In 2002, residents from Cleveland's downtown neighborhoods embraced a program to improve good health and growth in their lives, neighborhoods and community.
This effort, known as Building Healthy Communities, started when St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and several partners commissioned a community health survey to provide a broad view of the needs of the Central Neighborhood, where the hospital is located.
Since then, Building Healthy Communities staff members have been working in collaboration with residents and service organizations to extend education and practical tools to Central Neighborhood.
Building Healthy Communities and its broad network of neighborhood partners motivate residents to work together with local organizations for positive change, good health and growth in their own lives, their neighborhoods, and the community through numerous programs, efforts and events.
Programming for all ages includes annual health fairs, Great American Smoke Out events, National Nutrition Month events, health-related Red Hat Society programming, youth employment opportunities, nutrition training and exercise classes, E.M.B.R.A.C.E. (Embracing African Cultural Experiences) events, MyCom after-school activities, and the Garden Boyz urban farm project, which has received support from Reimagining Cleveland.
Building Healthy Communities also presents opportunities for local residents to participate in and advocate for programs related to community diversion and delinquency avoidance. And, it includes leadership training and opportunities to help increase the neighborhood's voter registration, voter participation and understanding of government issues.
Today, the program continues as a grassroots collaboration that supports and empowers residents to address quality of life concerns. It has had a positive effect on hundreds of residents in the Central Neighborhood by providing a vision of what can be, as well as a vehicle for achieving the vision. Major sponsors of the Building Healthy Communities program include Arbor Park Village, Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, Tri-C Metro Campus, Sisters of Charity Health System and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.
2475 EAST 22ND STREET
CLEVELAND, OH 44115
P: 216.696.5560
Recent Blog Posts
January 11, 2024
Joseph & Mary's Home annual benefit luncheon raises a record $113,500 to support healing and assistance with permanent housing
Joseph & Mary's Home hosted its annual Perseverance in Hope Benefit Luncheon in Cleveland in the fall, setting a new record by raising $113,500 to support healing and assistance with permanent housing. Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, served as the keynote speaker at the luncheon. A recap of the luncheon appears in the most recent issue of The Journey, the biannual newsletter of Joseph & Mary’s Home.
December 27, 2023
Story about South Carolina dad and the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families receives national attention
The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families has been helping fathers like Lorin Jackson for 25 years. By completing the center's program and getting help along the way, he was able to get the only gift he wanted this Christmas, legal shared custody of his son. WACH FOX57 in Columbia, South Carolina, ran a story about Jackson and his work with the center, with multiple NBC affiliates across the country picking up the story and running it on Christmas day.
December 20, 2023
Joseph & Mary's Home highlights partnership with Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless in latest newsletter
The recent issue of The Journey, the biannual newsletter of Joseph & Mary’s Home, features a cover article about its partnership with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) and how it brings care to those experiencing unsheltered homelessness. The newsletter also has a recap of the very successful Perseverance in Hope 2023 Benefit Luncheon, a staff spotlight on Medical Director Dr. Michael Seidman, a donor spotlight on a former intern, news updates and more.
December 7, 2023
Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood honors Champions of Central for commitment to neighborhood
The Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood annually honors Central Neighborhood people and organizations who have significantly improved the lives of those who live and work in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood with its Champions of Central award. The Promise Neighborhood recently held a community meeting and celebration at the Friendly Inn Settlement House to honor more than 20 people and organizations as “2023 Champions of Central.”