CRC to Receive $40,000 Gift from St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea

Representatives from (left to right), the Chelsea Senior Center, the Dexter Senior Center, Stockbridge Community Outreach, Faith in Action, the Copper Nail, the Grass Lake Ministerial Association Emergency Assistance Fund, the Community Resource Center, the St. Louis Center and Nancy Graebner, President and CEO of St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. CRC board members Pastor Pete Harris and Ted Bragg are representing Manchester. Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea.

St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea (SJMC) has announced it is giving $150,000 in community benefit funds to partner organizations in Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Manchester and Stockbridge to support basic needs – including housing, utilities, food, transportation, dental care, and access to mental health services.

SJMC chose the Community Resource Center (CRC) in Manchester as the recipient of $40,000. Although SJMC has sponsored the CRC’s annual volunteer recognition banquet and co-sponsored the annual golf outing in the past, this is the first time the CRC has received funding like this from SJMHS. The money will be used to be used to help residents in need with emergency housing, utility and food assistance, as well as transportation and access to mental health services for all residents. Laura Seyfried, director of the CRC stated that she very excited and grateful. Seyfried will be meeting with representatives from the hospital at the end of January to begin discussing programming and implementation.

Organizations in the other four communities chosen to receive money include:

• In Stockbridge, Community Outreach will receive $50,000 in funding to support their current services, and to expand their services and build capacity.
• In Grass Lake, the Ministerial Association Emergency Assistance Fund will receive $15,000 to provide housing and treatment assistance for those with substance use disorders. The Copper Nail and the Grass Lake Senior Center will each receive $5,000 to support their programs for the poor and underserved.
• Faith in Action will receive $15,000 for their work in Chelsea and Dexter. The Dexter Senior Center will receive $5,000 for their group meals and fitness programs, including transportation for isolated seniors. The St. Louis Center will receive $10,000 for their gardening and other wellness programs for their residents. The Chelsea Senior Center will receive $5,000 to support wellness programs and transportation for group meals and activities.

“We are proud to continue our legacy as a community hospital by serving all members of our communities with funds that support local initiatives and align with our mission,” said Nancy Graebner, president and CEO of St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea.

The hospital’s Community Health Improvement Council distributed the funds across partner organizations based upon each community’s poverty level and each organization’s priorities for services. The communities with the highest level of need received the most funding. In addition to these cash donations, the hospital will be working with these organizations to ensure compliance with hospital community benefit policies, and to explore the best way to coordinate programs and ensure a baseline of services is available across the region.

St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea is a non-profit hospital, which means its profits are given back to the communities it serves. Community benefit funds support community health improvement programs, graduate medical education, the unpaid cost of serving Medicaid patients, and charity care for people who do not have insurance or cannot afford their co-pays and deductibles.

Historically, charity care and the unpaid cost of Medicaid have consumed the majority of community benefit funds. With the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion in Michigan, many more people have health insurance and are able to access the care they need. This has allowed the health system to redirect community benefit resources to help meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable in its service area.

St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea (SJMC) is a not-for-profit hospital established in 1970. Located in Chelsea, Michigan, SJMC is a member of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System. SJMC is nationally recognized for both quality of care and patient satisfaction by national ranking organization Press Ganey, and is accredited by the Joint Commission. SJMC attracts more than 300 physicians in almost all disciplines, with leading edge technology.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.