The following news story was published by The Plain Dealer:
By Roxanne Washington, The Plain Dealer, April 11, 2014
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland on Friday announced that it has awarded more than $550,000 in its first-quarter grants, primarily to nonprofits that provide services to homeless adults and youth.
The grants include $75,000 to Enterprise Community Partners Inc. for its Housing First Initiative. The initiative is a collaboration of foundations, government agencies and others that are working to build or renovate 1,000 apartments in Cleveland to get people off of the streets and out of emergency homeless shelters.
College Now Greater Cleveland was awarded $50,000 to provide college access advising and services to high school seniors identified as being at-risk of becoming homeless. Funding will be used to cover students’ housing during school breaks, as well as for supportive materials such as sheets, towels and other supplies needed for dorm rooms.
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry was awarded $44,300 to expand after-care services that engage youth in its independent living program, Next Step to Independence. The program provides shelter care and independent living to older youth who are without a home or a stable living environment. In addition to meeting the basic needs of housing, food and clothing, the gender-specific services include counseling, independent-living skills and job placement.
Along with housing concerns, grants went to programs that deal with hunger and healthy eating concerns. The Children’s Hunger Alliance was awarded $62,000 for its Child & Adult Food Care Program and other work in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood. The Sisters of Charity Foundation has supported the Children’s Hunger Alliance’s work in Central over the past four years. More than 1,500 children and teens have received after-school meals, and 1,100 have received nutrition and physical activity.
Building Healthy Communities received $50,000 to support various programs in the Central and Kinsman neighborhoods. One of those programs is Garden Boyz, a local market garden in Central where neighborhood teens grow and sell produce. There also is the junior and senior “Chef” program at Cornucopia Place, where children learn about healthy food and the proper way to cook it.
The Sisters of Charity Foundation, which has a long history in Cleveland’s central neighborhood, describes its mission as working to improve the lives of those in need with special attention to families, women and children living in poverty.