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San Francisco, CA – On behalf
of the San Francisco Health Commission, Commissioner James M.
Illig presented a commendation to St. Joseph’s Health Support Alliance on July 17. The commendation honors twenty-one years of support for
people living
with HIV/AIDS in the City and County of San Francisco.
St. Joseph’s Health Support Alliance provided some
of the original funding for Catholic Charities CYO to start its HIV/AIDS
support services
in San Francisco. This year, St. Joseph’s donated $1 million—the
largest foundation gift Catholic Charities CYO has ever received—for
a total of $3 million in assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS
with incomes below $12,000 annually. This assistance offsets medical
bills,
prescription subsidies and other vital medical costs not covered
by private insurance.
In accepting the commendation, Barbara Brandlin
Hines, President of St. Joseph’s Health Support Alliance,
remarked, “St.
Joseph’s
is honored to be recognized by the San Francisco Health Commission.
We are proud of our 21 year association with Catholic Charities
CYO, a first
responder to the epidemic in 1985, and grateful for this recognition.”
Also accepting the commendation was Sister Ruth
Agee, a
member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, the religious
community which
founded St. Joseph’s Hospital in San Francisco in the late 1800’s.
When the hospital was sold in the early 1980’s the St. Joseph’s
Emergency Health Fund was created by CCCYO to continue to support
healthcare services in San Francisco.
During the presentation, Commissioners David J.
Sanchez, Jr., Ph.D., Edward A Chow, M.D. and Catherine
Dodd, R.N., Ph.D., all
spoke of their appreciation of St. Joseph’s Health Support Alliance
for its outstanding investment and continuing commitment to the well-being
of San Franciscans,
especially those affected by HIV/AIDS. Through Sister Ruth Agee,
the Commissioners expressed their gratitude to the Franciscan Sisters
who founded the hospital
whose mission continues to this day. In presenting the commendation
to St. Joseph’s, Commissioner Illig stated, “We are very
grateful that the mission of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred
Heart to provide
healthcare for the people of San Francisco is continuing through
St. Joseph’s
Health Support Alliance. St. Joseph’s ongoing dedication to
the needs of our city’s low-income people with HIV/AIDS is truly
remarkable.”
With the help of St. Joseph’s Health Support Alliance, Catholic
Charities CYO (CCCYO) continues to be one of the largest HIV/AIDS service
providers on the West Coast, helping to address the financial, medical
and emotional stresses of those living with HIV or AIDS. The scope and
reach of CCCYO’s HIV/AIDS Services is profound considering that
25% of the HIV/AIDS population in San Francisco has received direct assistance
from CCCYO. Specifically, CCCYO provides over 200,000 nights of housing
for women, children, LGBT and other individuals living in HIV/AIDS every
year and has provided over $3 million to help offset healthcare costs. # # #
[Photos available]
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Catholic Charities CYO is one of the largest non-profit providers of social services in the Bay Area.
Our mission is to serve and advocate for the poor, the sick, the distressed, children, youth, families,
immigrants and seniors, regardless of their faith. All money contributed to Catholic Charities CYO
directly supports our programs in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties.
Founded in 1907 to care for the orphans of the San Francisco earthquake, Catholic Charities is an
agency of the San Francisco Archdiocese, yet operates as an independent non-profit organization,
and does not in any way contribute to or receive funds from the church.
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