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O "u w w Thursday, October 19, 2000 News The Southern Cross, Page 3 “The Third Wave”: Mercy Housing SouthEast’s plans for revitalizing a hospital, a school and an historic neighborhood 4 ^Toften think that Xwhat we are talking about here is ‘the third wave’,” said Sister Betty Walsh, RSM, dis cussing the soon- to-come metamor phosis of Cuyler- Rita H. Brownsville DeLorme Neighborhood’s old Charity Hospital and the circa-1929 Florance Street School Building. “People know about the need for food and for education, but what they tend to overlook is the need for decent, affordable housing.” This need is one both Robin Haddock, in charge of developing the project, and Sister Betty, liaison with Saint Joseph/Candler Hospital, have con sidered for some time. Now, after struggling through masses of paper work and assorted other obstacles, they can finally see results. The award of over $6 million dollars of federal low income housing tax cred its to Mercy Community Housing Georgia last month has put its rede velopment project, Heritage Place Apartments, “over the top” and on its way to opening in 2002. Mercy Housing SouthEast’s vision for the Cuyler-Brownsville neighbor hood and the two structures, now mere shells, reflects the organization’s core values: the belief that every person has the right to decent, safe housing in a nurturing environment; that no one should pay an excessive proportion of income for housing; that all residents and staff contribute to modeling co responsibility and building healthy communities. With the support of the Saint Joseph’s-Candler Health Systems, future residents of the 88 units being built for low-income fami lies and individuals will move toward a way of life involving proper health care and facilities and awareness of the means of obtaining such care. Sister Betty Walsh and Robin Haddock Benefits such as on-site health screen ings, transportation to doctor appoint ments and clinics and full-time case management and primary care medical services will be available through Saint Joseph/Candler. Charity Hospital, located at 644 West 36th Street, was from its begin ning a facility with goals parallel to the ones Mercy Housing SouthEast espouses today. Established in 1893 by Dr. Alice Woodby McKane and her husband, Dr. Cornelius McKane, as the McKane Hospital for Women and Children and Training School for Nurses, it was totally administered and staffed by African Americans. Here, a nursing school became the first of its kind in Georgia. Here, too, the McKanes’ hospital became the only one in which Georgia’s black physicians could practice. In 1903, the hospital’s name was changed to “Charity Hospital”, and in 1931, the original, outmoded building was replaced by a new structure. The “new” building was the result of a uniquely blended fundraising effort backed by both the African-American and white commu nities of Savannah. Rabbi George Solomon of the Mickve Israel Synagogue agreed to direct the proj ect and managed to obtain aid from the Julius Rosenwald Fund of Chicago. With help from Sam G. Adler, Rabbi Solomon obtained $50,000 in support from the Rosenwald Fund “for the building of a modem hospital for negroes, pro vided the people of Savannah would give an equal amount.” Rabbi Solomon next contacted Mrs. Sarah Mills Hodge of Savannah and New York and she, too, aided in the effort, pledging fifty cents for every dollar raised by the community. The people of Savannah did their part. In fact, their contributions exceeded the $50,000 they had been mandated to raise by the Rosenwald Fund. Charity Hospital moved into its modem, new building and remained there until its long tradition of serv ice expired with its closing in 1964. The building took on life briefly again, functioning as a private nurs ing home from 1967 until 1976. Nearby, the Florance Street School was built in 1929 at 1811 Florance Street and remained in operation as an elementary school for African American children until the mid- 1980s. Early this year, the National Park Service designated it a “certi fied historic structure for the purpos es of rehabilitation”. The remodeled building, which will contain twenty- seven apartments, will be named in honor of Emma Quinney, principal of Florance Street School until the late 1940s. The former cafeteria building behind the school will be tom down to make way for thirty-six more apartments. Enhancing the develop ment of both Florance Street School and Charity Hospital will be another facility, a 1500-square-foot building designed to provide a place for com munity events and resident programs. This community center is to be con structed on a vacant lot to the west of the Charity Hospital site. Heritage Place is being developed jointly by MHSE and the Norsouth Corporation, a local development and constmction company fully experienced in working with tax- credited projects such as the one involving Charity Hospital and Florance Street School. The new apartment complex will breathe hope into the lives of people for whom the choice of food on the table or living in good housing is a toss-up. There will be the option of one-, two- or three-bedroom apartments, says proj ect developer Robin Haddock, with a three-bedroom apartment in the new complex falling into a rent category of $380-$455 per month. Providing such options for those who have limited incomes—such as meager social security benefits or minimum wage pay—reaffirms the goals stated in its Mission by Mercy Housing: “To create and strengthen healthy communities through the pro vision of quality, affordable, service- enriched housing for individuals and families who are economically poor.” Since its founding by the Sisters of Mercy of Baltimore, Maryland and the Sisters of Mercy of Belmont, North Carolina, Mercy Housing SouthEast has done just that. Rita H. DeLorme is a volunteer in the Diocesan Archives. Family Life Office back in action in the diocese Office of Family Life Services Natural Family Planning There are two upcoming Creighton Model NFP Introductory Sessions planned for the near future: (1) October 19 at 7:30 p.m. Saint Frances Cabrini Church Savannah (2) October 24 at 7:00 p.m. Victory Chapel Fort Stewart Kate Payne at the NFP Office is the point of contact for both meetings. She can be reached at 912-238-2320. Savannah n expanded Family Life Office is open at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Savannah after a 10-year absence. The diocesan office has a staff of three to help parishes in their outreach to families. Sister Patricia Brown, SSMN, has returned to the Diocese of Savannah as director of the Family Life Services. Sister Pat brings a wealth of experience to the Family Life Office. She ministered in the Savannah Office of Social Ministry and Migrant Ministry from 1982 to 1990. After obtaining a Masters of Social Work from The Catholic Univer sity of America in Washington, D.C. in 1991, Sister Pat worked at a refugee shelter and provided coun seling to families through Catholic Charities in Buffalo, New York. The past six years she has been the director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Jackson and part-time counselor for Catholic Charities Family Life office in Mississippi. One of the more reward ing projects in Jackson was the development of a Hispanic parenting education project, the only one of its kind in the state. Kate Payne has recently been hired as her part- time assistant and Coordinator of Natural Family Planning (NFP) for the diocese. Mrs. Payne’s pri mary experience has been teaching high school religion classes in Missouri and Virginia since completing her Master’s Degree in Theological (Continued on page 6)