"Sisters of Mercy Makes AIDS Patients Next Mission," Charlotte Observer (01/19/1991)
Item Details
Title
"Sisters of Mercy Makes AIDS Patients Next Mission," Charlotte Observer (01/19/1991)
Creator
Kathleen McClain
Date
01/19/1991
Description
Reports on mission and need for House of Mercy; award of recent grant; and other AIDS facilities in the state.
Place
Charlotte, NC
Publisher
Charlotte Observer
Relation
Subject
Source
House of Mercy Archive: Binder 1 (1990-1999)
content
Sisters Of Mercy Make AIDS Patients Next Mission
The Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic religious order that came to North Carolina nearly 130 years ago, is updating its medical mission to reach out to people with AIDS.
The House of Mercy, a residential facility in Belmont that will accommodate six AIDS patients who are no longer able to care for themselves, is scheduled to open in March.
"The Sisters of Mercy first came to North Carolina in 1862 to respond to the yellow fever epidemic in Wilmington," said Sister Mary Wright, executive director of the House of Mercy. "Then we opened St. Joseph's Hospital in Asheville
as a tuberculosis sanitarium in 1906, then
Mercy Hospital in Charlotte.
"It's very gratifying to us that we came here because of a disease that nobody wanted to deal with — and that's what we're doing now. It's part of who we are and what we are about."
A $75,000 gift from the Greensboro-based Kathleen Price and Joseph M. Bryan Family Foundation is the latest
boost for the House of Mercy. The gift, to be distributed over three years, is designated for operating expenses.
"Since we are housing homeless persons living with AIDS, we are primarily dependent on the generosity of the private sector," said Sister Mary Wright.
"The grant of $25,000 each year will assist in subsidizing the housing and care for people who otherwise might live and die alone."
For now, only two homes for people with AIDS exist in North Carolina; one each in Durham and Raleigh. Neither has a religious affiliation.
Another facility, the Taylor Home in
Charlotte, is being underwritten by the nonprofit Brothers Foundation. It's expected to open in April.
The Sisters of Mercy, headquartered at
Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont, will oversee the House of Mercy. Their initial $100,000 gift for the project was matched by a $100,000 contribution from the 46-county Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.
Other major gifts include a three-year,
$90,000 grant for operating expenses from Mercy Hospital, $15,000 from the Glenn Foundation in Gastonia and $10,000 for furnishings from the County Foundation.
Tax-deductible contributions may be sent to the House of Mercy, in care of Sister Mary Wright, Sacred Heart Convent, Belmont, N.C. 28012.
The Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic religious order that came to North Carolina nearly 130 years ago, is updating its medical mission to reach out to people with AIDS.
The House of Mercy, a residential facility in Belmont that will accommodate six AIDS patients who are no longer able to care for themselves, is scheduled to open in March.
"The Sisters of Mercy first came to North Carolina in 1862 to respond to the yellow fever epidemic in Wilmington," said Sister Mary Wright, executive director of the House of Mercy. "Then we opened St. Joseph's Hospital in Asheville
as a tuberculosis sanitarium in 1906, then
Mercy Hospital in Charlotte.
"It's very gratifying to us that we came here because of a disease that nobody wanted to deal with — and that's what we're doing now. It's part of who we are and what we are about."
A $75,000 gift from the Greensboro-based Kathleen Price and Joseph M. Bryan Family Foundation is the latest
boost for the House of Mercy. The gift, to be distributed over three years, is designated for operating expenses.
"Since we are housing homeless persons living with AIDS, we are primarily dependent on the generosity of the private sector," said Sister Mary Wright.
"The grant of $25,000 each year will assist in subsidizing the housing and care for people who otherwise might live and die alone."
For now, only two homes for people with AIDS exist in North Carolina; one each in Durham and Raleigh. Neither has a religious affiliation.
Another facility, the Taylor Home in
Charlotte, is being underwritten by the nonprofit Brothers Foundation. It's expected to open in April.
The Sisters of Mercy, headquartered at
Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont, will oversee the House of Mercy. Their initial $100,000 gift for the project was matched by a $100,000 contribution from the 46-county Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.
Other major gifts include a three-year,
$90,000 grant for operating expenses from Mercy Hospital, $15,000 from the Glenn Foundation in Gastonia and $10,000 for furnishings from the County Foundation.
Tax-deductible contributions may be sent to the House of Mercy, in care of Sister Mary Wright, Sacred Heart Convent, Belmont, N.C. 28012.