers, not cities, become
a hit woman. You enroll
in the appropriate board-certified
program, careen with all the course work
and prospects of a practicum.
The book can be ordered by sending a check to Faithful Fools at 234
Hyde Street, SF, CA 94102. The suggested donation amount is $10.
Donations accumulated from this book will go toward future
publications of Fool’s anthologies.
The Caring Congregation Handbook and Training Manual
The Faithful Fools endorse a terrific mental health resource written by Rev.
Barbara Meyer, The Caring Congregation Handbook and Training Manual.
The Caring Congregation Program is a series of workshops focused on
welcoming and supporting people with mental disorders and their families
into spiritual and religious communities.
The goal of the workshops is to reduce
prejudice by increasing understanding and acceptance among people who have
mental disorders, giving ideas for specific supportive actions that can be
undertaken.
The program intentionally honors the spiritual component in caring for mental
disorder, thus building a community that will become a source of caring for
those with mental disorders.
The Faithful Fools is offering the book for only $23 which
includes shipping and other PayPal fees.
Click on the picture above to order
your copy now!
The
Faithful Fools just completed 10 years on the streets! 
Hat Factory
Faithful Fools now have a Hat Factory open Tuesdays and Thursday from 2:30 to 5:30.
