Our Office Blessing and Special Dedication

Our New Location

The new offices of the Sisters of Charity Foundation received a blessing and special dedication in November, 2015.

Below is the booklet that was published for that occasion, remembering the past and sharing a vision for the future.

Thank you for joining Felton Thomas Jr., Susanna H. Krey and our board of directors for the BLESSING of the new office of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. Together, we ask for God’s blessing on this space, where the hearts of many come together to put HOPE INTO ACTION to generate positive and enduring change for people in need.

AGENDA

3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m.

4:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m.

Open house reception

Program:
• Reception and lobby
• Collaboration space
• Saint Ann Foundation conference room

• Blessing

Open house reception Departure

Reception and Lobby

TOGETHER, WE PRAY FOR VISION.

Felton Thomas Jr. LEAD Woodrow Whitlow Jr., Ph.D. SECOND READER

Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA PRAYER LEADER

LEAD:

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland envisions a community in which opportunities for growth and quality of life are shared by all.
Here, in this lobby and gathering space, we welcome our visitors to join us in working toward this vision.
Here, too, we are reminded daily of our foundresses— the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, who bravely journeyed from France to Cleveland to serve
as the city’s first public health nurses in 1851 and opened St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in 1865.
Years later, our sisters would pioneer a new path, which led to the creation of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland to improve the lives of those most in need.
Today, we honor and carry forward the sisters’ vision and long-standing commitment to this very special community, the Central Neighborhood.ALL: God of our past and of our future, let us be guided by the bold vision of those who have gone before us in search of justice and opportunity for those most in need.SECOND READER:
- This foundation approaches its work in the Central Neighborhood in thoughtful partnership with the individuals who live, work and play here.
- Our Healthy Eating, Active Living strategy—also known as HEAL—seeks to address the root causes
  of poor health in the neighborhood, including limited access to healthy foods, physical activity and economic opportunities.

Through a steady pace of change, the neighborhood is now witness to an emerging infrastructure of healthy meal sites, an expanding urban agricultural movement, and a new relationship with the national and metro park systems to provide recreational opportunities to residents.
Much like our work in the area of health, the foundation’s focus on education prioritizes intentional partnership with the people who call Central home.
The Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood has engaged families, school leaders, early childhood providers, neighborhood-based organizations and philanthropy to align efforts to ensure that children have the tools they need to thrive, from birth through college and career.
Together, we have accomplished much, including improved access to quality early childhood education and leadership development for Central residents to become advocates on behalf of children and families in their community.
With our many dedicated partners, we continue to move steadfastly toward our vision of a Central Neighborhood where children and their families are thriving.ALL: God of justice, you remind us that we are each made in your image and likeness. May the children and families of Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood be supported to know and reach their full potential.PRAYER LEADER:In this lobby and gathering space, we welcome
those who share our vision of a community in which opportunities for growth and quality of life are shared by all. We offer this prayer of thanksgiving for this sacred space:

• Loving God, we thank you for the gift of hospitality, which we ourselves receive and in turn extend to others.

• We pray for those who are greeted in this lobby and gathering space. May they always be warmly and compassionately received. May they find here a spirit of hopefulness and eagerness to serve those most in need. And may they hear and respond to your call for their lives.

• We pray in thanksgiving for the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, who have extended faith- filled hospitality to countless individuals through their hospitals, schools, orphanages and other social service ministries since 1851. May the sisters’ spirit of hospitality and compassion inspire our work today and always.

• We pray for the children and families of the Central Neighborhood, who have received our foundation with warm hospitality as we work together to ensure a more healthy and vibrant community. May we support, encourage and uplift each other in our efforts.

ALL: Amen.

COLLABORATION SPACE

TOGETHER, WE PRAY FOR PARTNERSHIP.

Patrick G. Bray, M.D. LEAD Robyn Gordon SECOND READER

Sister Evelyn Flowers, CSA PRAYER LEADER

LEAD:

Since the creation of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, our founding sisters have imparted to us the importance of working in partnership with others toward shared goals.
We believe that collaboration fosters the sharing of gifts and talents and empowers others for service and contribution, recognizing we all have the ability of putting hope into action for those in need.
This space symbolizes the foundation’s commitment to partnership for the greater good of our community; it is a space where hearts and minds come together to tackle the challenges facing our city and county.
The foundation’s commitment to collaboration began in its earliest years with the Collaboration for Ministry Initiative, CMI.
CMI seeks to build and support collaborations
among Catholic women religious to strengthen and sustain their ministries of service. Many effective collaborations have been born through CMI, including the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking.
As we move into the next phase of CMI, our work will have an inter-generational focus to grow the capacity of sisters and lay women and men. Along with many partners, a national funder, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, will be joining us in this effort.

ALL: God of shared vision, you desire that we work together for the sake of your people. Maintain in all of us present today a strong spirit of collaboration and sharing of resources so that we may more effectively meet the needs of the underserved.

SECOND READER:

The foundation embraces an ambitious goal to end homelessness in Cuyahoga County, and believes that together we can end homelessness in our community.
In 2002, the foundation partnered with the Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services and Enterprise Community Partners to convene the Housing First Initiative—an interdisciplinary group that has created more than 600 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing long-term homelessness.
Through this partnership, Cuyahoga County has seen a 76% reduction in the rate of chronic homelessness.
Again, with collaboration as our compass, the foundation expanded our focus to address youth homelessness, which led to the creation of the
A Place 4 Me initiative.• This initiative is a partnership of more than 50 public and private partners who believe that every young person belongs and deserves a place to call home.• Together, the partners developed a coordinated plan to prevent and end youth homelessness, which reflects innovative thinking from nonprofits, local government, the faith community, funders and— most importantly—young men and women who have experienced homelessness.

• Collaboration has always been a hallmark of the foundation’s work, and we are grateful for the many partners who have shared their thought leadership, financial resources and promising ideas throughout the years.

ALL: God of all, we pray for those who benefit from collaborative efforts. Through partnership, may we meet the holistic needs of those we serve.

PRAYER LEADER:

In this collaboration space, we work in partnership with others to put hope into action to generate positive and enduring change for people in need. We offer this prayer of thanksgiving for this sacred space:

Loving God, we thank you for the gift of collaboration and the opportunity to recognize one another’s unique contributions.
We pray for all those whose hearts and minds will gather in this space to plan, create and strive for the good of our community.• We pray in thanksgiving for our foundresses, the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, who have imparted to us the wisdom and beauty of co-ministry.• We pray for all our partners and collaborators: may you encourage them in their work; guide and direct their efforts; and lead them to create positive and enduring change for people in need.
ALL: Amen.

CONFERENCE ROOM

TOGETHER, WE PRAY FOR COURAGE. LEAD:

The mission of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is to improve the lives of those most in need with special attention to families, women and children living in poverty.
The foundation’s intentional focus on women and children honors the legacy of Saint Ann Hospital and the Saint Ann Foundation—both of which were pioneering institutions of their times.
The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine began planning for the creation of the Saint Ann Infant and Maternity Asylum in 1873 to serve mothers and babies, including infants who had been abandoned or orphaned.
For 100 years, Saint Ann Hospital compassionately served thousands of women, including unwed mothers, and their babies.
In 1973, the hospital was closed and sold in the face of declining birth rates and economic challenges.
Determined to preserve the 100-year legacy of
Saint Ann Hospital, the sisters and hospital trustees announced the creation of the Saint Ann Foundation to continue to meet the needs of vulnerable women and children.
It was an unprecedented decision on two fronts: Never before had proceeds from a hospital sale been used to establish a grantmaking foundation; and never before had a religious congregation in the United States undertaken such an effort.
The creation of the Saint Ann Foundation in 1974 provided a model that would profoundly change the face of health philanthropy. Today, more than 200 health care conversion foundations across the country are reinvesting millions of dollars to spark innovative strategies that improve health and quality of life.

Faith Mitchell, Ph.D. LEAD Susanna H. Krey SECOND READER

Sister Mary Denis Maher, CSA PRAYER LEADER

• Over its 32-year history, the Saint Ann Foundation invested $32 million to support a variety of health and human services for vulnerable families and children.

• In 2006, the legacy of the Saint Ann Foundation was bequeathed to the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, which carries forward its commitment to women and children and support for ministries of Catholic sisters.

ALL: God of courage, help us to be brave enough to take a stand as the sisters did, and to do what is right in response to the needs of today.

SECOND READER:

• The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland embraces the tremendous responsibility to effectively steward the legacy of the Saint Ann Foundation.

• From our efforts to develop collaborations among women religious to our Saint Ann Legacy grant program, we strengthen the vital ministries of Catholic women religious in our region.

• Across all of our program areas, we prioritize the unique needs of women and children through a focus on family and youth homelessness, education, and healthy eating and active living opportunities for children and families in the Central Neighborhood.

• Our mission led us to participate in the nation’s rst county-wide Pay for Success initiative to strengthen homeless families by providing stable housing and supportive services to create a safe and nurturing home.

• In the last year alone, our grants and program- related investments to support women and children and the ministries of Catholic women religious total nearly $1.3 million.

• Expanding upon these investments and in commemoration of the Saint Ann Foundation’s 40th anniversary, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is announcing a $300,000 investment to address infant mortality in Northeast Ohio.

• This new focus on infant mortality affirms our commitment to vulnerable women and children and carries forward the legacy of the Saint Ann Hospital and Foundation.

ALL: God of compassion, we pray for the needs and intentions of vulnerable women and children, whose lives you hold in your hands. May they always be met with generosity, kindness and respect.

PRAYER LEADER:

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Saint Ann Foundation, we dedicate this Saint Ann Foundation conference room as a living testament to our ongoing support to women and children. We offer this prayer of thanksgiving for this sacred space:

• Loving God, we thank you for the gift of courage to blaze new trails in service to your people.

• You called the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine to create a new model of philanthropy to carry on their unwavering commitment to vulnerable women and children in our community.

• As we dedicate this Saint Ann Foundation conference room, we pray that the sisters’ spirit of courage and innovation will inspire all those who meet here.

• We pray for the women, children and Catholic women religious whose lives we seek to touch through our efforts.

ALL: Amen.

SPECIAL DEDICATION

As we bless this office, we also dedicate a conference room in honor of the Saint Ann Foundation, which bequeathed its legacy to the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. As the two foundations merged in 2006, many inspiring words were shared from across the nation, including:

The creation of the Saint Ann Foundation in 1974 provided a model that would profoundly change the face of health philanthropy. The board of Saint Ann Hospital and the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine were seeking to preserve the legacy of the hospital and to continue to address health needs in the community of Cleveland, Ohio. Their decision to use the assets from a hospital sale to create a grantmaking foundation was truly visionary. The origins of Saint Ann Foundation provided a powerful model for others to follow. Today, more than 170 health care conversion foundations across the country are reinvesting millions of dollars in innovative health programs and services. Looking back, we can see that the impact of this first hospital conversion foundation extends well beyond Cleveland to the work of many foundations that followed in its path in improving the nation’s health.

Lauren LeRoy, Ph.D.

President and CEO (1998 to 2012) Grantmakers In Health, Washington, D.C.

A NOTE OF THANKS

Our foremost thanks are to the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, especially Congregational Leader Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA. Our founding sisters are the trailblazers who truly inspire every action of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. We are humbled to carry forward their mission in the neighborhood where they first arrived from France in 1851.

We also extend special thanks to our board of directors for their vision and support to move the foundation’s office to the Central Neighborhood. We especially thank Woodrow Whitlow Jr., Ph.D.; Sister Kathleen Ryan, SND; Sister Marian Durkin, CSA; Latisha James and Leo M. Spellacy Jr., Esq. for their leadership in creating this blessing and special dedication event.

I share my personal thanks, as well, with the foundation staff for their leadership in planning this occasion.

Thanks also to J&M Development Group, Twist Creative, Vocon and PC Alternatives LLC,
all of whom provided great support in making this vision a reality. We extend appreciation
to Terrence Kessler, president and CEO, and the entire staff of the Sisters of Charity Health System for welcoming us to this building. And, we thank the construction team, Nick Bagnolo and Gail Whipkey, who played a critical role in achieving this successful relocation.

Gratefully,

Susanna H. Krey

President, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

For nearly two decades, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland has partnered with residents, nonprofits and community leaders to change the trajectory of poverty in Cuyahoga County.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland works to improve the lives of those most in need with special attention to families, women and children living in poverty. The foundation works to end homelessness in Cuyahoga County, and to reduce health disparities and improve educational opportunities in Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood. As a Catholic organization, the foundation extends the values of Jesus Christ through the mission of our founders—the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine—and also works to sustain the ministries of women religious.