BHHS Legacy Foundation Awards $1 Million Grant to St. Vincent de Paul
In November, BHHS Legacy Foundation awarded one of the largest grant awards in the organization’s history—a $1 million grant to St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) to support their Building a Resilient Community capital campaign. The Foundation award is specifically designated to the Ozanam Manor program, which provides a bridge to permanent housing for homeless men and women age 50 and above, along with physically or mentally disabled adults 18 and over, by providing temporary housing in small dormitories, meals, free laundry, and other necessities as well as case managers who help residents work toward the goal of permanent housing.
Legacy Foundation’s award will go toward creating new and more visible residence quarters for Ozanam Manor on SVdP’s main campus. These quarters will not only provide enhanced housing conditions but also give residents access to the full spectrum of services available at SVdP.
“We are proud to partner with St. Vincent de Paul on this important effort to expand more comprehensive support services to our community’s poor and disabled,” says Gerald L. Wissink, CEO of BHHS Legacy Foundation.
Including this award to SVdP, Legacy Foundation awarded more than $5.7 million to 116 Arizona nonprofits in calendar year 2016. The Foundation’s 2016 community grant funding awards supported community programs and projects that improve access to healthcare ($1,049,361); improve community health through prevention and education ($1,039,800); expand Arizona’s healthcare workforce ($493,400); and strengthen and support health-related community efforts ($3,187,596).
Click here to see a full list of the Foundation’s grant giving.
Board Member Spotlight: Jeanne O’Brien
Jeanne O’Brien has a heart for service. After raising six children, she worked part-time at her husband’s truck dealership but found that she needed to do more. So for the past 30 years, she has been involved with a number of charitable organizations that serve the sick and the poor. “I’ve always been a great proponent of being one who doesn’t just write the check but actually does some hands-on service,” she says.
Despite her record of personal philanthropy, she never envisioned serving on a board—but then BHHS Legacy Foundation CEO Gerald Wissink asked. “He said I was the kind of individual they wanted to see on the board. I was quite taken aback and very humbled,” O’Brien says.
O’Brien has served on the board for over a year now and has seen the impact the Foundation’s grants and matching gifts can have. “Legacy has given back to the community tremendously. They do so much good in the whole state of Arizona for those who are so much in need.”
By sitting on the board of directors of BHHS Legacy Foundation and Legacy Connection, O’Brien is heeding the call to help others. “My goals are to serve Legacy well and to be a good steward,” she says.
Mary Thomson Promoted
We are thrilled to announce that Mary Thomson was recently promoted to Senior Vice President Program Development. Thomson joined BHHS Legacy Foundation in 2005 and has served as Vice President Program Development, responsible for overseeing more than $50 million invested in local nonprofits. In the last 12 years, she has developed solid relationships with both the philanthropic and nonprofit communities and continues to collaborate with both to develop community innovations and solutions, especially pertaining to health-related programming.
In this expanded role, Thomson will assume more responsibility over the day-to-day operation of the Foundation as well as have strategic oversight on the Foundation’s grant giving. “Now more than ever, I look forward to further expanding the Foundation’s role in the community to help more nonprofits succeed and make a bigger impact,” she says.
In her spare time, Thomson is a certified yoga instructor and teaches classes pro bono to nonprofits and faith-based communities. She is an immediate past founding board member for Circle the City and currently serves as Vice Chair for the Arizona Grantmakers Forum board of directors. She also loves traveling and learning about new cultures. Please join us in congratulating Thomson on this new position.
Click here to learn more about the BHHS Legacy team.