Joseph & Mary’s Home had a big year in 2022 and has big plans for 2023. Top on the list of accomplishments was the opening of Mary’s Home, a new 10-bed medical respite facility for women experiencing homelessness. Executive Director Beth Graham penned a letter highlighting accomplishments of 2022 and looking ahead to 2023.
Eileen Vizcaino, retired Presbyterian PC U.S.A. clergy woman, volunteers at
Mary’s Home leading a weekly poetry group. She also established a charitable gift annuity, making a donation to Joseph & Mary’s Home that helps support the ministry and pays her a quarterly dividend.
Known around Joseph & Mary’s Home as “by the book Green,” Terry Green has been a resident support associate for nearly four years. He helps ensure there is coverage 24/7/365 and works on different nights the second shift (4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.) and third shift (12:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.). As a recovering alcoholic having reached 30 years of sobriety, Terry said he views working with residents as “giving back.”
For years, the garden behind Joseph’s Home has provided residents with a quiet oasis to help them relax and continue their healing journey. It is filled with flowers, plants, trees, sculptures and places to sit, and has been built and maintained by dedicated volunteers.
The garden has been so important to Joseph’s Home residents, it inspired the creation of a similar outdoor space at Mary’s Home. Thanks to a generous donation from the Sullivan family, the Thomas C. and Sandra S. Sullivan Memorial Garden was built in the summer.
More than 400 people attended the Perseverance in Hope 2022 Benefit Luncheon at Windows on the River in Cleveland on September 13. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped us raise $95,000, and to everyone who supports our mission and was unable to join us for this special day. When we gather together for events like Perseverance in Hope, you are saying that everyone requires a place to call home, that everyone requires high-quality health services when they are ill.
If someone were to meet you for the first time, what would you want them to know about you?
I want them to know that I am battling cancer and I am so grateful to MetroHealth and Mary’s Home. I was living in an unsafe apartment with bedbugs. The rent went up and I couldn’t afford it. In July, I was forced out and all I had was the clothes on my back. Legal Aid Society helped connect me to Mary’s Home. Now I’m in a clean, safe place. If I can tell my story, maybe I can help others who are still battling cancer or have survived cancer.
What is a hope of yours?
My hope is to be a cancer survivor. I want to live five years and even more than that period. I also hope that I can get back on my feet and get housing.
What is something in your life you love?
I love my dog. His name is Handsome Man. He is my support. He is my therapist. He is there for me. But unfortunately we are separated right now. My legal team is being a good foster family for him and I see him regularly.
If you could tell the world anything, what would it be?
I would tell the world that I am at the best hospital, which is MetroHealth at the main campus with a great cancer team and a great surgical team. I have a great cancer doctor, Kimberly Resnick. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here. She saved my life and I am very indebted and grateful. Now I see life differently. Cancer has changed me. I have accepted my life, that I have cancer, and I will have to take chemo all the rest of my life. And as far as Mary’s Home, I have a great team here who is working very closely with me, especially Raven, Richard, Beth and nurse Katie, and I have gratitude for that. I am on a new journey. If anyone has cancer please by all means have it checked out and if caught early, get treated. And most of all I would like to thank the American Cancer Society. The Cancer Society supports me and talks to me. And I would like to dedicate my life to the American Cancer Society, Mary’s Home and my great cancer team, because all the people who I have worked with have saved my life.
We were thrilled to welcome The Most Reverend Edward C. Malesic, the bishop of Cleveland, August 2. The Bishop met with leadership and residents to learn more about Joseph’s Home and Mary’s Home, and the ultimate goal of housing as healing. He learned firsthand about these medical respite ministries before he is the keynote speaker at the Perseverance in Hope luncheon on Sept. 13 at Windows on the River in Cleveland. Read more about his visit in this news article from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
The full text of the article is below or available here.
Mission, ministry of Joseph’s and Mary’s homes shared with bishop
News of the Diocese
August 3, 2022
The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine began serving in the Diocese of Cleveland as the city’s first public health nurses when they arrived here in 1851 from France.
In the 171 years since, the sisters have worked with some of the area’s most impoverished and vulnerable residents – a ministry that continues with Joseph’s Home (serving men) and Mary’s Home (serving women), a pair of medical respite facilities under the auspices of the Sisters of Charity Health System.
Bishop Edward Malesic got his first look at the homes during a visit on Aug. 2. Beth Graham, executive director, and Anthony Searcy, a Gesu (University Heights) parishioner and chair of Joseph’s Home’s board of trustees, helped guide the bishop through the facilities. Residents greeted him with a cheery “Hello” and one woman even asked for his blessing.
The bishop listened intently as staff members and residents talked about the homes and their importance to the community. He commended the staff for their dedication to their ministry and offered his prayers and support for them and the residents.
He learned that about 30 years ago, some of the sisters recognized the growing problem of those experiencing homelessness, especially those who had been discharged from the hospital and had nowhere to stay as they recovered. A “Dream Team” of sisters studied the situation and decided to focus on meeting the needs of men experiencing homelessness. As their work continued, the seeds of Joseph’s house were planted.
In 1997, the CSAs approved the incorporation of Joseph’s Home. During the next few years, they secured the use of a former convent near St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, the downtown hospital run by the sisters, and raised money for renovations and working capital.
In May 2000, Joseph’s Home opened. The first resident was welcomed that August. Its mission is to help the men residents obtain permanent housing, improve their health, obtain a GED, develop job skills and prepare to enter the workforce.
The companion facility, Mary’s Home, opened in March in an adjacent building. Graham, who serves as executive director for both, said they fill a much-needed niche as medical respites. Only about three such facilities exist in Ohio and Mary’s Home is the only one Graham knows of that serves women.
She said they work with many social service and medical organizations to ensure that residents’ needs are met. Joseph’s Home serves about 40-50 men in a typical year. It can house up to 11 men at a time, while Mary’s Home can accommodate up to 10 women. Nutritious meals are prepared by the dietary staff at SVCM, which is across the street.
Residents have their own private rooms, access to common areas including outdoor courtyard/sitting spaces, laundry facilities and restrooms. Graham said the Sisters of Charity Health System donated some statues, including an outdoor Blessed Mother statue for Mary’s Home, and some crucifixes.
She noted that many former Joseph’s Home residents have improved/stabilized their health and found permanent housing. An average stay is about 75 days. Since Mary’s home opened, five women have passed through. One found permanent housing (see related video), one chose to leave and three moved into a facility with a higher level of care.
Although there were many challenges during the pandemic, Graham said the Joseph’s Home staff adapted, implemented safety guidelines and kept the facility open. Mary’s Home, a former school, was under renovation and pandemic-related supply chain issues delayed the arrival of furniture and other items.
Both facilities are at capacity, Graham said.
According to data collected by the two facilities, 77% of men at Joseph’s Home are older than 55. Data for the first quarter of Mary’s Home’s operations showed that 82% of the residents were older than 55. Because they serve adults who are experiencing both homelessness and medical issues, Graham said they tend to skew older.
Peaches, a Mary’s Home resident who has been battling cancer, told Bishop Malesic, “The house gave me a place to stay, a place to shower and a place to eat.”
The bishop urged the staff and board to continue sharing the facilities’ story. “People don’t want to be homeless,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that Mary’s Home and Joseph’s Home are needed,” Searcy said. “But we’re here for those who need them.”
Both homes welcome in-kind donations of cash, gift cards – especially Target, Home Depot, Giant Eagle, Dave’s Markets, ALDI, Walmart and Visa gift cards — new under garments, socks and personal hygiene items like razors, shaving cream, moisturizing body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, sunscreen, textured hair care products, hair brushes and hair picks. Call Erin Gay Miyoshi, development director, at 216-987-9201 for more information.
Bishop Malesic will be the keynote speaker at the Perseverance in Hope fundraising luncheon on Sept. 13. Click here for more information.
Joseph’s Home and Mary’s Home are ministries of the Sisters of Charity Health System.
In this staff spotlight, we speak to Resident Support Associate Quiana Ellis about her work at Mary’s Home.
The latest issue of Joseph’s Journey, the biannual newsletter of Joseph’s Home, features an article about Mary's Home welcoming its first residents. With the first resident welcomed in late March, Mary’s Home is now providing a nurturing, caring place to recuperate for women experiencing both homelessness and acute medical conditions.
Below is the text from the cover story. Read the complete Joseph’s Journey newsletter here.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, an image of a new resident welcome kit 
posted to the Joseph’s Home Facebook page on March 25 spoke volumes. It proclaimed to the world, “Mary’s Home is officially open!” The story behind the image is much larger than that exciting proclamation.
For 22 years, Joseph’s Home has been helping men without resources who have acute medical needs heal and achieve independence. For those 22 years, there has not been a comparable ministry for women experiencing the same situation.
Mary’s Home is the realization of a dream that the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine had when they answered God’s call to serve the most vulnerable by opening Joseph’s Home in October 2000. Since then, hundreds of men have recovered their health and moved into permanent housing through the help of Joseph’s Home.
With the first resident welcomed in late March, Mary’s Home is now providing a nurturing, caring place to recuperate for women experiencing both homelessness and acute medical conditions. Mary’s Home joins Joseph’s Home as the only local organization offering care for people experiencing homelessness who are too ill or frail to recover from an illness or injury on the streets or in a traditional shelter.
Located next to Joseph’s Home, the building was originally built as a school and then used as a daycare. Following renovations, Mary’s Home is now a 10-room facility with an onsite kitchen, laundry, computer lab and medical clinic. Just like at Joseph’s Home, residents benefit from medical supervision, nutritious meals, nursing care, medication management, and coordination with health care, supportive service and housing providers to help them reach housing and health stability.
“The importance of opening Mary’s Home cannot be overstated,” said Anthony Searcy, chair of the Joseph’s Home Board of Directors. “What we have been doing for men for many years, we can now do for women and fulfill a need that has not been addressed in this area. Mary’s Home truly rounds out the mission of Joseph’s Home.”
Hired in November, Angela Butts is a social worker at Mary’s Home and its first full-time employee. As the home’s social worker, Angela works with residents to fill out their intake paperwork, ensure they understand policies, ensure they have clothing and transportation to and from medical appointments, acts as an advocate for them, and more.
She will also oversee bringing programs to Mary’s Home that have been successful at Joseph’s Home, such as music and art therapy, and group sessions on a range of topics from budgeting to healthy relationships to mental wellness. Plus, she would like to offer self-esteem classes, services of a beautician and gentle exercise, such as chair yoga.
“It was so exciting to welcome our first resident in March. There is tremendous potential at Mary’s Home to help women get healthy and back on their feet, to have an apartment of their own because health is finally not an issue,” said Angela. “I cannot express how happy I am to be the social worker here. It’s such a joy to be able to help women with health concerns.”
Angela said she expects that once Mary’s Home is fully staffed, it won’t take more than a month to fill all 10 beds as the word gets out. “I think our referral partners might even be more excited than I am because they’ve needed something like Mary’s Home for many years,” she added.
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the Mary’s Home Capital Campaign. With your generous support, the campaign raised more than $1.5 million, exceeding its goal of $1.3 million. Without your support, the vision to make Mary’s Home a reality could not have been possible. Today, women experiencing homelessness who need medical respite care have a safe, secure place to heal and achieve independence.
“We are deeply grateful to the entire capital campaign committee, including Jeanne Colleran Weaver, committee chair, and Sister Joan Gallagher, CSA, honorary chair. Thanks to the committee’s hard work as well as the work of our board of directors, we were able to tell the story of Mary’s Home and inspire donors to generously contribute the needed funds to expand our ministry,” said Beth Graham, Joseph’s Home executive director.
Mary’s Home Capital Campaign Committee:
Joseph’s Home is one of five nationwide medical respite programs chosen by the National Institute for Medical Respite Care (NIMRC) and the CDC Foundation to receive grant money and two years of technical assistance to help strengthen behavioral and mental health services. Joseph’s Home, the only medical respite provider in Northeast Ohio for medically fragile men and women experiencing homelessness, will receive funding and support in its efforts to improve health outcomes for this population and, ultimately, to help them obtain permanent, stable housing. NIMRC and CDC Foundation funding and technical assistance will help identify and reduce barriers in delivering behavioral health services while COVID-19 persists.
For more than 20 years, Joseph’s Home has developed best practices for serving men in the Greater Cleveland community experiencing homelessness who are medically fragile. Since 2017, when a medical director and behavioral health director were hired, the ministry has been building its capacity to deliver integrated care. Since then, two peer recovery specialists, a contract RN and a community health worker have been added. This interdisciplinary team is essential to the ministry’s integrated model. With the opening of Mary’s Home in March 2022 to serve women, doubling the resident population, the organization is focused on enhancing the quality of the integrated care it provides and its sustainability.
“Receiving this generous award is a wonderful honor and national recognition of the work we’ve been doing for years—treating the whole person. These funds will help further integrate behavioral and mental health into our program and expand it even more as we begin serving women in addition to men,” said Beth Graham, Joseph’s Home executive director. “Medical respite is an emerging field, so the technical assistance will be extremely valuable as we continue to learn and implement best practices.”
The other four recipient programs are:
“Medical respite care plays a critical role in delivering health care to some of our most vulnerable neighbors, and ultimately in moving them into housing,” said Bobby Watts, CEO of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and director of its NIMRC initiative. “We are excited to continue our partnership with the CDC Foundation to help these award recipients grow their programs and their capacity to serve.”
About Joseph’s Home
Joseph’s Home, which is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, is the only homeless service provider in Northeast Ohio exclusively focused on medical respite care. While men and women stabilize their physical illness in a nurturing faith-based environment, they also develop their individual housing plans and connections to behavioral health supports. In addition to ongoing medical supervision, nutritious meals and coordination with local health care providers, residents also receive intensive case management that includes development of permanent housing plans, benefit(s) review, transportation to and from medical or housing appointments, and supportive programming that includes identifying community resources and supports.
About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission.
About the National Institute for Medical Respite Care
The National Institute for Medical Respite Care, a special initiative of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, advances best practices, delivers expert consulting services, and disseminates state-of-the-field knowledge in medical respite care.