January 23, 2009
Sisters of Charity Foundation Announces Final 2008 Grants Totaling More Than $1 Million to Address Causes and Consequences of Poverty
Grant Awards for Third & Fourth Quarters of 2008 Total $1,140,908
Editor’s Note: A list of grant recipient organizations and amounts is attached.
The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland concluded its 2008 grantmaking with awards totaling $1,140,908, reaffirming its commitment to address causes and consequences of poverty. More than half of that amount—$664,249—was earmarked for programs in the Foundation’s four focus areas: Supportive Housing, Health Disparities, Education Disparities and Religious Communities.
Current efforts by the Foundation to reduce chronic homelessness through supportive housing are a natural outgrowth of nearly a decade of work to increase affordable housing options in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties. The Supportive Housing Initiative supports programs that apply the principles of permanent housing to families at-risk for homelessness and youth aging out of foster care.
A grant of $75,000 will assist Cleveland Housing Network in identifying rapid re-housing options for newly homeless families and individuals. Enterprise Community Partners received $25,000 to continue administration of local sites using Housing First principles, such as Emerald Commons in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
The Housing First approach provides housing stability as a first step so that residents are better able to address other needs. In addition, the Foundation provided $30,000 in support of family homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing efforts by the Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services.
The Foundation links health and housing with education as focus areas in the belief that improvement in each of these issues is needed to effectively address root causes of poverty. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District received two grants of $10,000 each. One award enables the purchase of books geared toward African American middle school students at George Washington Carver, Carl & Louis Stokes Central Academy, Marion-Sterling and Giddings Schools. The second grant supports the Young Gents program for 50 at-risk youth at Carl & Louis Stokes Central Academy.
In its role as a resource for Catholic women religious, the Foundation invested $201,300 in support of vital Sister-led or Sister-founded health and human service ministries. Grants totaling $136,300 were made under a program commemorating the work of the historic Saint Ann Foundation, which was dedicated to supporting women, children and youth and the ministries of women religious for 32 years. In 2006, the Saint Ann Foundation merged with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland.
Saint Ann Legacy grantees include Light of Hearts Villa, Inc. in Bedford which received a $20,000 grant to add a licensed social worker and case aide to its Community Social Services Program for low- and moderate-income seniors. Originally established by the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, today the Villa is jointly sponsored and operated by the Sisters of Charity Health System and the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. Another Saint Ann Legacy grantee, the Piazza program of Ursuline Academy of Cleveland, received $10,000 for care coordination and support services to current and former residents at the HIV/AIDS Caritas Unit at St. Augustine Manor and their caregivers.
The Sisters of Charity Foundation also named recipients of its annual Good Samaritan grant program, targeting organizations that help people in need of basic items such as food, health care, adequate clothing or transportation to access services. Named for the biblical parable calling us to be good neighbors to people in need, Good Samaritan grants are in amounts of up to $10,000.
The 2008 Good Samaritan program assists 23 organizations responding to critical needs of people living in or near poverty across Cuyahoga County. Responding to the current economic climate, the Foundation awarded the largest portions of the total recommended grant amount to organizations that provide food and housing assistance – 27 percent of the total amount for each category.
2008 Good Samaritan grantees include grassroots programs, such as Project Save, a faith-based collaboration that will establish a meal center at 5900 Kinsman in Cleveland, and large, well-established organizations such as Cleveland Foodbank, Catholic Charities, and the Epilepsy Association.
ABOUT THE SISTERS OF CHARITY FOUNDATION OF CLEVELAND
The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland serves as a grantmaker, collaborator and advocate for those most in need. In 2006, the Sisters of Charity Foundation joined with the Saint Ann Foundation—America’s first “healthcare conversion” foundation—to form a single organization. The combined Foundation has awarded more than $55 million in grants through 2008.
Current funding priorities for the Sisters of Charity Foundation across Cuyahoga County include initiatives to reduce chronic homelessness through permanent supportive housing and address disparities in health by improving health literacy.
The Foundation also works to build awareness of the many contributions of Catholic women religious and to support their vital health and human service ministries. In addition, local efforts responding to basic human needs such as food or clothing are eligible for the annual Good Samaritan grant program.
The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland was established by the Sisters of Charity Health System in 1996 through sale proceeds involving St. Vincent Charity Hospital, which has been located in Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood for more than 145 years.
The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine established the Saint Ann Foundation in 1973 with funds from the sale of Saint Ann Hospital which served Cleveland women and children for 100 years.
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Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland
THIRD & FOURTH QUARTERS 2008 GRANT AWARDS
TOTAL: $1,140,908
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING $366,981
Cleveland Housing Network, Inc., Cleveland
Rapid Re-Housing Program $75,000
Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services, Cleveland
Prioritizing Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing to reduce homelessness in Cuyahoga County $30,000
Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., Cleveland
Housing First $25,000
Famicos Foundation, Cleveland
Family Services Program $64,981
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Cleveland
Private Tenant-Landlord Project $150,000
West Side Catholic Center, Cleveland
Zacchaeus Housing Solutions Planning & Training $22,000
EDUCATION DISPARITIES $55,000
Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cleveland
Improving Literacy for the Early Adolescent $10,000
Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cleveland
The Young Gents Program $10,000
PolicyBridge, Cleveland
Social Marketing Campaign $35,000
HEALTH DISPARITIES $40,968
Health Literacy Initiative $10,968
Cleveland Department of Public Health/Moms First, Cleveland
The Cleveland Baby Basics Initiative $10,968
Health Care Policy $30,000
The Center for Community Solutions, Cleveland
Improving Program Planning, Policy Development & Advocacy Efforts: 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey $15,000
ideastream, Cleveland
Planning for a Healthier Community $15,000
RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES $201, 300
Collaboration for Ministry Initiative $65,000
Coalition-Young Adults
(fiscal agent: Catholic Charities Health & Human Services)
Inventory Project $10,000
Capuchin-Franciscan Volunteer Corps, Inc. Cleveland
Capuchin Franciscan Volunteer Program $10,000
Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, Cincinnati
Immigration Project $20,000
Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, Columbia
Co-Sponsor of the 2008 Statewide CMI Conference & two Regional Workshops in Columbia & Charleston $25,000
Saint Ann Legacy $136,300
Archbishop James P. Lyke School, Cleveland
Skills for a Successful Future Program $10,000
Beatitude House, Youngstown
Collaboration Project $7,500
The Catholic Worker of Akron, Akron
Project Horizon Music Program $15,000
Double ARC, Toledo
Service Coordination and Advocacy Project $10,000
Glenmary Home Mission Sisters of America, Owensboro, Ky.
Building Eastern Kentucky Project $3,000
Heartbeats, Cleveland
Computer Equipment & Software Upgrade $9,000
Interfaith Wellness Ministry, Inc., Irvine, Ky.
Health Education Programs $15,000
Light of Hearts Villa, Inc., Bedford
Community Social Services Program $20,000
Metro Catholic School, Cleveland
Special Education Resource Room Program $15,000
Power Inspires Progress, Cincinnati
Fund Management & Staff Training $8,000
River's Edge - A Place for Reflection and Action, Cleveland
Life Skills Training Program $7,500
Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine/Centering Space, Lakewood
Ministry Enhancement $6,300
Ursuline Academy of Cleveland, Cleveland
Ursuline Piazza Program $10,000
COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS $105,000
Health Policy Institute of Ohio, Columbus
Core Funding Two-Year Support $100,000
Ohio Grantmakers Forum, Columbus
Effective Dialogues Between Grantmakers & Grantseekers
$5,000
GOOD SAMARITAN GRANTS $150,000
2100 Lakeside Men's Shelter, Cleveland
Emergency Assistance Program $10,000
Adult Guardianship Services, Cleveland
Ward Emergency Fund $3,000
Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland
Heights Club Kids Café Program $3,000
Breaking the Cycle, Inc., Cleveland
Bus Passes for Transportation Services for Ex-offenders Project $1,000
Care Alliance, Cleveland
Cold Weather Health Care Program $10,000
Catholic Charities Community Services Corporation, Cleveland
DePaul Young Parent Program—And Baby Makes Two $8,500
Catholic Charities Hunger and Shelter Network/Emergency Assistance Services, Cleveland
Hot Meals & Food Pantry Programs $10,000
Cleveland Foodbank, Inc.
BackPacks for Kids Program $8,500
Cleveland Tenants Organization
Bridging the Gap Program $10,000
Domestic Violence Center, Cleveland
Bus Passes for the Emergency Shelter $2,500
Epilepsy Association, Cleveland
Emergency Assistance Program $5,600
Fill This House, Cleveland
Independent Living Project $2,000
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland, Shaker Heights
Homeless Family Day Center Project $7,500
Kidney Foundation of Ohio, Cleveland
Core Direct Service Program $8,500
Project Save, Cleveland
5900 Kinsman Program $7,000
Providence House, Inc., Cleveland
Days of Care Program $9,000
Senior Citizen Resources, Inc., Cleveland
Home Delivered Meal/Shelf Staple Food Program $4,900
Shoes and Clothes for Kids, Inc., Cleveland
Buying & Distribution Program $7,500
Southwest General Health Center, Middleburg Heights
Neighborhood Care Center's Helping Hand Fund $10,000
Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth of America, Shaker Heights
Foster Youth Items and Activities $1,500
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Cleveland
Emergency Assistance Fund for ID Assistance $3,000
West 58th St. Church of God, Cleveland
Back to School Supply Give-Away 2009 $10,000
West Side Catholic Center, Cleveland
The Basic Needs Project $7,000
CATHOLIC MINISTRIES $221,659
Catholic Community Connection, Cleveland
Community Outreach and Marketing Capacity Building Project $25,000
Joseph’s Home, Inc., Cleveland
Capacity Building Program for Improving/Enhancing Services $15,000
Regina Health Center, Richfield
Pastoral Care Program $20,000
Secretariat for Parish Life & Development, Cleveland
Basic Needs of the Incarcerated $10,000
St. Vincent Charity Hospital, Cleveland
Improving Health Access to the Community at the St. Vincent Charity Hospital Health Care Center $151,659