Saint Joseph Mercy Health System commits $1 million to address homelessness in Washtenaw County

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Bobby Maldonado

248-858-6662


Bobby.Maldonado@stjoeshealth.org

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Jan. 13, 2021) – Saint Joseph Mercy Health System announced today that it has committed $1 million to support the Sr. Yvonne Gellise Endowment Fund for Permanent Supportive Housing Services (SYG Fund). The financial commitment, which will support the creation of lasting, systemic solutions to homelessness in Washtenaw County, was made in honor of Sister Yvonne, senior advisor for governance at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, and in memory of the late Garry C. Faja, a founding Cabinet member of the SYG Fund and the first president and CEO of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System.

“Like Sister Yvonne and the Sisters of Mercy who founded St. Joe’s, Garry Faja believed very strongly in the core values that guide our health system’s healing mission, including reverence for the sacredness and dignity of every person, and our responsibility to care for the most vulnerable in our community,” said Alonzo Lewis, president of St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor and St. Joseph Mercy Livingston. “In tribute to Sister Yvonne and her ongoing leadership and commitment to those in need, as well as Garry’s memory and incredible legacy of service, St. Joe’s is honored to make a significant investment in the Washtenaw County community and build on health programs and community partnerships that improve and enrich the lives of local residents.”

Each year Saint Joseph Mercy Health System earmarks roughly $115 million for community programs and services through charity care and community benefit programing, all in an effort to improve the health and well-being of local residents. The health system’s purpose is to be a national leader in optimizing wellness and equity, and to eliminate disparities in southeast Michigan. It does so by leveraging resources and partnerships; focusing on the vulnerable and those facing poverty; and addressing the social determinants of health.

The SYG Fund is an endowment fund of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and is distributed to partner agencies through a collaboration with the Washtenaw Housing Alliance. Distributed funds are used to keep families housed by addressing underlying issues of homelessness. This includes financial support for integrated primary care and mental health care, substance abuse counseling, employment or vocational training, transportation, problem solving or dispute resolution, crisis management and stabilization, and preventative intervention.

“We are incredibly grateful for this lasting investment from St. Joe’s,” said Norman Herbert, chair of the SYG Fund Cabinet. “In memory of Garry Faja and in honor of Sr. Yvonne Gellise, the SYG Fund will continue its important work to grow the endowment and to effectively support more households each year.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for more permanent supportive housing services in our community, to help keep people safe and healthy,” added Lauren Wisniewski, the SYG Fund development coordinator. “This endowment is continuing to grow and provide much-needed funding to agencies that share our mission, at a time when other funding sources have not been able to keep up with growing demand.”

The SYG Fund honors Sister Yvonne, a founder and Board member of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance and a tireless advocate for those in need of health care, facing poverty or suffering from inequality. Sister Yvonne first came to Ann Arbor in 1968 to become St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor’s chief executive until 1976. She served in various roles with the Sisters of Mercy Health Corporation before returning to St. Joe's in 1988.

Garry Faja joined St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor in 1982 where he dedicated the next 32 years of his career. He served as the first president and CEO of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (1997- 2014), which eventually expanded to include then six southeastern Michigan hospitals.

For more information about The SYG Fund and to learn how you can help address homelessness in Washtenaw County, please visit http://www.whalliance.org/syg-fund.

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About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a health care organization serving seven counties in southeast Michigan including Livingston, Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Jackson, and Lenawee. It includes 548-bed St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, 497-bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy Livonia, 66-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, and 133-bed St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. Combined, the five hospitals are licensed for 1,548 beds, have five outpatient health centers, six urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 15,300 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians. SJMHS has annual operating revenues of about $2 billion and returns about $115 million to its communities annually through charity care and community benefit programs.