Alumni Spotlight: CJ Rests, Heals and is Revitalized During Stay at JMH

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Feeling completely cared for can lead to renewed strength — and rebirth. 

This has proven to be true at Joseph & Mary’s Home. Men and women rest their minds, heal their bodies and revitalize their spirits here. After years of experiencing homelessness and facing medical hardships, peace fills the hearts of residents.

The opportunity to recover with dignity and be restored to good health is because of you, our supporters. You are a beacon of light — a light that helps revive residents’ sense of hope and guides them on the path toward their new beginnings.

CJ is one resident whose life was transformed after her time as a Joseph & Mary’s Home resident. A woman with a nurturing spirit, CJ raised her children and worked in schools as a family and community liaison. In more recent years, she ran her own non-profit organization providing household goods and clothing to those in need. She also held down a job at a church and did grant writing on the side.

CJ’s precarious health ailments led to all her work going away in the blink of an eye.

Rheumatoid arthritis ultimately caused her to have spinal stenosis and calcification of the heart. With pressure on her nerves, she lost feeling in her legs and feet. Her heart raced rapidly constantly and required frequent medical intervention.

Facing medical challenges that limited her mobility and endurance, CJ lost her jobs and soon lost her apartment. For months she floated between the women’s shelter and friends’ houses. Then came more serious news: CJ needed quadruple bypass surgery.

The surgery was successful. However, following rehab at a nursing home, CJ had nowhere to go. Her recovery process was ongoing, and she needed a stable and clean place to stay.

A social worker connected CJ to Joseph & Mary’s Home.

“When I arrived, a staff member was at the door waiting to welcome me,” said CJ. “I quickly recognized that I was not alone; they were going to do everything they could to help me.”

CJ spent the first few weeks letting her sternum heal from surgery. Over time, she completed puzzles with fellow residents and assisted with their laundry, went to doctor’s appointments, determined how to secure permanent housing and applied for disability.

Most importantly, she learned not to panic about being still.

“I used to work sun-up to sun-down. Here I figured out how not to be panicked, how to breathe,” said CJ. “I didn’t worry about anything here. I was able to relax. I knew there was always going to be a roof over my head.

“It was the first time in a long time something wasn’t looming.”

After spending several months at Joseph & Mary’s Home healing from her heart surgery and determining her next steps, CJ recently celebrated a significant milestone: moving into her own apartment.

This will be the first time she is truly on her own. She looks forward to taking short walks outside this summer in her new neighborhood.

“I have nothing but gratitude for Joseph & Mary’s Home,” said CJ. “My needs were met here. Not just my physical care, but also affection, advocacy and encouragement from a whole team of people who did their very best to make sure I landed on my feet.

“For the first time in my life, I felt completely cared for; it felt like being hugged. I know now to not let anyone mess with me… including myself.”

CJ is heading in the right direction because she was empowered to take control of her next chapter while at Joseph & Mary’s Home. The staff made her feel loved, respected and whole once again.

You have the opportunity now to give others, like CJ, the chance to access proven resources that allow them to regain physical and emotional strength.

Please considering making a gift this Spring to extend your support to the only medical respite care in Northeast Ohio.

Thank you for recognizing how healing requires nourishment, rest and a sense of security. Know that because of your gift, Joseph & Mary’s Home can continue to offer holistic care to neighbors in need of a safe and welcoming environment that helps them heal with dignity and take the next steps toward greater stability.

Please consider donating to help us sustain our mission. You can give online at www.jmhome.org/donate/donate-today; mail in a check to 2302 Community College Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115; or explore tax-smart giving options at www.jmhome.org/donate.

Sr. Joan Gallagher, CSA Visits Joseph & Mary’s Home

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On Easter Monday, we were happy to welcome back our first Executive Director Sr. Joan Gallagher, CSA, who came for a tour of the new Joseph’s Home! Sr. Joan was accompanied by her nephew, former Board Chair Rich Gallagher. They were happy to see the new space fully operational, and had the chance to chat with current residents.
Both Sr. Joan and Rich have played an integral role in ensuring the success and longevity of Joseph & Mary’s Home. We are blessed to have their support, as well as support from the extended Gallagher family!

Sisters of Charity Health System: A Collective Story of Impact

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Joseph & Mary’s Home is proud to be a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System (SCHS). The recently released 2025 SCHS Impact Report is our shared opportunity to step back, come together and tell that story — not as individual organizations, but as one connected ministry. This report represents more than numbers. It is a reflection of a collective mission in action, where each of us plays a distinct role in advancing healing, service and human dignity. Read this news story to read the full Impact Report.

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Feast of St. Joseph: Article Featured on the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Website

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The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland featured a story on their website highlighting Joseph & Mary’s Home’s Feast of St. Joseph on March 19.

Homilist Deacon Mark Yantek, who is also the Executive Director at fellow Sisters of Charity Health System ministry Regina Health Center, was heavily quoted in the article.

To read the article and learn more about Deacon Mark’s Homily, you can visit this page.

The full article is also provided below.

Joseph & Mary’s Home celebrates patronal feast day with Mass, lunch

News of the Diocese | March 24, 2026

Very little is known about St. Joseph, the spouse of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. Yet he filled an important role in their lives, said Deacon Mark Yantek.

“Joseph was always willing to do what God asked,” he said in the homily at a Mass celebrating the patronal feast of Joseph & Mary’s Home, a ministry serving medically fragile men and women experiencing homelessness in Cleveland.

Regina Health Center in Richfield, where Deacon Yantek is executive director, hosted the Mass in Holy Family Chapel on March 19 for the leaders, board members and others who assist with ministry.

Joseph & Mary’s Home and Regina Health Center are among the ministries of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, who are celebrating 175 years of service in the Diocese of Cleveland.

Deacon Yantek said some of the sisters identified a need more than 25 years ago and took a leap of faith to fill it. “It’s all about doing what God asks us to do. Joseph had a role to play. All he had to do was say ‘yes.’” And he did, marrying Mary and providing a stable home life for her and Jesus.

“He told the Lord to use him as his tool,” Deacon Yantek said, explaining the sisters did something similar when they opened Joseph’s Home. They saw a need, knew what God was asking them to do and they did it, he said. Later, the ministry expanded to include women.

He credited the CSA “Dream Team,” which worked to identify areas of need and to find ways to help. Sister Ruth Ann Patrick, CSA was a social worker at St. Vincent Charity Hospital, located near Joseph & Mary’s Home. She suggested the ministry after seeing that some men discharged from the hospital were homeless and had nowhere to go as they continued their recovery. Joseph’s Home provided housing, care and resources to help them get their lives back on track. Later, the ministry expanded to include women.

Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA congregational leader, welcomed guests to the liturgy, which was celebrated by Father Jamie Mazanec, a retired diocesan priest who most recently was senior parochial vicar at St. Columbkille Parish in Parma. Music was led by Miguel Chavez, senior vice president of mission and ministry for the Sisters of Charity Health System and secretary of Joseph & Mary’s Home, and his brother, P.J. Chavez.

Among the attendees were Sister Joan Gallagher, CSA who was the first director of Joseph’s Home, and Anna Stormer, who began her tenure as executive director of Joseph & Mary’s Home earlier this month.

“Finding a need and filling it is what the sisters have done since arriving here from France in 1851,” Deacon Yantek said. He also credited the board members and others who have supported the ministry. “As they always say, ‘We never did it alone,’” he added.

Feast of St. Joseph Celebrated with Mass on March 19

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On March 19, Joseph & Mary’s Home supporters came together to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and husband to Mary. Mass was celebrated in the Holy Family Chapel at fellow Sisters of Charity Health System ministry Regina Health Center. A luncheon reception followed. As Deacon Mark Yantek said in the homily, “Just like St. Joseph said yes to doing God’s will, the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine said yes to God when they established Joseph & Mary’s Home.”

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Anna Stormer Named Next Executive Director at Joseph & Mary’s Home

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Joseph & Mary’s Home is pleased to announce that Anna Stormer has been named its next Executive Director. She began her role on Tuesday, March 10. Stormer will oversee strategy, operations and program excellence. Her focus will be on ensuring vulnerable neighbors have a safe place to recover, stabilize their health and move forward with dignity. Prior to her arrival at Joseph & Mary’s Home, Stormer served as Vice President at a national financial institution building pathways out of poverty. Earlier in her career, she worked with individuals navigating housing instability and complex medical and behavioral health needs.

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Cleveland.com: Five Takeaways from Original Joseph & Mary’s Home Article

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Joseph & Mary’s Home was proud to be featured on the front page of the Christmas Eve edition of Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer. The story was also on Cleveland.com. On January 20, Cleveland.com published another piece that highlighted five key takeaways from the original article. You can read the full recap here, which highlights the recent renovation of Joseph’s Home; the public and private funding that helped fuel it; the holistic care and supportive services provided at Joseph & Mary’s Home; the effectiveness of the medical respite model; and why it is so crucial to help those experiencing both homelessness and acute medical needs.

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The Journey: Abundance of Love, Kindness and Respect Puts Angelica on Path to Stable Housing

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The Fall/Winter 2025 issue of The Journey, the biannual newsletter of Joseph & Mary’s Home, features a cover article about Angelica, a widow who came to Joseph & Mary’s Home to heal after living outside left her with frostbite on her feet. The newsletter also features the a special message from Sisters of Charity Health System President and CEO Michael Goar, good news about the recent #weGIVECATHOLIC campaign, a donor spotlight on Dr. Srinivas Merugu, a recap from this summer’s Joseph’s Home Blessing and the Perseverance In Hope Luncheon, information on the Sr. Joan Gallagher, CSA, Endowment Fund, news updates, and more.

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The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com Feature Joseph & Mary’s Home

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On Wednesday, December 24, Joseph & Mary’s Home was featured on the front page of The Plain Dealer! The story was also featured on Cleveland.com. Reporter Julie Washington interviewed Ken, one of our resident alumni, to explain to readers the services and support provided at Joseph & Mary’s Home. Through Ken’s experience, it is explained how Joseph & Mary’s Home helps residents not only with getting back to good health, but also with preparing for stable housing and a brighter tomorrow. The article also highlighted the capital campaigns that allowed Mary’s Home to be established and Joseph’s Home to relocate and be renovated.

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$61,256 Raised During 2025 #weGIVECATHOLIC – Thank You!

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Thanks to the generosity of 126 donors, a total of $61,256 was raised for Joseph & Mary’s Home during #weGIVECATHOLIC this year! This is not to mention the excitement we felt of earning both The Gallagher Family’s $10,000 matching gift, as well as $5,000 from an anonymous donor. The money raised during #weGIVECATHOLIC gives Joseph & Mary’s Home the support it requires to help those experiencing homelessness rest, recover and be renewed as they heal from various medical-related challenges.

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