Francis House Recipient of Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Grant
November 28, 2022—Syracuse, NY
Francis House of Syracuse has been selected as a grantee of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. Grant funds will support programs and services that align with the Foundation’s mission to eliminate barriers to health care and to bridge gaps in health services. The grant, “Rebuilding, Re-Imagining and Re-Energizing the Caring Community,” is earmarked for areas at the core of the Francis House mission—caregiving, volunteers, and community education.
“As we look back at the compounding crises of the last few years, the health-related needs of vulnerable communities have only grown. Our grantees have demonstrated tremendous resilience, creativity, and dedication to serving those in need, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have such detrimental impact,” said Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visa and Chair of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Board.
Francis House, a 16-room community care home located on the city’s north side, was founded to address the gap between medical-based and home-based end-of-life care options. Its founder, Sister Kathleen Osbelt, established Francis House based on Franciscan values, ensuring unconditional love, peace, compassion, and comfort in a family-like setting is available to every member of the community, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or ability to pay.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors of Francis House, we are honored to be a recipient of this generous grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. These funds will enable our Francis House family, including our staff, caregivers, and volunteers to strengthen our mission in the Central New York community to continue to provide quality and compassionate end-of-life care to our residents and their families,” said Alicia Calagiovanni, President of the Francis House Board of Directors.
“This year the Foundation is proud to support so many essential, innovative, and hard-working groups working on behalf of the health of New Yorkers. These include an array of religiously affiliated organizations that support critical programs through a well-established infrastructure serving the needs of the poor and underserved of all faiths,” said Kathryn Ruscitto, Chair of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s Regional Grants Committee.
One example of the grant’s impact will be the return of a signature service of Francis House. “This grant will allow us to return to the community itself, re-instating our practice of in-home visits for admission assessments, facilitating connections with families and providing support to them before their loved one is welcomed into Francis House. It’s a service that has been at the core of our mission for 31 years,” said Sally Manahan, Director of Resident Care.
“We are honored and blessed to receive this wonderful grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. It will help us continue Sr. Kathleen’s mission to use our lived experience as a resource to help others by providing end-of-life care, and education, to those in our community,” said Mary Anne Hankins, Executive Director of Francis House.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York State that either provide direct healthcare services or address the social determinants of health. For more information on the Foundation, visit cabrinihealth.org.
Francis House
