What's Happening

January 2, 2024, Seattle, Washington – Sister Judy Byron, OP, long-time Board member, was the first recipient of the Mercy Housing Northwest (MHNW) Founding Communities Award presented during the organization’s Gala, Power of Home, held in Seattle.

The gala raised nearly $400,000 to support its Mercy Scholars Program to expand education to families in the affordable housing properties in the Seattle area. The event included a panel of people impacted by MHNW’s programs, including a recent college graduate who had lived in an MHNW home since age 2.

Recently, Sister Judy explained in an interview, MHNW had been “very cognizant” of the five local communities of Sisters who founded the organization in the 1990s: the Edmonds Dominican Sisters (who merged with the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 2003), the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, the Sisters of Providence, the Tacoma Dominican Sisters, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

Mercy Housing Northwest “decided to give annually a founder’s award to someone or to a group that’s been involved with it,” Sister Judy explained. “They decided to begin with me. I was honored and humbled.” Besides serving on the board, Sister Judy has helped facilitate grants to the organization. The grants include the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Resilient Communities Initiative, which focuses on at-home, after-school programs for school-age children living in the housing units.

In her brief acceptance speech, Sister Judy said, she spoke of the history of MHNW. “The five communities, when we looked at the needs of our day in the early 1990s, were concerned about the families that were homeless, so we decided to develop affordable housing for families with small children. That was very ambitious for communities whose main ministries were healthcare and education.”

The Sisters in the five communities looked for organizations already involved in affordable housing and discovered Mercy Housing, Inc., founded in 1982 by Sister Timothy O’Roark, a Sister of Mercy of Omaha. “We affiliated with them and became one of their centers.” The other centers are Mercy Housing California, Lakefront, Mountain Plains, and Southeast.

In its 32 years, MHNW has established 55 housing properties throughout Washington and Idaho, providing homes for 5,000 families. However, the efforts of MHNW go beyond affordable housing. “We aren’t just giving people an apartment to live in,” Sister Judy said. “We’re giving them a home and helping them build a community where they can thrive.”

MHNW offers optional residential services to families who want to participate in them: onsite educational programs and after-school programs for children, financial literacy programs, healthy food and exercise programs, job training, and help with citizenship and English language skills for immigrants.

The 32 years of MHNW affordable housing and resident services have produced stories of thousands of positively affected people. Sister Judy said one of her favorite stories is of a young woman who left a domestic violence shelter with her two children. She attended classes at a junior college and had a part-time job. “She said how important the after-school program was to her,” Sister Judy recalled. “When she got home, she knew that the kids had done their homework and had had a snack. She could focus on fixing dinner.” The woman eventually graduated, got a job, and moved out of the property – and then served as a member of the MHNW Board.

The work of MHNW has affected not only the families living in the housing community, but also people involved in its ministry. “Over the years, the people we’ve been able to attract to work with us have made it the success it is,” Sister Judy said. “The people who work with us share the mission as much as we do. They are really committed.” Many groups and individuals deserve the award, she said. “I’m happy to be the beginning, but there are many who will follow me.”

From left, Arturo Polizzi, President and CEO of ProMedica, presents the Ebeid Healthy Neighborhood Partner of the Year Award to Jennifer Hunter, Chief Operating Officer of the Motherhouse, and Sister Sharon Weber, OP. Jennifer and Sister Sharon were Co-Chairs of the Adrian Resilient Community Committee. Photo Courtesy of ProMedica

November 9, 2023, Toledo, Ohio – The Adrian Dominican Congregation received the Ebeid Healthy Neighborhood Partner of the Year Award from the ProMedica Foundation to recognize the partnership between the two organizations in the Congregation’s Resilient Communities Initiative in Adrian. 

The Ebeid Healthy Neighborhood Partner of the Year Award was one of eight 2023 Emerald Awards presented during the ProMedica Foundation’s Philanthropy Recognition Reception, held October 25, 2023, at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Toledo. Representing the Adrian Dominican Sisters were members of the 2016-2022 and current General Council and members of the Adrian Resilient Community Committee.

The award recognized the Congregation’s partnership with ProMedica through the Adrian Resilient Community Initiative, Growing Up Resilient: The East Adrian Resilience Collaborative, one of six regional initiatives established in response to the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ 2016 General Chapter Enactment on Resilient Communities. Resilient community initiatives were also established in the Mining barangay of the Province of Pampanga, Philippines; Sección San José in the Peravia Province of the Dominican Republic; the McKinley Park neighborhood of Chicago; Flint, Michigan; and Seattle.  

The Adrian initiative includes the establishment of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Youth Learning Center and computer lab, to be housed in ProMedica’s Ebeid Neighborhood Center, which will be established in East Adrian. The program will be temporarily housed in the former Comstock school building until a permanent facility can be built on Adrian’s East Side. In addition, the Adrian-based initiative involves a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee to provide mentorship in literacy and social and emotional learning for the youth in Adrian’s East Side. 

Accepting the award on behalf of the Congregation were Jennifer Hunter, Chief Operating Officer of the Motherhouse Campus, and Sister Sharon Weber, OP, Co-Chairs of the Adrian Resilient Community Committee.

“The award represents a recognition that both groups [ProMedica and the Adrian Dominican Sisters] are willing to work together with the people to enhance their future opportunities,” Sister Sharon said. “We both saw the needs and are working together to see them through.” 

Sister Sharon noted that ProMedica’s concern is with health indicators. “That has to do not just with healthcare per se, but whether they have jobs and the skills they need,” she said. “The ProMedica people we’re working with have a real heart for this project.”

Jennifer said it was nice that the Congregation was recognized for its commitment to building resilience in the Adrian community. In accepting the award, she said she “spoke to the fact that we were honored to be selected and were excited that ProMedica had come into this process with us at a pivotal point in our work of building resilience. We’re excited about the partnership and making a difference for the people on the East Side of Adrian.”

Jennifer and Sister Sharon worked for about five years with the Adrian Resilient Communities Committee. “The group worked hard to learn and understand the needs of the city of Adrian and the youth on the East Side,” Sister Sharon said. The committee was also tasked with finding collaborators to partner with in establishing resiliency for the youth.

Serving on the committee were Sisters Rosemary Abramovich, OP, Pam Millenbach, OP, and Kathleen Schanz, OP; Associate Dee Joyner; Co-workers Ashley Concord, Kris Cooper, Joel Henricks, Brad McCullar, and Sara Stoddard; and the late Sister Maurine Barzantni, OP. 

“The first year was really a building block to get the people in place,” Jennifer explained. “We never wanted to duplicate efforts. We wanted to see collaboration among the organizations already serving the community.” Now, much of the work is being done by staff members hired through the initiative, who meet monthly with Jennifer and Sister Sharon to provide updates and receive input.

Jennifer said she was excited “for the real work to start, for the community to see the fruits of our labors, and for the space to be open and available for the community to see,” especially about the opening of the new space. 

“My hopes are that, together, we can make a better future for the people of Adrian, especially the people who live on the East Side,” Sister Sharon said.

Watch a video on the partnership between the Adrian Dominican Sisters and ProMedica, including interviews with Sister Sharon and Jennifer.