The Saint Joseph Mercy Health System has committed $1 million to fight home insecurity in Washtenaw County.
The Ann Arbor-based health system announced its financial commitment Jan. 13 in support of the Sr. Yvonne Gellise Endowment Fund for Prevalent Supportive Housing Services (SYG Fund).
The Endowment Fund will be used to “support the creation of lasting, systemic solutions to homelessness in Washtenaw County.”
The commitment was made in honor of Sister Yvonne, senior advisor for governance at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, and the late Garry C. Faja, a founding Cabinet member of the SYG Fund and the first president and CEO of SJMHS.
“Sister Yvonne, the Sisters of Mercy who founded St. Joes, and Garry Faja believed very strongly in the core values that guide our health system’s healing mission, including reverence for the sacredness and dignity of every person and our responsibility to care for the most vulnerable in our community,“ President of Saint Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Alonzo Lewis said. “St. Joe’s is honored to make a significant investment in the Washtenaw County community and build on health programs and community partnerships that improve and enrich the lives of local residents."
Washtenaw County has faced a worsening situation of home insecurity that has been perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This financial commitment was an evidence-based public health decision to address the concern of homelessness during the ongoing pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for more permanent supportive housing services in our community to help keep people safe and healthy,” the SYG Fund Development Coordinator Lauren Wisniewski said.
The SYG Fund will be distributed to partner agencies through a collaboration with the Washtenaw Housing Alliance.
Funds distributed may be used for services such as financial support for integrated primary care and mental health care, substance abuse counseling, employment or vocational training, transportation, problem-solving or dispute resolution, crisis management and stabilization, and preventative intervention.
“This endowment is continuing to grow and provide much-needed funding to agencies that share our mission, at a time when other funding sources have not been able to keep up with growing demand,“ Wisniewski said.
For more information about the SYG Fund and how to help address homelessness in Washtenaw County, visit http://www.whalliance.org/syg-fund.