Community Outreach
Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, unexpectedly inherited a fortune at age 50. As a woman of faith, it was her heartfelt desire to serve with compassion, opening the House of Mercy in 1874 serving homeless and abused women. The success of the House of Mercy and Catherine’s work led to the creation of the religious order, Sisters of Mercy.
The order went on missions around the world, arrived in Fort Lauderdale in 1959 and began sponsoring Holy Cross Hospital. As a faith-based, not-for-profit hospital, it is the compassion and dedication of the Sisters of Mercy that inspires Holy Cross Hospital to serve in the community. In 2010, Holy Cross devoted $15.4 million to social accountability and community benefit, and the hospital has budgeted $16.9 million in 2011 for community care.
The Community Outreach Team, which continues the legacy of the Catherine McAuley, practices compassionate service in a variety of settings, including elementary schools, parishes, community agencies, parks, temples, child daycare facilities, homeless shelters and community centers. Support our Community Outreach and help improve the lives of thousands of low-income children and families in need.
Community Outreach Campaigns
Growing Healthy Kids
The goal of the Growing Healthy Kids program is to improve nutrition and physical activity with kindergarten through fourth grade students utilizing traditional classroom and experiential learning techniques, such as onsite school vegetable gardens. Since 2007, the program has increased knowledge, attitudes and skills regarding good nutrition and health in students in grades K-4. Many creative and dynamic activities, classes and workshops have been specifically designed for teachers, students and parents. In 2010, 1,472 unduplicated student participants received 34,133 breakfasts, 109,519 hot lunches and 13,338 afterschool snacks as school meals through this program. Make a donation to Growing Health Kids today.
Parish Nurse Program
“I lost my husband a year ago and depended on him for transportation,” says Yvonne McGinis. “The Parish Nurse Program is truly a blessing for elderly people who, like me, require transportation for my daily routines such as doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping and even social outings at my church.” The Parish Nurse Program provides services to seniors at Saint Gabriel Parish, lower income immigrants, and all age groups at San Isidro and Our Lady of Mercy Parishes. Please help support this program that serves more than 11,000 lonely and frail community members by helping them with critical issues such as safety, mental health, depression, anxiety and phobias, transportation and financial security in three parishes in some of the poorest communities in Broward County.
Healthy Schools Program
The Healthy Schools Program promotes student health through prevention, early intervention, treatment or referral for acute or chronic health problems, and psychological services. The target population includes approximately 7,500 students ages 2-14 years in all of Broward’s nineteen parochial elementary and middle schools. Help enhance the educational potential of these students by supporting this program with a donation today.
Mercy Family Life Center
“The Mercy Family Life Center has been a true blessing for my family and me,” says May Hsu. “I am a single mother of a six-year-old girl. We emigrated to the United States from Taiwan four years ago. As an immigrant who is struggling to survive, the Center has been a lifesaver.” At Mercy Family Life Center (located at 114 North Flagler Avenue in Pompano Beach), the most vulnerable in our society have a place to go in Broward County where they will be treated with dignity. The family practitioners there provide medical services, ranging from pediatrics to diabetes to podiatry, to low-income children and families regardless of their ability to pay. Please support this program and help the under and uninsured receive the quality health care they need.
African American HIV Testing Initiative
Through this program more than 4,000 individuals from low-income neighborhoods are provided with confidential rapid HIV testing inclusive of pre- and post-test counseling. The goal of the program is to make individuals aware of their status and, if positive, link them to care and treatment. Test sites are located throughout the community at targeted locations in addition to on-site at Holy Cross Hospital. Please support this service that could help save their lives if diagnosed and treated appropriately.
Children's AID Fund
This fund created by one of our physicians, Dr. Margaret Gorensek, helps low-income children with HIV/AIDS and/or infectious diseases and children of parents with HIV/AIDS and/or infectious diseases receive quality healthcare and any other necessities. With a resource coordinator and mental health clinician on staff, Dr. Gorensek provides food, clothing, housing, transportation, bedding, baby products and more to these children year long. The children are taken to Camp Boggy Creek twice a year and are provided necessary supplies for their stay. In addition, a support group is held once a month at Holy Cross Hospital. Help support this vital service to diseased children in need. “Dr. Gorensek and the staff do all we can to see to it that these kids get whatever it is they need,” says Carol Franz, Coordinator for the Children and Family HIV/AIDS Program.
Mission of Mercy
Instead of playtime and education, the hundreds of children living on the municipal dump outside Managua, Nicaragua – the poorest country in South and Central America – make a living digging through garbage. Working up to 12 hours a day, these children barely find enough food or sellable items to keep their families from starving while being exposed to combustion fumes, skin disease and infections. They suffer from malnutrition and injuries. When Dr. Edward Coopersmith, Holy Cross Hospital pulmonologist, learned about this need through La Chureca project, he immediately set up the Mission of Mercy fund in memory of his son Ben’s sudden accidental death. Through the fund, Dr. Coopersmith assists La Chureca by participating in missions to poverty-stricken countries including Nicaragua, Honduras and Venezuela, delivering basics like toys, clothes and shoes, as well as medical supplies and services to refugee camps and orphanages. “Missions are always dedicated to someone [not always to Ben],” says Dr. Coopersmith. “And for Ben’s sake I won’t stop doing them until I die.”
Food Drives
From school children to seniors, we work with people from all walks of life who, for multiple reasons, find themselves in need of nutritional assistance. Holy Cross Hospital’s Community Outreach team continually organizes food drives to benefit low-income children and families and when the need arises, natural disasters like the Haiti Relief Fund. In 2010, 1,207,488 pounds of food was collected and donated to the community. In addition 281 baskets of food were donated to families in need on Thanksgiving.
Homelessness Initiatives
Through community partnerships with other nonprofits, our Community Outreach team works on giving the homeless a second chance at life by helping them in varied ways including funding shelter opportunities, food drives, financial assistance and healthcare needs including rapid HIV testing. Our Mobile Unit was custom designed to include two interview rooms, one exam room with an exam table and a waiting area has quickly gained popularity and request for services. Through the medical mobile we provide services to homeless, uninsured and undocumented individuals.
Charity Care
Thanks to our sponsors, the Sisters of Mercy, Holy Cross Hospital will treat every patient regardless of their ability to pay. Our charity care program allows us to treat patients who could otherwise not afford their necessary healthcare. In 2010, Holy Cross devoted $15.4 million to social accountability and community benefit, and the hospital has budgeted $16.9 million in 2011 for community care. With your support, we can continue to care for these under or uninsured local patients and make an impact in their lives.