THREE ARCHES FOUNDATION AWARDS OVER $1.1 MILLION IN GRANTS TO 16 NORTHEAST OHIO NONPROFITS

[Jim O'Bryan]

From Three Arches

2019 Awards mark the inaugural grant cycle for the Foundation

CLEVELAND, November 19, 2019: Three Arches Foundation, a community-focused grant making foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2019 grant awards recognizing sixteen organizations for their work in advancing the health and well-being of the people of Lakewood and surrounding communities.

“Throughout the strategic grant process, we were inspired as we listened and learned about the efforts of each organization to implement and maintain programs and services that reflect our priority area and geographic focus,” said Chas Geiger, board chair of the Foundation. “It’s a privilege to make these investments to support the advancement of solutions that address access to behavioral and physical health care for those who stand to benefit the most – our community.”

This also marks a milestone for the Foundation as the completion of this initial round of funding represents the culmination of its organizational transition and repurposed mission of supporting nonprofits that are removing barriers and improving access to care. As reflected through each grant awarded, the Foundation is committed to making a difference in the care of health across our community and honored to continue a long-standing legacy of philanthropic impact.

Highlights of 2019 grants approved by the Foundation’s board of directors include:

Applewood Centers, Inc. ($28,075)
Funding for the purchase of a van, including insurance and maintenance costs for one year, to transport youth from the Lakewood area to/from the campus-based After School Program (ASP).

Beck Center for the Arts ($25,000)
Philanthropic investment to provide financial assistance that subsidizes the cost of creative arts therapies and adapted arts programming and services for groups, social services and individuals.

Bellfaire JCB ($94,790)
To support proactive expansion of critical trauma-informed prevention and consultation services in Lakewood City Schools through Bellfaire’s School-Based Counseling (SBC) program.

Building Hope in the City ($50,000 over two years)
Funding for project coordination and training of Refugee Ambassadors who provide community-based access and support to refugee and immigrant survivors of trauma.

Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center ($55,000)
To expand the work and outreach of the Justice System Advocate within the Lakewood municipal court to help victims of, or those at risk of domestic violence, child abuse or other violence.

GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland ($52,800)
Funding for operating support to ensure that the life-changing therapeutic and educational programs, all of which are free of charge, continue to empower as many individuals and families impacted by Down syndrome as possible.

Hospice of the Western Reserve ($50,000)
To support the in-home palliative care program for seniors living with advanced illness in Lakewood and surrounding communities.

Lakewood Community Services Center & Murtis Taylor Human Services System ($79,163)
Funding to expand coordinated care services and onsite behavioral health treatment at Lakewood Community Services Center (LCSC) for residents of Lakewood through an established partnership with Murtis Taylor Human Services System.

Neighborhood Family Practice ($100,000)
To improve access to care for residents of Cleveland’s west side through funding support for the Patient Benefits Program that assists patients with access to healthcare services and medications regardless of their ability to pay.

Old Brooklyn Community Development Corp ($60,000)
To support development of a comprehensive model of community engagement to help residents understand and positively influence their own health and provide input on the design process for a community space that increases access to behavioral care in Old Brooklyn.

Recovery Resources ($124,000 over two years)
Funding for the continuation of a forensic liaison position embedded in Lakewood Municipal Court to address underlying problems that may contribute to criminal behavior, such as mental illness and/or addiction.

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center ($10,000)
To provide a safe and reliable form of transportation to Rosary Hall for those seeking and receiving addiction treatment, with rides to and from the facility coordinated on their behalf.

The Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation ($25,000)
Funding to expand music and arts enrichment programs and activity-based experiences for individuals affected by dementia and other brain health issues, including their care partners.

The Centers for Families and Children ($125,000)
Funding to respond to the increased demand for syringe exchange services and medication assisted treatment for intravenous drug users and others with substance use disorders.

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation ($200,000 over two years)
Funding for the continuation of the Mental Health Navigator position dedicated to filling a growing and critical need by helping K-12 students across the Lakewood City School district obtain access to mental health care, including mental health assessment, care coordination and caregiver support.

The Gathering Place ($82,172)
To support the hiring of a full time licensed clinical mental health professional to facilitate and expand programs and services for west side individuals and families currently coping with the impact of cancer in their lives.

About Three Arches Foundation (TAF) – Three Arches Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that invests in advancing the health and well-being of the people of Lakewood and surrounding communities through grant making. By connecting people, ideas and resources, the Three Arches Foundation fosters a collaborative approach towards investing in organizations whose work directly addresses the continuum of physical and behavioral health issues. For more information, visit threearchesfoundation.org.


# # #

[Mark Kindt]

Sometimes failure masquerades as success

[Bridget Conant]

Well Cleveland Clinic got another $200,000 out of it!

Then they can claim the Health Navigator service as part of the “charity care” they provide.

WINNING!

[Dan Alaimo]

Well Cleveland Clinic got another $200,000 out of it!

Then they can claim the Health Navigator service as part of the “charity care” they provide.

WINNING!

Do I recall correctly that the Clinic was expected to put money in these foundations? This wouldn't raise an eyebrow but for past unhappy memories.

There are a lot of very worthy non-profits on this list.

[Mark Kindt]

Under the Master Agreement, the Cleveland Clinic has a contractual duty to make certain timed contributions to the "New Foundation". This foundation was formed in 2018 after two years of planning and is now named the "Healthy Lakewood Foundation."

To my knowledge it is unrelated to the Three Arches Foundation which is the re-purposed Lakewood Hospital Foundation.

These topics have been fully examined here in many different threads by Bill Call, Brian Essi, and myself.

Not sure there is much to add. I've had my say here for three years now. I need to focus on other issues where I have some possibility of actual positive impact.

However in passing, I will also remark that there are or will be sufficient funds in both foundations to finance the construction of a new hospital or other specialized healthcare facility and that such hospital or facility would leverage both bond financing as well as private and public insurance reimbursement and probably spin-off charity care benefits to the community at large vastly greater than what these foundations will ever be able to provide.

Other communities know this and have expanded such services in recent years.

Lakewood alone chose the retrograde and radical path to liquidate and demolish its public community hospital in order to build luxury housing for the most affluent members of its community.

Our planning department selected the real estate industry over the healthcare industry to the long term detriment of Lakewood.

We are stuck with this outcome.

[Stan Austin]

[quoteWe are stuck with this outcome.][/quoteU]

Is it possible that a new creative Law Director could come in and plot a strategy that would stem the bleeding of the hospital forfeiture so that a new medical facility which is COMMUNITY oriented be built.

[dl meckes]

Foundation money was used to pay the expenses incurred by Lakewoodites at the hospital. If you couldn't pay, you could get help.

Certainly, the money is going to a number of very good groups that may or may not have any affect here in the city of Lakewood. I am still shocked and traumatized by the devaluation of one of the core assets that belonged to the people of Lakewood. It did not belong to the City, it belonged to the People. And the outgoing administration and their pals just threw much away and stole the rest. I am still beyond words.

[Dan Alaimo]

So CCF is giving to one foundation and taking from another. Is that correct? Anyone know how much they are giving?

[Bridget Conant]

So CCF is giving to one foundation and taking from another. Is that correct? Anyone know how much they are giving?

It’s called a Shell Game. They’re good at it.

[Jim O'Bryan]

So CCF is giving to one foundation and taking from another. Is that correct? Anyone know how much they are giving?

It’s called a Shell Game. They’re good at it.

It's not that bad, I mean CCF is giving us back $500,000 a year, so this only really takes it down to $400,000. I would imagine most Lakewoodites after losing $248 million will barely feel the $100,000 gift of what was just a year ago the money to keep Lakewood Hospital going.

What I found even more telling was the rest of the gifts.

Take a step back while remembering that some of the founders were DESPERATE to set up a Cleveland Foundation type thing they could run in Lakewood years before 2015.

Now look again, a see it as a new organization trying desperately to move into the "right" circles on the party/social non-profit scene.

One of the things I have always been amazed about is how the non-profit scene have parties for everything, supported by other non-profit people and groups. So if you want to pretend you are a player in that scene first, you have to find a dying rich person, and or perhaps a dying hospital to start your kitty, errrr foundation. Then make sure you spend it to look bigger than you are, so that you can get more dying rich people to give.

This is one of the problems some of them found with LakewoodAlive when they ran it. In Lakewood you could barely raise enough.

But now, they get to write checks for (Millions) which is another exaggeration, because if you take away the two year payments, the total amount falls under $1 million in funding that was meant to keep Lakewood Hospital open. Hardly a headline in the non-profit world they are desperate to be a part of.

North Coast used to get over $6 million from Clinic/Hospital in the past, not sure what they are getting from the Clinic this year.

The tell (how you can read a poker player's face) They gave $65,000 to Old Brooklyn CDC to STUDY bike lanes and NOTHING to LakewoodAlive. Yet for years they begged us to support LakewoodAlive, which now that they are gone deserve our support as they are actually working on saving the city, not just pretending.

Desperate to move into other circles.

.

[lrodriguezcarbone]

I can confirm, as I sat on the Task Force that Built the Healthy Lakewood Foundation, that the Three Arches Foundation is a completely separate entity. I was remiss to find that there were no donations made to LakewoodAlive. I met with Ian Andrews earlier this year and the organization is tasked, by contractual obligation to the city of Lakewood, to do more than most folks realize. The city provides the organization with “some” funding, but the majority of budgetary outlays are paid for by individual donations. The organization is responsible for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, home repairs for the elderly, in addition to a catch-all of outreach and referral services. The employees of LakewoodAlive do all of this without health insurance.

I advocated during my campaign to extend our relationship with LakewoodAlive and believe it is the right thing to do for all the services they are contractually obligated to provide. They also, single-handedly contribute to our city’s culture - All the events, Summer Melt Down, Light Up Lakewood, etc. are organized and put on by this organization of less than 10 people.

[Mark Kindt]

I can confirm, as I sat on the Task Force that Built the Healthy Lakewood Foundation, that the Three Arches Foundation is a completely separate entity. I was remiss to find that there were no donations made to LakewoodAlive. I met with Ian Andrews earlier this year and the organization is tasked, by contractual obligation to the city of Lakewood, to do more than most folks realize. The city provides the organization with “some” funding, but the majority of budgetary outlays are paid for by individual donations. The organization is responsible for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, home repairs for the elderly, in addition to a catch-all of outreach and referral services. The employees of LakewoodAlive do all of this without health insurance.

I advocated during my campaign to extend our relationship with LakewoodAlive and believe it is the right thing to do for all the services they are contractually obligated to provide. They also, single-handedly contribute to our city’s culture - All the events, Summer Melt Down, Light Up Lakewood, etc. are organized and put on by this organization of less than 10 people.

Thank you Ms. Rodiguez-Carbone for this information.

If it is true that Lakewood Alive does not provide health insurance for its employees, then it is time for Lakewood Alive to dissolve.

This is simply abusive.

[lrodriguezcarbone]

Hi Mark,

The organization does a lot with very little. Giving a run-down of everything they have been tasked with here would not be exhaustive. The organization was formed to do what most cities, or CDC's, do with neighborhoods and economic vitality. The organization has become a trusted in entity in Lakewood by residents and that's worth something, especially when building community trust and bridges between local government and residents are so vital. Because of this, I believe the contract with Lakewood Alive should be extended and deepened and the organization should be brought more into the city's economic development planning - in my opinion, the contract should provide them with health benefits. Also, I look at this as not LakewoodAlive not providing health insurance, but the city of Lakewood. Looking at the contract (linked below), the "city shall and does employ LakewoodAlive to preform the work as hereinafter specified (p.2)." LakewoodAlive is contracted by the city of Lakewood to perform the duties specified in the contract.


http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... 8-2019.pdf

[Mark Kindt]

Hi Mark,

The organization does a lot with very little. Giving a run-down of everything they have been tasked with here would not be exhaustive. The organization was formed to do what most cities, or CDC's, do with neighborhoods and economic vitality. The organization has become a trusted in entity in Lakewood by residents and that's worth something, especially when building community trust and bridges between local government and residents are so vital. Because of this, I believe the contract with Lakewood Alive should be extended and deepened and the organization should be brought more into the city's economic development planning - in my opinion, the contract should provide them with health benefits. Also, I look at this as not LakewoodAlive not providing health insurance, but the city of Lakewood. Looking at the contract (linked below), the "city shall and does employ LakewoodAlive to preform the work as hereinafter specified (p.2)." LakewoodAlive is contracted by the city of Lakewood to perform the duties specified in the contract.


http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... 8-2019.pdf

Again, thank you for taking the time to post on this topic!

I want to make several points:

1. At no time ever as a small business owner were our business' employees ever required to work without health insurance. Trust me this business was smaller than Lakewood Alive. To the extent that Lakewood Alive is so underfunded that it cannot provide health insurance to its employees, this is a sign of serious dysfunction and failure.

2. Obviously, it makes no sense for the City of Lakewood to knowingly devolve public policy obligations such as economic development or healthcare onto non-profits that are clearly too underfunded to actually achieve the devolved obligations. This is just "hollow" government.

3. This is what I mean by the phrase "failure masquerading as success."

I am not questioning the value of the accomplishments of Lakewood Alive. I am questioning why this institution is unable to provide health insurance to its employees. If it has an inadequate funding model, that needs to be re-evaluated. Or the contracted services should be repatriated to the City. It needs to be reorganized before it fails, too.

The Three Arches Foundation and the Healthy Lakewood Foundation are in a similar situation, they simply will never have enough funding to even come close to replicating the levels of charity care provided by Lakewood Hospital.

There is nothing to applaud here. This is public policy failure clear and simple.

In the meantime, the City of Lakewood is committed to an economic development policy that will ensure that no ordinary resident can afford to reside in the "to-be-constructed" luxury housing (high-end apartments and town-homes.)

I am sincerely disappointed to learn that Lakewood Alive does not provide healthcare to its employees. This is both unfair and abusive.

I am also surprised that our devolved hospital funds are being used to support the City of Brooklyn's CDC. This is like spreading the same disease. (It would be interesting to know whether that CDC provides health insurance to its employees).

[Jim O'Bryan]

Laura, Mark

I think there is a misunderstanding here.

I do not believe that Mark thinks LakewoodAlive is worthless, we have spoken of this many times.

What we do come back to is what is the essence of LakewoodAlive how successful, what is the message being realized when members of LakewoodAlive that would like to live in the city cannot afford to buy a house in the city they are tasked to keep alive? This is seriously a more real project than you would believe. LakewoodAlive for all they do are severely underpaid, and I also fear severely under appreciated.

To this extent, Mr. Kindt a lifelong real Democrat believes, is they should supply health care to their workers along with a salary capable of them buying in the community they all truly love.

I think we can all agree on those topics.

To that end, why didn't 3-Arches pick up their healthcare. It would certainly be healthy, certainly would make Lakewood better. Would certainly enrich the lives of hundreds of Lakewoodites.

A much better way to spend that money instead of yet another bike/lane side walk study in Old Brooklyn.

One question should be, how many members of 3-Arches have family members speculating in property, in hotspots? My count is more than 4 of them.

Well I do thank them for being transparent in how they are spending the millions that we accumulated and saved to keep Lakewood Hospital open, solvent and serving the health of the community for the next 50 years.

.