St. Angela Merici Confirmation Students Create Artwork for Joseph’s Home Residents to Combat Feelings of Isolation
A group of St. Angela Merici confirmation students created artwork and wrote notes of encouragement to the medically fragile men experiencing homelessness at Joseph’s Home.
Joseph’s Home residents and alumni are among the populations considered at high risk of complications from COVID-19. “For everyone’s safety, we are restricting outside visitors and all trips but for essential appointments,” said Joseph’s Home Executive Director Beth Graham. While Joseph’s Home staff and residents work diligently to maintain social distancing practices, limiting appointments and visitors, and suspending volunteer activities and programs, the risk of social isolation is high.
St. Angela Merici theology teacher and confirmation director, Trena Pacetti, contacted Joseph’s Home with the idea to engage her students while also giving back to those who may be feeling isolated amid the Covid-19 stay-at-home orders. “We are all home now and trying to navigate distance learning with creative ways to keep the students engaged,” said Trena Pacetti. “I wanted to find a way for the students to reach out to the community during such a difficult time where we are all isolated.”
Joseph’s Home is the only short-term medical respite facility in Northeast Ohio exclusively focused on providing medically fragile homeless men the opportunity to access quality care provided by licensed clinicians, nutritious meals and other supportive services, with the goal of helping residents transition into permanent housing. Joseph’s Homes’ medical respite model fills a service gap between hospitals and shelters by providing care to those experiencing homelessness and who are ready to be discharged from the hospital, but are too frail to recover on the streets or in other shelters.
“Receiving lovely messages of hope from the students at St. Angela Merici encourages our residents and helps them know that they are not alone. In fact, all of us are delighted and grateful to St. Angela Merici,” said Beth Graham. Projects like that of the St. Angela Merici confirmation students ensure residents feel connected to the community and feel supported during this challenging time.
About St. Angela Merici School
St. Angela Merici School, a ministry of St. Angela Merici Parish in Fairview Park, Ohio, provides a Catholic faith-based education with a personal approach to education. Its unique learning model of tiered levels of education ranging from Preschool (age 3 – pre-Kindergarten), Lower School (grades K – 4) and Upper School (grades 5-8) positions students to enjoy a well-rounded academically rigorous experience with special emphasis on faith formation, community and leadership.
For additional information, visit www.samparish.org.
