Special Needs Community Grants

In keeping with our mission of community service, the Nazareth Association established a grant-funding program entitled the “Special Needs Community Grant.” The program is in recognition of over a century of dedication and work so generously given to communities throughout Michigan, and the world, by the Sisters of St. Joseph (now, the Congregation of St. Joseph).

Grants totaling $10,000, or more, are awarded to qualified applicants once a year. They are designed to provide financial assistance for special needs of various ministries and facilities sponsored or endorsed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth, Michigan. Grants will be awarded on a “needs” basis for partial or full coverage of projects not fully funded by other sources in the following areas:

• For special needs such as transportation, equipment, and materials.
• For professional development, training, credit, or certification.

Grants totaling $125,347 have been awarded since 1994 through 2018. Some examples of the assistance our grants have provided are: sewing machines, after-school programs, pre and post-natal care, reading materials, spiritual outreach, computers, assistance to families struggling with AIDS and substance abuse, hospice care, massage therapy equipment, audio books, training in non-violence, prison ministry, human trafficking and programs for children with special needs.
 

Special Needs Community Grant Committee for 2018:

• Karen Tavernier Yellich (Chair & Board Member)
• Grace Scola, CSJ
• Kathy Creek
• Joyce McNally

2018 Grant Awards went to:

The Workshop Way, based in Virginia, Mary Anne Dalton, CSJ  ~  $770 

Educating and supporting teachers in proven ways to effectively communicate with their students is very important. Funds will provide needed resource materials for phonics and reading as well as travel assistance.

Heart Sisters, Kalamazoo, Goretti Germain, CSJ  ~  $1000

Informing vlunerable girls who are working in jobs that could be human trafficking and sexual prostitution there is another life by building relationships, restoring hope, supporting change.

Gianna House Residence, Detroit, Helen Susalla, CSJ  ~  $1500

Choose Life for teenage girls to have their baby and teach them mothering skills. They can stay up to one year, complete their GED and learn life skills, providing a posibive start for their future.

Barrios Unidos en Cristo, Detroit, Nina Rodriguez, CSJ  ~  $1000

A program for all who want to change from addiction using a retreat format that provides prayer, reading, discussion and reflection. Funds are used to purchase manuals and other material for our retreats.

Centro de San Jose', Marie Benzing, CSJ  ~  $2000

Educaation of students and their parents in a casual atmosphere to enhance the learning experience for both. The focus is on developing and enhancing math skills for families by using math-based games which they design and can take home.

San Juan Diego Resource Center,  Joan Hastreiter, CSJ  ~  $1500

                     Warsaw, IN

Refugees need to have published bi-lingual documents to share their positive or other constructive experiences with others. It acknowledges their value and presence in the community.

Benton Harbor Girls Academy, Benton Harbor, MI,

                                        Teresa Blundell, Nazareth Associate  ~  $2000

Introducing students, using a Late Day program setting, to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Students can benefit from the opportunity to do something creative using a combination of new skills and direction.

2017 Grant Awards went to:

New Life Literacy Center - Judy Blake, CSJ - $1,000 will be used to fund Project Transportation. The learners who come to the Literacy Center are there to have tutoring they need to take and pass the GED test. This grant makes transportation by bus possible for GED participants.

Grants from previous years were awarded to:

• Amigos de Jesus (Latino women's support group)
• Barrios Unidos en Christo
• Bethany House, Kalamazoo, MI
• The Benton Harbor Girls Association for Learning and Self-Esteem, Benton Harbor, MI
• Borgess Gardens, Nazareth, MI
• Borgess Health, Kalamazoo, MI
• Borgess Resounding Spirit, Kalamazoo, MI
• Cantera, a Niaraguan NGO
• Catholic Community Center, Benton Harbor, MI
• Catholic Family Services, Kalamazoo, MI
• Catholic Social Services, Stanton, MI
• Centro de San Jose~ Detroit MI
• The Choral Group at Dillon Hall, Kalamazoo, MI
• Congregation of St. Joseph, Nazareth Center, History Room, Kalamazoo, MI
• Congregation of St. Joseph, Personal Action Toward Health, Kalamazoo, MI
• Corazones Unidos, Lima, Peru
• Covenant Community Care~ Detroit MI
• Dads Love to Read, Detroit MI
• Department of Infectious Diseases, Lima, Peru
• Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, Detroit, MI
• Detroit Pastoral Alliance/McClellan Block Club Activities, Detroit, MI
• Diocese of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, MI
• Dos de Mayo Hospital, Lima, Peru
• Earth Ministries, Kalamazoo, MI
• Equipo Docentes, Nasca, Peru
• Faith in Action of Upper Pinellas, Dunedin, FL
• Fontbonne Manor, Nazareth, MI
• Gianna House Pregnancy and Parenting Residence, Detroit, MI
• Guidance Center (Detroit)
• Gussy Up Your Spirit Women's Event, Wayne, MI
• Hispanic Outreach, Macomb, MI
• Holley Ear Institute, St. John Health System, Brooklyn, MI
• Holley Ear Institute, Detroit, MI
• Holy Cross Parish, Marine City, MI
• Holy Redeemer Parish, Detroit, MI
• Holy Redeemer Grade School Alternative Learning Program, Detroit, MI
• Hope for Creation (inter-faith group & climate change)
• Immigration Assistance Program, Kalamazoo, MI
• Jonestown Health Center, Jonestown, MS
• Latino Women's Empowerment Center, Detroit, MI
• Lemkin House Inc.(Rosie’s Place in former Nazareth farm house)
• Kairos Dwelling, Kalamazoo, MI
• Macomb County Warming Center~ Eastpointe MI
• Manitou Arbor Ecovillage, Kalamazoo, MI
• Michigan Peace Team, Detroit, MI
• Ministry with Community, Kalamazoo, MI
• Nazareth Center Assisted Living Residents, Nazareth, MI
• Nazareth Home, Hobart, IN
• N.E.W. Life Adult Literacy Program~ Flint MI
• Office of Hispanic Ministry, Grand Rapids, MI
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School for Girls, Detroit, MI
• Our Lady on the River Parish, Marine City MI
• Outreach East Program, Davison, MI
• The Parish of Huaura, Huaura, Peru
• Powers Catholic High School, Flint, MI
• Resurrection House, Kalamazoo, MI
• Servico De Enfermedades Infeccuosis, Lima, Peru
• Sisters of St. Joseph, Nazareth, MI
• Shrine Catholic High School, Royal Oak, MI
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Detroit, MI
• SSJ Office of Peace and Justice, Nazareth, MI
• St. Benedict School, Highland, MI
• St. Catherine of Siena~ Portage MI
• St. Edward on the Lake Catholic School, Lakeport, MI
• St. Frances Cabrini Clinic, Detroit, MI
• St. Francis Cabrini of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Detroit, MI
• St. John Vianney School, Flint, MI
• St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Saginaw, MI
• St. John’s Hospital, Detroit, MI
• St. Joseph Health System, Tawas MI
• St. Luke Catholic Church, Flint, MI
• St. Luke Catholic Church North End Women's Center, Flint, MI
• St. Luke Parish, Detroit, MI
• St. John's Health System
• St. Joseph Health System, Tawas MI
• St. Rose of Lima Parish, Hastings, MI
• St. Thomas More Student Parish, Kalamazoo, MI
• Tawas St. Joseph Parish, Tawas, MI
• Transformations CSJ Center, Nazareth, MI
• Workshop Way, Inc
• Zambia Program, Zambia, Africa

Grant awards will be announced at the annual membership meeting on September 22, 2018. The meeting will be held at the Nazareth Association new office space at 3901 Emerald Dr. in Kalamazoo, Michigan.