A special grant opportunity in 2018 for recent grantees only, in honor of the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation’s 20th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of the presence of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in the United States.

Description: The Compassionate Saint Joseph Award was a $100,000 three-year grant which was granted to one agency to help build and sustain the launch of a new or expanded ministry, program or role that benefits the residents of Allen County, Indiana. The winning proposal advanced the values of both the Foundation and the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ to compassionately serve the poor to improve their overall health and wellness.

Congratulations to award recipient Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, for their Immigrant Outreach Program!

The award is inspired by the art of local artist Lee Bleifeld. The artwork was commissioned by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and the Joseph Muhler family in 1991, to create a replica of St. Joseph that reflected the Mission of St. Joseph Hospital and the Poor Handmaids. After much research, they chose to depict a stop on the road to Bethlehem. The art shows a compassionate Saint Joseph supporting and comforting his pregnant wife, Mary, before they continue their arduous journey to Bethlehem, where the child Jesus will be born. This bas relief art beautifully shows Saint Joseph’s role in reaching out and supporting those who can find life’s journey difficult.