Working Groups

In addition to our community members involvement in a wide variety of ministries, we maintain working groups within the community. These groups are formed specifically to engage with other national, international and local organizations to further peace and justice and to support the well being of others.

Two of these endeavors are:

UNANIMA International

Origin
We are proud of our membership in UNANIMA, a non-government organization (NGO) with membership status in the United Nations. The coalition was founded in 2002 by sisters from seven religious congregations who believed they could make a difference by working collaboratively.

Today it numbers over 16,000 members world wide in thirteen continents. As women religious, the coalition is able to bring their collective expertise and concerns to the members of the United Nation. We act together for the economic and social advancement of all people with a special emphasis on women and children in poverty; immigrants and refugees and the welfare of the planet. We are glad to have a "voice at the table" and a chance to educate others on issues relevant to our mission.

Our community
As a global community, with health care and outreach presence in the United States, France, Ireland, England, Scotland, and Peru, the Sisters of Bon Secours are able to share information with our coalition members regarding health care issues in these countries as well as the health related family services available to support the poor and destitute.

UNANIMA Activity
In 2005, the Coalition developed a campaign to work against the demand for human trafficking and prostitution world wide and entered into United Nations discussion on violence against women. Our sisters in Rome joined with other superior generals and other women from all around the world to collaborate on this critical issue. We pray that our efforts are fruitful in working with others to do something about it.

In 2006 we look towards a presence at the UN in matters surrounding:

• Social Development
• Increased participation of women in development in the fields of Health, Education and
  International Migration and Development
• Energy, Air Pollution, Industrial Development and Climate Change
• Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women
• Regarding issues of human rights members of the coalition will look towards being present to Committees who will meet on matters surrounding the right to self-determination; racism; the right to development; the question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine; the question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world; economic, social and cultural rights; civil and political rights, including the questions of torture and detention, disappearances and summary executions, freedom of expression, the independence of the judiciary, impunity and religious intolerance; the human rights of women, children, migrant workers, minorities and displaced persons; indigenous issues; the promotion and protection of human rights.

If you wish to become active in support of any of the above activities contact Sister Anne Marie Mack, CBS email: UNANIMA@bonsecoursvocations.org.

Murphy Initiative for Justice and Peace

We are one of 10 co-sponsoring religious congregations that began this organization in 2002 to advocate as one voice for social justice issues, making our position known publicly and writing to government officials. Visit their web site at http://www.pfmjpi.org or email at PFMjpi@missionhelpers.org.

Bon Secours Ministry Grants
Committee Members

In addition to our collective efforts in the support of the health and well being of others, our community is committed to awarding grants to help other organizations, associations and individuals looking to provide service and support to the needy. The Ministry Grants committee meets twice a year to review the funding requests they have received and to determine what grants we will honor.

Our basic criteria for grant selection are:

1. The project must be in support of the materially poor.
2. The goal must meet an immediate and unmet need.
3. The efforts to be undertaken must surround a health care issue.
4. The person or persons requesting funds must have a clear sense of how they are going to accomplish their goals and must submit several references along with their grant application. The grant application should be accompanied by a solid business plan and a record of prior successes.

In recent years we have worked with many fine people in helping them to meet their goals. Two projects that come to mind are "Martha's Place" in Baltimore, Maryland and the Camp Health Aide program of the Clinica Ayuda in Arcadia, Florida.

Martha's Place is a transitional recovery house for women suffering drug and alcohol addiction. There, women are invited to live in a residential environment where they dedicate themselves to a six month recovery program.

The staff at Martha's Place in Baltimore, Maryland, actively guide and support the women in their recovery from addiction working with up to twenty four women in one year. Fifty percent of the women who enter the program are able to leave Martha's place clean and sober with a new lease on life having secured a job and a place of their own to call "home"! This is against a national average of a thirty percent success rate.

Camp Health Aide Program of the Clinicia Ayuda is a program for migrant workers in Arcadia, Florida. Our financial contribution has helped provide education information used in a series of camp health aide programs in Arcadia Florida.

The migrant workers who join the program are trained over a period of eight weeks to be able to conduct basic community health assessments. They attend full day classes covering health information on Diabetes, Well Child Care, Women and Mens' Health, Chronic Illness and Prevention of the Spread of Infection. As part of their assignment on each topic they are asked to talk to ten people in their community about what they have learned. Each participant also does a group presentation to five people at the completion of their course work. They receive certificates of accomplishment at a final graduation ceremony.

If you wish to hear about the Sisters of Bon Secours endeavors to help the helpless please email us. If you are interested in making a donation or would like to ask the committee members any questions click here.

Copyright © 2006 Sisters of Bon Secours USA.  All rights reserved.