Adrian Dominican Sisters seek to teach and empower people to use their gifts to make the world a better place. Today, the needs of ministry are greater than ever, and many of our acquaintances and former students are joining us to meet these needs. We believe that at the heart of ministry is a special relationship – one who receives, one who serves, and one who makes the service possible. It is your financial support that makes our service possible. We invite you to share our vision and promise for the future of ministries in the Dominican tradition. Together, let us continue to serve others.
Adrian Dominican Supported Ministries
2008-2009
In accord with our Chapter documents, the Adrian Dominican Ministry Trust funds projects focused on VISION 2004 - to seek Truth, to make Peace and to reverence Life. This includes programs or projects involving women, racism, the poor and ecology in the categories of education, health care and social services. An Adrian Dominican Sister mentors each program or project. The Ministry Trust Grant Committee approved 25 Member Initiatives for 2008-2009.
Adrian Community Nursery Pre-School
Adrian, Michigan
This program, funded completely by private donations and volunteer services, focuses on education for children of low income and minority families whose first language is not English and who are not eligible for registration for Head Start when the quota for Head Start children has been met. The children receive bi-lingual experiences to prepare them to enter the mainline school arena with more confidence. Sister Marcine Klemm, OP, is an active Board member.
AIDS Research and Treatment Center of the Treasure Coast
In-reach Case Management Initiative
Fort Pierce, Florida
www.artctc.org
The mission of this project is to provide high quality, centralized, comprehensive services to persons living with HIV and AIDS. The clients are treated with respect, compassion and dignity regardless of their ability to pay. This grant enables the hiring of an additional in-reach case manager in St. Lucie County, which has the third highest AIDS rate in Florida. Sister Andrea Balconis, OP, MD, is the physician.
Angela House
Houston, Texas
www.angelahouse.org
Angela House provides rehabilitative services, programming, and personal counseling in a homelike, secure atmosphere structured with sensitivity to the issues surrounding women exiting prison. Sister Maureen O’Connell, OP, is the Founder and Executive Director of this program.
Archbishop James P. Lyke School
Intervention for Academic Success
Cleveland, Ohio
www.spiritservices.org/archbishoplyke
This Ministry Trust grant will help address the academic needs of students who are new to Archbishop Lyke Elementary School. These students live below the poverty level and have special needs. This program is designed to help them achieve academic success and enhance their self-esteem. Sister Pat Stellmah, OP, is the Administrative Assistant to the director and administrative team.
Berea Health Ministry Rural Health Clinic, Inc.
Patient Assistance Project
Berea, Kentucky
This clinic provides low cost healthcare to families without health insurance; this grant will provide vouchers to assist patients who cannot pay the $15 visit fee. Sister Mary Alan Stuart, OP, a registered dietitian, volunteers in this ministry.
Catholic Charities Legal Services of Miami
Women’s and Children’s Project
Miami, Florida
www.cclsmiami.org
The purpose of this project is to provide professional legal services to those who come from foreign lands who lack sufficient means to obtain representation. Services are offered without regard to faith or national origin. The project also works to provide abused women and children with free legal representation to regularize their immigration status in order to promote physical safety, maximize economic opportunity and facilitate access to social services. Sister Margaret Mary McGill, OP, is the Intake Paralegal.
Catholic Charities of Lenawee County
On Behalf of Women and Children
Adrian, Michigan
www.catholiccharitieslenawee.com
Funding for this project will help to fill the gap between what it costs to provide service and what the client can afford to pay, in order to continue to offer quality counseling services to low-income women and their children who may otherwise go untreated. Sister Peg Albert, OP, is a member of the Board of Directors.
Foundation for Senior Living Catholic Outreach Center
Hispanic Outreach
Surprise, Arizona
www.fsl.org/services/tcc/
The purpose of this grant is to hire a part-time bilingual outreach person to provide care management to the Spanish-speaking, low income senior citizens in Santa Teresita Parish in neighboring El Mirage, Arizona. Sister Janet Doyle, OP, is the Director of the Catholic Outreach Center.
Centro Santa Catalina
Computer Education and English as a Second Language for the School at Centro Santa Catalina
El Paso, Texas/Juarez, Mexico
www.centrosantacatalina.org
The purpose of this initiative is to plan and implement computer education and ESL at each level of development in the school at Centro Santa Catalina – in the preschool, the homework center and the youth group, as well as in adult education. The director and staff believe that the values and spirituality which underpin the development of educational skills are keys to a better life for children and adults living in deep poverty. Sister Donna Kustusch, OP, is the director; Sister Maureen Gallagher, OP, is the market coordinator of the Women’s Sewing Cooperative; Sister Margaret Lane, OP, is the home visitor and Director of the Spiritual Development Program.
Circle the City
Circle the City Vision Program
Phoenix, Arizona
www.circlethecity.org
The purpose of this project is to provide vision services – eye exams and glasses, and surgery if necessary, for the homeless women and men of Maricopa County in Phoenix. Adequate visual acuity is necessary for the transition from homelessness to a better life. Sister Carol Fleming, OP, is on the Advisory Board and is also volunteer staff.
Christa House
Holistic Care of the Dying Poor
West Babylon, New York
www.christahouse.org
The purpose of this project is to continue to create the family atmosphere in which the residents of Christa House, who are poor and terminally ill with AIDS, cancer or other diseases, can experience the love and support of a Christian community. The physical, emotional, and spiritual support Christa House offers depends in part on the purchase of materials and salaries for personnel who offer the support and love of a family home. Sister Lorraine Sinn, OP, is a member of the Advisory Board.
Death Penalty Discourse Network
Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project
New Orleans, Louisiana
www.dpdiscourse.org
The “Play Project,” a unique national initiative, combines theatre arts with academic study to engage students, faculty, and local community in a discourse on the death penalty by producing Tim Robbins’s play, Dead Man Walking, based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ. This grant will support the expansion of the project by increasing the number of schools from 35 to 45. Sister Maureen Fenlon, OP, is the national coordinator of this initiative.
Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance
Epiphany Education Center Initiative
Detroit, Michigan
Epiphany Education Center is a joint project of the IHM Sisters and the Adrian Dominican Sisters that offers a no-cost or donation tutoring program at the Samaritan Center in Detroit dedicated to assisting elementary and middle school students to achieve their potential through individualized programs; to enable academic growth; to foster self-esteem; and to nurture values for a peaceful society. The grant will help provide for teaching materials and staff development. Sister Sheila Delaney, OP, is a volunteer tutor.
Dominican Center for Religious Development
Detroit, Michigan
www.dominicancenter.org
The purpose of this grant is to keep current staff; add a part-time secretary to manage office responsibilities; and to add a part-time staff member to assist with existing programs and to help develop new programs that will respond to the needs of people in today’s reality in our local church and community. Sister Joanne Podlucky, OP, is the administrator; Sister Rosemarie Kieffer, OP, is the director. Eight other Adrian Dominican Sisters are actively involved.
Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
Justice for Women and Children Project
El Paso, Texas
www.las-americas.org
This program provides pro-bono legal advocacy and counseling to undocumented immigrant women and unaccompanied children who are detained in the jurisdiction of the El Paso Immigration Court without any knowledge or understanding of their rights in our country. An additional provision of this program helps with family reunifications. Sister Esther Ortega, OP, is an active Board Member and assists with fund-raising.
Michigan Peace Team
Lansing, Michigan
michiganpeaceteam.org
Michigan Peace Team is a non-profit organization that empowers people in peacemaking through nonviolence training sessions and by deployment of trained peace teams to areas of conflict in the United States and abroad. This grant will increase the organizational capacity to carry out the Michigan Peace Team Mission. Sister Mary Patricia Dewey, OP, is a Board Member and member of the Finance Committee.
Nuestra Casa
Living and Advocacy Skills for Latina Immigrants Initiative
Sunnyside, Washington
www.nuestracasa.org
This non-profit organization addresses the needs of Spanish-speaking immigrant women. The focus is on educating them in every day skills for coping with our system and giving them skills to speak for themselves in their dealings with systems with oppress them. Sister Judy Byron, OP, is an active Board member.
North Carolina Justice Center
Immigration Legal Assistance
Raleigh, North Carolina
www.ncjustice.org
One of the purposes of this project is to represent indigent immigrants in the criminal justice system. This includes victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, and juveniles who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. A second purpose is to develop a training plan and curriculum for law enforcement and social service agencies to be better informed about and able to help immigrant crime victims. Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, is the supervising attorney and project director.
Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS)
Case Management: Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness
Chicago, Illinois
www.westsuburbanpads.org
This grant will help provide funding for case managers to meet one-on-one with homeless guests to determine needs and link them to appropriate services. This includes assisting them to set and keep short- and long-term goals to improve their condition and to progress to more independent living. Sister Norine Burns, OP, is an active Board member and volunteers weekly as a site coordinator.
Santuario Sisterfarm
Living Lightly on Earth
Boerne, Texas
www.sisterfarm.org
The purpose of this initiative is to continue to offer a small-scale, replicable model for visitors – especially Latina women from the Borderlands and women religious – to see, experience and then apply ethical practices of living sustainably on Earth. These practices include cultivating organic, pesticide-free foods; restoring soil fertility; composting; recycling; water conservation/rain catchment; and using non-toxic cleaning products and green energy. Sister Carol Coston, OP, is founder and co-director.
Sea of Peace House of Prayer
Ecumenical Reflection and Outreach Center on Edisto Island
Edisto Island, South Carolina
seaofpeacehouseofprayer.org
The purpose of this project is to provide an environment that will support and encourage people in their spiritual journey and to offer program presentations for small groups and local churches. Adrian Dominican Sisters Mary Lequier, OP; Carol Dulka, OP and Sharon Culhane, OP, are the co-directors.
Spirit Mountain Retreat
Idyllwild, California
www.spiritmountainretreat.org
The core mission of Spirit Mountain Retreat is to offer a quiet and safe place for those persons seeking to engage in transforming consciousness through contemplative prayer/meditation, study and spiritual counseling. This grant is to help continue funding for the administrative staff person, for marketing efforts and for program development. Sister Esther Kennedy, OP, is the director.
St. Leonard’s Ministries
Grace House
Chicago, Illinois
slministries.org
This grant provides funding for a place where women exiting the prison system are transitionally housed, emotionally and spiritually supported and professionally counseled. They are helped to set realistic goals for the future and to make informed choices that will empower them to remain out of prison and to lead lives with dignity with their families and in their communities. Sister Mary Kay Dolan, OP, is administrator of this program.
Tucson Urban League, Inc.
Project YES Tutoring and Mentoring Program
Tucson, Arizona
www.tucsonurbanleague.com
Project YES is a holistic centered program for the children in South Tucson, who come from Mexican/American families with low incomes. It provides academic tutoring as well as creative and physical education opportunities for elementary and middle school children in a safe environment. Collaboration with other groups happens where possible. Sister Mary Ann McElmurry, OP, is the educational coordinator.
Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security (W.A.G.E.S.)
Eco-Friendly Housecleaning Cooperative Expansion
Oakland, California
www.wagescooperatives.org
The purpose of this initiative is to offer low-income immigrant women in the Oakland community high quality jobs, a healthy work nvironment, and opportunities to develop personal and professional skills. Sister Corinne Florek, OP, is a member of the Board of Directors and Board Treasurer.
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