More than $500,000 in grants have been given to local organizations to improve the health and wellness of vulnerable and low-income populations of Allen County. The grant money was provided by the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, a ministry sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.

“Allen County is blessed with many outstanding organizations that are improving the health and wellness of individuals in our community,” said Meg Distler, Executive Director of the Foundation. “Our mission is to continue the legacy of our sponsor by supporting organizations that care for the poor and underserved by helping them access quality medical care and wellness resources.”

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ has had an active ministry in this community since 1868, and, through the Foundation, has invested more than $16.9M through 1,085 grants into 186 Allen County agencies since the sale of St. Joseph Medical Center in 1998. All grants are focused on helping to establish and maintain centers of excellence for the delivery of mental, physical and spiritual health care to the low-income and underserved in our community. Moreover, these grants are intended to build programming to address gaps that prevent individuals from attaining effective care that supports health and wellness. The funded agencies also reflect the shared values of the Foundation’s sponsor, especially showing dignity and respect for all and carrying on the mission of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in the area. 

The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation focuses their Community Impact into four main areas: Assuring a Quality, Affordable Healthcare Network, Connecting People to Health & Wellness Care, Integrating Refugee & Immigrant Health, and Promoting Life-Affirming Prenatal & Infant Care.

The following grants are among those awarded from November 2015 through the end of the year:

Assuring a Quality, Affordable Healthcare Network (Unrestricted Funds)

Matthew 25 Health & Dental Clinic - $105,000.00 

For the full-time Dental Director and part-time dentist position. 

Matthew 25 Health & Dental Clinic - $125,000.00 

For the Medical Director’s salary. 

Super Shot - $50,000.00 

For immunizations at Anthony Medical Center and Anthis Career Center.

Carriage House - $30,000.00 (in 2015 and 2016) 

To assist adults with limited resources to reclaim their lives from the devastation of serious mental illness by providing unique and effective Clubhouse Model psychosocial rehabilitation.

Connecting People to Health &Wellness Care (Unrestricted Funds) 

SoulMedic – RemedyLIVE - $30,000.00 

To grow the SoulMedic team, improve their technology and increase their ability to help teens and young adults find hope, through technology, amidst their struggle. 

Allen County Jail Chaplaincy - $15,000.00 

For educational and spiritual programs for the inmates of the Allen County Jail, to help them to understand the changes they need to make in their lives and help to equip them to make those changes. 

YWCA Northeast Indiana / Hope House - $18,750.00 

To provide on-site recovery group counseling and parenting classes to chemically dependent women in a residential program and Family Group therapeutic support to residents and their family members. 

Integrating Refugee & Immigrant Health (Unrestricted Funds) 

Catholic Charities - $8,500.00 

To help coordinate services related to health screenings and immediate healthcare for primary and secondary refugees. 

Center for Nonviolence - $17,500.00 

To provide health education, case management, medical translation and other related services to non-English speaking populations who have significant barriers to health services. 

Lutheran Agency for Missions to Burmese (L.A.M.B.) - $20,000.00 

To provide medical advocacy for Burmese individuals. 

Promoting Life-Affirming Prenatal & Infant Care (Unrestricted Funds) 

A Hope Center - $45,000.00 

To support and enhance the ongoing provision of quality, limited medical services (nurse-administered pregnancy tests, STI testing, limited first trimester ultrasounds, and prenatal vitamins). 

Lutheran Social Services - $10,000.00 

To enhance the health and wellness of teen parents and their children who participate in the Education Creates Hope and Opportunity (ECHO) program. 

Frederick J. Pfeiffer Fund – in Honor of Charles F. and Henrietta Eckart Pfeiffer – for Medical and Surgical Equipment 

Fort Wayne Community Schools - $10,932.00 

To purchase the early interventions combo kit, including vision and hearing screening equipment, to be utilized in the Family Resource Center to screen students new to the school district.

Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Treatment Center - $580.00 

To purchase a VHS to DVD converter, cart, DVDs, and flat screen TV with built-in DVD player for conversion of all VHS tapes to DVDs for training purposes. 

Blessed Catherine Kasper Award for Outstanding Service to the Poor

Heart of the City Mission Foundation - $1,500.00 

For The Wash Room, an initiative to help families living in poverty have clean clothes and bedding, nurturing the health, hygiene, and economic well-being of marginalized families. 

Homebound Meals - $1,500.00 

To help fund the operations budget for delivering hot, nutritional meals to the homebound community of Fort Wayne.

About the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation 

The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, stewards resources to: 

Respond to community needs with grants; 

Leverage collaboration with community partners; 

Engage in transformational initiatives. 

We serve the poor in body, mind and spirit to achieve quality health and wellness, focusing on the community of Allen County, Indiana and may respond to needs among other underserved populations.

In addition to providing grants, the Foundation also provides programming to address gaps in services, including a Resource Directory of Allen County’s low-cost, quality healthcare resources. The Community Health Resource Directory is also available online at www.HealthcareDirectory.org. Two new directories in 2016 include a Pregnancy Resource Directory and a Refugee & Immigrant Directory.

The Foundation is also currently partnering with Parkview Health to provide the community with the H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating Active Living) program. Part of the HEAL program brings fresh produce to food desert areas of Fort Wayne, and the program is sponsoring healthy cooking classes at Redemption House, Charis House, and Vincent Village. HEAL is also supporting community gardens at McCormick Place apartments and Redemption House.

Linden House of Chicago, a ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, won the CAMME Award in the category of “Amenities within an affordable housing property” on Thursday November 5, 2015 at a ceremony at Navy Pier. 

CAMME, an acronym for Chicagoland Apartment Marketing and Management Excellence, are awards given annually in categories such as Property Excellence, Curb Appeal, Renovation, Social Media, and Marketing/Advertising. 

The CAMME recognizes excellence in the multi-family housing industry. The Chicago Apartment Association awards them.  Congratulations Linden House of Chicago.

Ancilla’s Board of Trustees voted Monday, Sept. 28, to build a second residence hall.

The decision comes on the tail of a very successful first hall, booked beyond capacity for the 2015-16 year. The two-year college’s president Dr. Ken Zirkle noted the first hall, with 96 beds, was built for freshmen only and they will need a place to live next year. “At this time last year there was question as to whether or not the decision would go in favor of building a residence hall. This year, the board was quick to come to a unanimous decision,” he said.

Vice President of Mission Integration, Sr. Jolise May said, “The decision by the board to build the first residence hall was one wrought with a mixture of excitement, challenge, unanswered questions and trepidation.”  The plan was given a green light last year and the hall filled beyond capacity before the school year even started.  May said, “In the movie Field of Dreams the Iowa farmer says, ‘Build it and they will come.’ Ancilla built its first dorm and, yes, they came.” The board’s unanimous decision to build the second residence hall at Ancilla echoed those same feelings, but with a more confident leap of faith. They will come because we have not only living accommodations for those who come from distances, but because Ancilla is willing to invest in the lives of its students. Ancilla is truly a ‘We Believe in You’ opportunity college.”

The building of a residence hall was a top priority on President Zirkle’s agenda when he stepped into office last year, but he takes very little of the credit. “The credit really belongs to the faculty and staff here at Ancilla who have worked hard to make this school one that students want to come to.” To take a peek inside the existing building, visit the Ancilla College page here. 

Ancilla College (www.ancilla.edu), part of The Center at Donaldson, offers 18 associate degrees and 14 athletic programs. Since 1937, the College has been a sponsored ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. It is a small, private, liberal arts school in Donaldson, Indiana. It is located two miles south of U.S. 30 on Union Road near Plymouth, Indiana.

Congratulations to HealthVision Fort Wayne! On August 26, 2015 Indiana State Representative Phil GiaQuinta presented a Proclamation to HealthVisions Fort Wayne thanking it for its service to the State of Indiana.  

HealthVisions Fort Wayne, part of HealthVisions Midwest, is a community-based health improvement organization. HealthVisions Fort Wayne is committed to building stronger neighborhoods to ensure a healthier future in Fort Wayne by partnering with others to help the community reduce health disparities. 

To learn more about HealthVision Midwest visit www.hvusa.org

HealthVisions Midwest, sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, was established after the sale of St. Joseph Hospital as a commitment from the Poor Handmaids to Fort Wayne to continue the healing mission of Jesus. 

Despite thunderstorms the night before and the morning of, Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ denied responsibility for making the Ancilla College Golf Classic rain free on June 8.

The 20^th annual event was at Swan Lake Resort. Thirty nine teams took part to raise money for the growing college.

After 19 years at the Plymouth Country Club, the Golf Classic was moved to Swan Lake to accommodate future growth. Said Tom Sibal, associate director of institutional advancement and tournament organizer, “We made a change in venue this year to Swan Lake. Having two golf courses to play on really helped to move the day along. We were able to finish play for 39 teams in just under four and a half hours. Everyone raved about playing at Swan Lake. I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

This year was the most successful for the event. The tournament, which followed a four-person Florida scramble format, raised over $25,000 for the Annual Fund which supports student grants and scholarships for the college. Guests walked away with nearly $12,000 worth of gifts in the form of door prizes, goodie bag favors and drinks and snacks on the course thanks to the generosity of 82 area businesses and individuals.

Contributing sponsors included Tiny Enterprises, LLC, TCP-The Complete Printer, Starke County Economic Development Foundation, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Oliver Ford, Michael Kinder and Sons Inc., Dr. Ron May, Lake City Bank, Fiduciary Management, Inc., Farm Fertilizer and Seeds, Inc., Chester Inc., John Chandler, Bomarko and 1st Source Bank. 

The winning team on the Black Course with a score of 56 played for Spoor’s Auto Sales and was comprised of Dan Spoor, Jim Magnuson, Kyle Meihoffer and Ralph Harmon. The winning team on the Silver Course with a score of 58 played for COJIM Properties and was comprised of Doug Hite, Phil Weybright, Bob Wise and Jay Polen. 

Ancilla College (www.ancilla.edu), part of The Center at Donaldson, offers 18 associate degrees and 10 athletic programs. Since 1937, the College has been a sponsored ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. It is a small, private, liberal arts school in Donaldson, Indiana. It is located two miles south of U.S. 30 on Union Road near Plymouth, Indiana.

Congratulations to our 2015 Jubilarians! In honor of the Jubilarians, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ community recognized them on Sunday, June 14 with a Mass and celebration at The Center At Donaldson in Donaldson, Indiana.

75 Years

Sister Richilde Dettmer, PHJC

I attended high school classes in Donaldson where I met Sister Severin, a kind and gentle woman. Through her I discovered an opportunity to work at the hospital in LaPorte, Indiana. The Poor Handmaid Sisters at the hospital impressed me with their simple living and prayerful life. It was then I decided to become a PHJC.

Over many years and through the lives of other Sisters, I learned what it means to be a Poor Handmaid. As with all of us, there were hurdles in my path, but God was faithful to me as I tried to live faithfully the vows I had made. Today, I am grateful to God for the call to be a Poor Handmaid. I say thanks to God and Sister Severin who never lost hope in me. 

My hope is to see our Community grow in number. That way we could encourage Sisters to work in foreign countries where our Poor Handmaid Sisters are already involved. Traveling, seeing something new, experiencing another culture has always been of high interest for me. My experience in Thailand opened my eyes to a greater awareness of poverty in the world and my need to support those who work there by my prayers. 

70 Years

Sister Margaret Urban, PHJC (Former Sister Raymond)

Sister Angelona, a teacher at Froebel High School in Gary, Indiana taught religion and one day asked me if I was happy. I said no because I wanted to go to a Catholic high school. She told me about the high school in Donaldson but my family could not afford it.

So I got a job and paid for my own education. After I graduated I wanted to join the convent and my mother said no because she needed my help. I said I would work for one year but I made up my mind after that I would go to the convent. I wrote to one guy in the army and asked him to stop writing me because I was going to the convent. He wrote back and said thanks for letting him know because he never wanted the Lord to think that he stole his girl.

After many years in education I wanted to do something different. I wanted to visit the sick and poor. After I got my Masters and worked in a parish, I became a Eucharistic minister. 

I hope the community can continue and keep the spirit of Blessed Catherine Kasper and continue to have a great concern for the poor.

60 Years

Sister Eileen Sullivan, PHJC (Former Sister Christopher)

Over the years I have grown in my understanding that I respond best to God and life when I listen with my heart. This is sometimes expressed in the awe and wonderment I experience when I realize that every moment in my life is filled with God’s grace. My heart is filled with gratitude for my family, friends and Sisters in community who have expanded my ability to listen with my heart by their love, understanding and faith in me.

As I reflect on my sixty-year journey in religious life I see clearly how listening with my heart has brought me peace as I responded to the challenges as well as the blessings along the way.

The heart-wisdom that I glean from prayer, community living and the use of my gifts through ministry has drawn me into a close relationship with God and his people. 

My hope for myself and for the community is that we continue to respond to the many opportunities to be true handmaids by listening to the God who speaks to our hearts.

Sister Rosemary Jung, PHJC (Former Sister Dolora)

There must be a mistake! Could 60 years have flown by so quickly?

My life has been ordinary.

Most of my ministry in Community has been to God’s little ones, the first and second graders I enjoyed in so many schools. Now some of them are grandparents and I have grown older, too.

For a short time I helped at Nazareth Home and then for five years at Carlyle Healthcare Center. Now I am back with the children working as a teacher’s aide.

I love the quote: “Teaching is to touch a life forever.” Hopefully the lives of the children I taught are still enriched by the time we spent together. I know mine is.

My life as a Poor Handmaid has been a blessing I would not trade for anything. It has been a privilege to belong to Blessed Catherine Kasper’s Community and to be inspired by the lives of so many good Sisters.

Gratefully celebrating God’s goodness to me with my Sisters, family and friends will be a great joy for me during my Jubilee year.

My life has been ordinary. 

Any ordinary woman looking for a wonderful, ordinary life should come join us.

Sister Therese Irene Galarneau, PHJC (Former Sister William)

Rejoice in the Lord always! Again, I say REJOICE. Sixty years since the profession of vows is in itself a blessing and a cause to rejoice. In the past sixty years wonderful people have come into my life and shared many good times as well as sad times with me – for these people – family, friends and Sisters in Community – I give thanks.

Wow, sixty years in education is unbelievable especially, since as a young Sister, I planned to retire at the ripe old age of 60. My experiences in the classroom are treasured. I never know what exciting “gems” the children will offer. If I had kept track of these “gems,” I could have written a bestseller.

It truly is a great honor to be a Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ. My hope of the future is that our international community will be blessed with many vocations and will follow in Blessed Catherine’s footsteps with “attentive ear and courageous heart.” 

My greatest enjoyment during this Jubilee year is to celebrate with Community, family, and friends and to cherish each day as God-given.

50 Years

Sister Loretta Schleper, PHJC (Former Sister Dominic)

How Blessed I am to be a Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ. When I was too young I said “Yes” to God and never changed my mind. I have wonderful memories of places I traveled, such as Germany, our PHJC foundation, Rome and the Holy Land.

When I was asked if I knew a Poor Handmaid who wanted to tour the Holy Land, I prayed on it and I kept hearing: “Here I am, send me.” I would say, “No really! who could go?” And again – “Send me.” I decided to ask to go and so it came to be. I loved walking where Jesus walked and ministered. I am happy I shared life with the other tour participants.

The Holy Spirit is active in the PHJC community collaborating with other women religious, being in dialogue with the church through the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, accompanying the poor, integrating and focusing on possibilities. We, Poor Handmaids, as an international community are partners in the work of the Spirit. 

My hopes and prayers for the community are that we be connected as faithful women, ministering to the poor and underserved, joining in strength and joy with co-workers, family, and friends, and listening to how God is present in our lives.

Sister Mary Carolyn Welhoelter, PHJC (Former Sister dePaul)

At nine years of age, my family moved to Tupelo, Mississippi. Since there were no Catholic schools
in the area, the only formal religion classes we had were in the summers when two Benedictine Sisters would come for two weeks to teach Catechism. They were my first inklings that I wanted to be a Sister.

Going into my senior year, the family moved back to St. Louis and to Catholic schools. One evening after graduation, I received a call from a family friend who asked me if I’d like to go with her to Chicago to visit her aunts, Sister Clement and Sister Leon, both PHJCs. On our visit they asked if we would like to go to their Motherhouse in Donaldson, Indiana. Yes!

We were totally awed by the beauty of the grounds, buildings, and friendly hospitality. We met Mother Symphoria, and she invited us to enter the Community. On the plane home, we both said we would enter. 

When returning to Donaldson, I was greeted by Sister Jeanette with arms open and a beautiful smile. My new life was about to begin that day of August 30, 1962!

Sister Mary Joan Trippel, PHJC (Former Sister Kristina)

I really enjoy getting to know PHJCs from around the world. We have a much richer life as we see how the charism of Blessed Catherine Kasper is shared by Sisters from very different cultures. One opportunity I had was my participation in the PHJC International Spiritual and Cultural Exchange Program. Again, it was a chance to meet and share with Sisters from USA, Germany and India.

Also important to me is the opportunity I have had to contribute to the growth of the Pro-Region of Mexico, to know our Sisters in Mexico, and to see them grow in leadership and in the spirit of Catherine Kasper. 

We are doing what Catherine Kasper began, working with the poor in many parts of the world today. There is always something each one of us can do, depending on our talents and our abilities at each stage of our lives. I hope that we continue to read the “signs of the times,” looking for what the Spirit calls us to do at this time in each place where Poor Handmaids are found, and that we support each other as we move into “unknown territories,” so that the theme of our last general chapter is really alive in all of us.

Sister Nora Hahn, PHJC

The memories that come to my mind as I reflect on my life are the opportunities I have been given: to travel and learn the cultures of so many different people; to care for my family members when they were ill; to study and get a Master’s from the University of Michigan; to take a sabbatical time in Texas and to have many significant retreats and the constant spiritual companionship of my spiritual director for almost 30 years.

I think the greatest ministry that we Poor Handmaids have to do and can do is to form the next generation of our ministry leaders/partners. Our ministries are really growing in helping so many people because there are so many committed persons who have learned, have caught, or already had within themselves, the spirit of Catherine, which is to serve those in great need. 

My hope and prayer for my own future is that I can continue to grow in love of God and of God’s people, especially my Sisters. My hope and prayer for our congregation’s future is much the same – that we can all grow in love of God and God’s people and to be of service where there is a need.

Sister Patricia Kolas, PHJC

When I entered the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in 1962, I thought I had an idea of who I was as a Sister and what I wanted to do in ministry – be a teacher. Then Vatican II began – the Holy Spirit was again at work in the Church, my religious congregation, my life and the world. Vatican II, working with the Holy Spirit, continues to influence my vision of being a woman religious as I minister, pray, live and believe.

I began my ministry as a teacher. After 12 years of teaching I was missioned as a pastoral minister in a parish. Since 1985, I’ve ministered as a counselor in two parishes and a counseling center in several Chicago suburbs. 

The Holy Spirit led Catherine Kasper to serve those most in need in her small village of Dernbach, Germany. That same Spirit calls me and the Poor Handmaids, who now live in a world linked by
fast travel and technology to meet the needs of the present moment. We will continue to be surprised by the Spirit, no matter what our circumstances, ages or numbers of Sisters.