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Grants That Recognize Every Story

At our Mental Health Summit last October, Cardinal Dolan shared a story that captured the heart of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s mission and the importance of recognizing the dignity of all people.

While visiting a soup kitchen run by the Missionaries of Charity, he noticed something striking:  despite a newer, better-equipped food program with visibly nicer meals just up the street, the longest line was at the sisters’ door.

When he asked a guest why, the answer was simple: “The sisters here know my name, ask me how I’m doing, and smile at me.”

That response reflects a truth at the center of our foundation’s work. Every person longs to be seen, known, loved, and valued – not as a number or case, or another “customer” receiving a service, but as an individual with a name, a story, and inherent dignity. Upholding the dignity of all people — regardless of outward appearance, physical or mental ability, socioeconomic status, or any of the other external characteristics that are so often used to divide people into groups of greater or lesser, better or worse, richer or poorer – is what drives us.

This commitment guides our latest round of grants: 399 awards totaling $142 million, supporting hundreds of organizations across New York State. Our investments in community support a broad range of issues, populations, and approaches, yet they all share a common purpose: to improve the health and well-being of our neighbors who are facing challenges or marginalization.

Our grantees include a broad range of health and social care organizations, from large hospitals to small faith-based community institutions, in all corners of the State. We are honored to partner with them and invite you to learn more about their work and our mission.

Carrying the name of a great and inspiring woman, Mother Frances Cabrini, calls us to continue her legacy of compassion and service, one grounded in recognizing the dignity of each person she encountered. While our collective work extends far beyond serving a meal, we hope that through these grants, more New Yorkers will experience what that guest at the Missionaries of Charity described: someone who knows their name, asks how they’re doing, and smiles.

Sincerely,

Daniel Frascella

Chief Programs and Grants Officer