St. Francis Outreach Scholarship Fund

The mission of the St. Francis Outreach Scholarship Fund (SFOSF) is to help students of limited means with their unmet college expenses. We are celebrating our 28th year. Our goal is to help students throughout all four years of college until graduation. We ask that the students stay in touch with us and provide us with their grades and updates on their classes. We do not promise assistance, but help and mentor them as appropriate.

Our organization was founded by a parishioner, Mrs. Joni McIntyre, in 1998. In May 2025, Joni passed away at the age of 103. Joni had the vision to start SFOSF and the leadership to not only start the fund but also to sustain it for so many years. She was always proud of our students and so appreciative of the parish’s help in supporting the fund. So many were able to benefit from her dedication.

As of April 2026, since the fund’s inception, we have helped over 70 students with a total outlay exceeding $400,000.

As of May 2026, our committee consists of eight parishioners. We always welcome new members and mentors. Maybe something in your background will resonate with a student.

For many years, we have selected our students from Hawthorne Math and Science Academy in Hawthorne, California. The counselors at this school work very closely with us to provide us with the type of students that we would like to support. Many of these students are first-generation college students and receive little in the way of college and career guidance in their home situation. We like to support students who have extra challenges, for example, one-parent households, as well as financial need. We begin our assistance with purchasing a laptop for the student if needed. We also help with tuition assistance, purchasing books and lab supplies, and transportation and housing in some cases.

In 2025, we selected four students from the Hawthorne Math and Science Academy and one additional student from the South Bay community. We helped the additional student with interim tuition support and completion of her financial aid application. By completing the FAFSA, she was able to have help paying for her classes at El Camino College, which had previously been denied. In 2025, the committee dispersed $11,019 to our 14 students.

In 2026, we will have five college graduates, two of whom are graduating early. Our plans are to support three new college freshmen who will be selected from the Hawthorne Math and Science Academy in May 2026. In addition, one of our current El Camino students has been accepted to the University of California at Riverside and will be transferring there in the fall. We love celebrating when they can join us at a Sunday service and meet members of the parish.

For over 20 years, we held an annual fundraiser, “Designs for Dining”. We have, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, featured smaller fundraisers. We also receive funds quarterly from Ralph’s and Food 4 Less Community Rewards program. All you need to participate is a rewards number. Would you like to join? There is no fee to participate. The committee receives a portion of what you would spend on your groceries, and this amount would be directed to our scholarship fund. If you would like to help in this way, please contact one of the members of the scholarship committee.

The committee always welcomes donations, and in 2026, we received a check for $7,000 from the estate of Joni McIntyre. What a legacy Joni leaves behind.

Co-Chairs, Cheryl Gutierrez and Robin Pano