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Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Inc.
Brief History |
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The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany were founded in 1859 to provide education for children in the Allegany area of southwestern New York State, and began health ministries in Florida the late 1920’s. The Sisters came to Miami Beach in 1927, at the invitation of Mr. James Allison, to administer the newly established Allison Hospital, later re-named St. Francis Hospital. In West Palm Beach, beginning in 1929, the Sisters ministered at St. Mary’s Hospital and the nearby Pineridge Hospital, the only hospital in the area serving the black community. In 1932 they came to St. Petersburg and soon bought Faith Hospital, renaming it St. Anthony’s Hospital; two years later they opened St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. In every case, these hospital ministries were devoted to meeting the needs of their poor, oppressed and disenfranchised sisters and brothers. Over the years the ministries in each area grew and changed, always keeping the values of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany at their heart.
In the mid to late 1990’s, as the healthcare environment changed, the Sisters looked for ways to continue their ministries in the Florida communities served by the hospitals. In 1997 the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany joined with the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of Providence to help form and sponsor Catholic Health East (CHE), a multi-institutional Catholic health system with ministries in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida. At the same time, the Sisters divested certain assets through their Florida healthcare partnerships, creating the base for the formation of AFM’s work in three regions of Florida – Miami-Dade, Tampa Bay and Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties.
In January 1999, the Board made its first distributions -- $1,025,000 to seven organizations. That same year, the first CEO was hired and an office was opened in Clearwater; regional offices were opened in Palm Beach County in 2001 and in Miami-Dade in 2003. Throughout its grant-making history, AFM has made a concerted effort to develop strong relationships with grantees and the non-profit and funding community in each region and across the state. By the end of 2007, AFM has made more than 2400 grants in its service areas totaling over $34 million.
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