Collective Healing: SJF’s Midyear Reflection
As we reach the midpoint of 2024, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the remarkable work we’ve accomplished together at St. Joseph Fund (SJF) to create communities that are vibrant, hopeful, healthy, and just. Our partners’ contributions have been instrumental in our progress, and we are honored to share highlights of the work that has strengthened and empowered communities.
Disaster Response and Resilience
At the beginning of the year, we announced a shift to proactive Disaster Response and Resilience efforts, providing unrestricted annual grants to trusted partners: Catholic Relief Services, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and Catholic Charities USA. This strategic approach has allowed our partners to act quickly, drive innovation, and leverage resources. It has also enabled them to offer a sustained presence in Turkey and Syria as they continue rebuilding after last year’s devastating earthquakes and in Maui, Hawaii, as they work to rebuild after wildfires decimated the city. Additionally, we continued support for the EMPOWER program in West Africa, a capacity-building effort to bolster the infrastructure of partner organizations active in the region.
Lifelong Education that Opens Doors
This year, our Lifelong Education That Opens Doors initiative enhances organizational capacity and power by building a Black and Indigenous birth justice collaborative centered on peer-to-peer learning, solidarity, and healing. The Washington state-focused collaborative is comprised of non-profits and grassroots organizations playing a crucial role in supporting birthing parents; understanding pre- and post-natal care and access to equitable birthing options are critical to solid education outcomes.
Community Healing and Resilience
With a deep understanding of the importance of healing in community power building, we focused efforts on Cultivate to Illuminate and Healing Tides NHPI Leadership + Renewal Initiatives. Both initiatives address systemic inequities and promote healing, ensuring that our communities are more whole, more healed, and more able to flourish. The Cultivate to Illuminate initiative captures our partners’ histories to ensure their story is told and contributes to designing healing-centered systems. Through Healing Tides, our effort prioritizes individual and collective healing for the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities to create a solid foundation for organizations that promote health and resilience.
Connecting Healing and Community Power Building
The connection between personal and collective healing weaves into the fabric of our four focus areas: disaster response, education, community power, and healing. Our continued investments as Providence’s grantmaking foundation reflect our commitment to go the distance with our partners toward wholeness.
Together, we are significantly impacting the lives of those we serve.
We encourage you to connect with us through LinkedIn and subscribe to our “Rooted in Love” newsletter for the latest updates and community impact stories. Let us move forward with a renewed commitment to serving our dear neighbors and building healthier communities rooted in love.
