Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Awards $20 Million to Support New York Communities Impacted by COVID-19

NEW YORK, May 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation announced today it has dedicated $20 million in additional funding to support 25 nonprofit organizations addressing the ongoing healthcare and health-related needs of New Yorkers as a direct result of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Emergency Support Grants are being distributed across New York State to community-based emergency response funds, healthcare providers, hospitals, nursing homes and Catholic Charities affiliates serving all faiths, and other organizational efforts.

The $20 million in grants will support key initiatives addressing the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable populations, including:

• Support for vaccine rollout, including grants to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany to fund its mobile clinic vehicle, rental tents, and chairs to bring vaccination sites into rural communities, and to Saint Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers to fund the development of an outreach campaign to low-income communities expressing vaccine hesitancy.
• Purchasing personal protective equipment for healthcare and social service workers, including grants to St. Peter's Hospital Foundation in Albany and the New York City-based Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) to purchase N95 and surgical masks for frontline medical workers.
• Supplying emergency food and financial assistance to individuals and families in need, including grants to the Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) to purchase approximately 120,000 pounds of food for the continuation of its emergency food distribution program, and to the Council of Peoples Organization (COPO) to support a mobile food pantry serving Muslim, Arab, and South Asian immigrant communities, as well as the general public, in Brooklyn.

"For many vulnerable New Yorkers, the pandemic's impact will be experienced for years to come. We honor Mother Cabrini's legacy by directly assisting those in need during these extraordinarily difficult times. We are concentrating our efforts on relief for frontline workers, financial support for underserved communities, and equitable vaccine distribution across the State," said Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, Chief Executive Officer of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

"A little over a year after the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is continuing to respond by funding essential organizations tackling the pandemic's ongoing impact on New York's most underserved communities. These grants demonstrate our commitment to help keep New Yorkers healthy, safe, and prepared," said Kathryn Ruscitto, Board Director and Chair of the Regional Grants Committee.

In 2020, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation awarded nearly $165 million for more than 650 healthcare and health-related programs that are addressing the social determinants of health (such as food, housing, education, and employment) and a wide range of health needs across New York State (such as oral healthcare in rural areas). Up to $50 million in 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Support Grants were included in this total, authorized in two rounds to support COVID-19 emergency programs.

These two rounds of 2020 COVID-19 emergency grants helped purchase PPE for healthcare and social service workers and supplied food to food banks and pantries. Grantees also offered unique solutions to address other critical needs that arose during the pandemic. For example:

• A statewide effort led by CHCANYS, the Iroquois Healthcare Alliance in Saratoga County, and the Mohawk Valley Health System in Central New York trained approximately 18,000 home care clinicians in COVID-19 testing.
• The Home Care Association in Albany expanded access to its Selfhelp Community Services' Virtual Senior Center, a web-based platform for older vulnerable adults to virtually engage with people in their community.

Click here for a full list of 2021 Coronavirus Emergency Support Grantees.

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the health and well-being of the vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of targeted communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. Named in memory of a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation provides flexible support for new and innovative approaches that enhance health and wellness across New York State. For more information, visit https://www.cabrinihealth.org/

Media Contact: Bob Varettoni, [email protected]; (646) 980-3020

SOURCE Mother Cabrini Health Foundation