Beth Graham to Step Down as Joseph & Mary’s Home’s Executive Director

Executive Director Beth Graham, who has successfully led Joseph & Mary’s Home since January 2020, is stepping down from her position to take a new role outside of Joseph & Mary’s Home and the Sisters of Charity Health System. Although the residents and staff will miss her immensely, this career change will allow Beth the flexibility to spend more time with her family. Her last day will be Monday, August 11.

Beth has provided Joseph & Mary’s Home with a steady hand, an open heart and a strategic mind. During her tenure, she:

– Coordinated the expansion of services to women with the opening of Mary’s Home.

– Spearheaded the successful completion of two capital campaigns that resulted in brand-new, ground level residences. Today, Joseph’s Home and Mary’s Home are both fully accessible to men and women, who reside in the same building but in separate wings.

– Led through a pandemic, as well as inflation and labor market shifts.

– Drove forward accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and certification from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS)

Thanks to Beth’s vision, coupled with her team’s hard work and commitment to residents, Joseph & Mary’s Home is well-positioned for long-term growth and sustainability. The mission of providing a nurturing, caring environment for adults who have acute medical needs so they can heal and achieve independence continues.

The search has commenced for Joseph & Mary’s Home’s next executive director. Beth will remain in an active leadership role until her August 11 departure, and she has been instrumental in offering succession planning ideas.

Operations continue as usual at Joseph & Mary’s Home. The Sisters of Charity Health System’s Marisa Rohn and Ben Silver will serve as interim co-executive directors until a new full-time executive director is identified.

Thank you to Beth for her excellent leadership and dedication to moving residents forward to both stable health and housing outcomes. We wish Beth and her family all the best as this next chapter begins.

Photos from Joseph’s Home Blessing: Available Now

St. Augustine once said, “What you want to ignite in others must first burn in yourself.” The Joseph’s Home Blessing on July 23 made it clear that a fire is ablaze with the desire to support medical respite care in Northeast Ohio!

Thank you for providing residents with a sense of hope for a brighter tomorrow. With your support, Joseph & Mary’s Home continues to be a home for healing and new beginnings.

For more photos from the Blessing, please visit Joseph & Mary’s Home’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jmhome.org.

After furniture move-in is complete in August, Joseph’s Home residents will reside in this new, fully accessible space that has rooms for 11 men.

Bishop Woost Blesses Joseph’s Home; Featured in Diocese Enewsletter

Bishop Michael G. Woost, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, led the blessing at the new Joseph’s Home on Wednesday, July 23. The Diocese of Cleveland featured a story about the blessing on their website and in their weekly enewsletter. Visit this story to read the full write-up. Joseph & Mary’s Home will share more photos from the blessing next week, including those that offer a sneak peek at the new home for healing. Male residents will begin moving into Joseph’s Home in August, after furniture is installed.

Executive Director Beth Graham Featured in Community West Foundation Video

Executive Director Beth Graham was recently featured in a video produced by the Community West Foundation. In the message, she shares more about the benefits of the medical respite model, as well as the strong partnership between the Community West Foundation and Joseph & Mary’s Home. Her video can be viewed here.

The Journey: JMH Alum Dennis Models Courage and Honor as He Battles Cancer and Housing Loss

The recent issue of The Journey, the biannual newsletter of Joseph & Mary’s Home, features a cover article about Dennis, a Marine veteran who came to Joseph & Mary’s Home after facing both cancer and housing loss. The newsletter also features the 2024 Outcomes Report, the 2024 Donor Roll, an update on the Joseph’s Home Relocation Project construction, a donor spotlight on Jim and Bonnie Gwin, a staff spotlight on Resident Support Associate Jewel Greene, news updates, and more.

Alumni Spotlight: Frank Continues Sobriety Journey, Settles Into New Home

A second chance can be the greatest kindness shared.

Recent Joseph & Mary’s Home Alumnus Frank is just one former resident who has turned over a new leaf thanks to the support he received.

Frank’s troubled journey started when he took his first sip of alcohol at the age of 8.

As an adult, he worked hard and eventually owned his own home improvement business. But he was drinking daily and couldn’t stop. His alcoholism led to the loss of his business, his health –and ultimately his home.

“I was in and out of places for the better part of 20 years. Sometimes I lived in tents, sometimes I slept on the ground in my sister’s backyard,” said Frank.

About two years ago, health problems, including diabetes, escalated because of his drinking. So he made a decision that saved his life: he entered rehab.

Previous attempts to get sober had failed. But this time he stuck with it. Unfortunately, after 10 months, his health problems made it impossible to continue in rehab.

He had no home, no income and no one who would take him in. The possibility of a return to the streets loomed over him like a dark cloud.  

Thankfully, Frank found himself referred to Joseph & Mary’s Home.

At Joseph & Mary’s Home, the nurse made sure he stayed on his diabetes medication regimen. Others helped him set up appointments and taught him how to make those calls himself.

“They were there for me all the way around,” said Frank. “They provided me with clothing and food. They made sure I had transportation to appointments, and helped me get my new glasses and cane.”

After three months, Frank was discharged to stable housing. Today, he lives in a permanent supportive housing facility where case workers check up on him regularly. He’s within walking distance of a store where he can buy groceries and a church where he attends weekly Mass.

Frank is proud to share that he has been going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at least twice a week and is nearing his two-year sobriety milestone. This is the longest he has gone without a drink since childhood. His success is more than just a point of personal pride. It’s the fulfillment of his father’s dying wish.

“My dad got sober in his 80s, the year before he passed. It [sobriety] was all he wanted for me as well. I’m glad I did,” he said.

Frank is still deciding what comes next. Although he dropped out of school at 14 to work as a welder, he earned his GED and has taken classes at Cleveland State in both business management and social work. “I like to help people,” he said.

Above all, Frank is committed to his sobriety journey and remaining in his new place. He feels empowered and ready to do this because of the people who guided him at Joseph & Mary’s Home.

Frank is one of the more than 100 men and women who were cared for at Joseph & Mary’s Home in the last year. Be the catalyst for another resident to move toward a brighter tomorrow. Please consider making a gift this spring that will be integral to Joseph & Mary’s Home’s future success.

In Frank’s words, “If it wasn’t for Joseph & Mary’s Home, I would still be stranded on the streets. I wouldn’t have put in the hard work. The people here taught me and gave me the tools I need. Keep supporting Joseph & Mary’s Home. I wouldn’t be where I am right now without it. They provide anything you need to get to the next level.”

Thanks to friends like you, residents like Frank not only have secure, private rooms, but also have access to proven resources, all of which help them rest, recover and be renewed.

Please consider donating to help us sustain our mission of returning residents to good health, and moving them forward to stable housing. You can give online at www.jmhome.org/donate/donate-today; mail in a check to 2412 Community College Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115; or explore tax-smart giving options at www.jmhome.org/donate.

Joseph & Mary’s Home Included in Sisters of Charity Health System Cleveland.com Op-Ed Piece

The Sisters of Charity Health System is pivoting from the traditional hospital model towards a comprehensive approach addressing root causes of poor health. By recognizing that physical health is intertwined with emotional, spiritual and social well-being, the health system can have greater long-term impact. Sr. Judith Ann Karam, CSA, congregational leader of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, and Michael Goar, president & CEO of the health system, recently wrote an op-ed for Cleveland.com about adapting to fill unmet needs.

Year in Review: Letter from Executive Director Reflects on Many 2024 Accomplishments

We believe that the values of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine (CSAs) call for nothing less than excellence for those who need our care, and this necessitates examining the changing needs of those we serve, identifying gaps in care, and developing solutions to ensure our services result in strong outcomes and outsized impact. To this end, we focused our efforts in 2024 on modifying our facilities, evaluating our work, building capacity and planning for the future.

Joseph & Mary’s Home Angels Make Christmas Bright

Many individuals and organizations touched the lives of Joseph & Mary’s Home residents in 2024 by providing everything from daily essentials like toiletries, bedding and towels, to warm winter coats and hats. These gifts help us welcome new residents and meet their basic needs.

We are also very grateful to all the donors who made Thanksgiving and Christmas extra special. Churches and volunteers collected gifts that our staff packaged and distributed to residents to make their holidays a little warmer and brighter.

Additionally, the musicians of Renovare provided a wonderful Christmas concert which brought joy to all who heard.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our two buildings a home. See the complete list of “Angels” below.

Joseph & Mary’s Home regularly updates our Wish List of donated items that are accepted and distributed to residents. For more information, visit our In-Kind Donation webpage or email [email protected].

2024 Joseph & Mary’s Home Angels

  • The Altruism Society
  • Sean Arras
  • Bethany Baptist Church
  • Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
  • The Church of St. Clarence
  • Church of the Saviour
  • Cleveland Clinic
  • William H. Cornhoff
  • Mark A. Cotleur
  • Chris Feczko
  • Richard C. Gallagher
  • Gamma Phi Delta
  • Lorraine Dodero
  • Kenneth Hennessey
  • Hiti, DiFrancesco and Siebold
  • Katie Holzheimer
  • Dwayne L. Hurt
  • Margaret Ann Jablonski
  • Shannon Jerse
  • Kingdom Keepers
  • Light of Hearts Villa
  • Medwish International Medical Supply Resource
  • Barbara Milner
  • Chris Mis
  • Deanna Moore
  • Sylvia Moore
  • Janice G. Murphy
  • Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church
  • Sarah Owens
  • Joe Progar
  • Renovare
  • Nora Riveros
  • SMILE Ministry
  • St. Albert the Great School
  • St. Ambrose Parish
  • St. Bartholomew Parish
  • St. Basil the Great Parish
  • St. Bernadette Church
  • St. Charles Borromeo Parish
  • St. Dominic Parish
  • St. Ignatius High School Alumni
  • St. John Neumann Church
  • Maureen Stanton
  • Elizabeth P. Taylor
  • William Rainey Harper
  • Krista Winningha

National Newspaper Catholic Health World Features Joseph & Mary’s Home in Cover Story Article

In its December edition, Catholic Health World, the national newspaper of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, published a cover page article about Joseph & Mary’s Home. The article highlights how Joseph & Mary’s Home provides people experiencing homelessness with medical respite to heal after being discharged by hospitals, plus links to housing to be able to maintain health, stability and long-term wellness.