The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, a faith-based grant-making organization, has announced plans to commit $208 million in healthcare grants across New York state in 2025. Of that total, more than $6.5 million will support organizations focused on improving health outcomes in the Bronx.
This announcement marks a significant milestone for the foundation, which has now surpassed $1 billion in grants awarded statewide since its inception in 2018.
Daniel Frascella, Chief Programs and Grants Officer for the foundation, emphasized the broad scope of their grants, which address both medical and social determinants of health.
“It’s not just one thing that we address or that needs to be supported to help those in difficult situations improve their lives, but a range of things,” Frascella said. “We’re privileged and humbled to be able to support so much of the good work that these grantee partners are doing.”
This holistic approach to building healthier communities is reflected in the foundation’s funding priorities. Grants have been awarded not only to hospitals and medical centers but also to community organizations that tackle issues like food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers. The foundation remains deeply committed to serving vulnerable populations, aligning with the values of its namesake, Mother Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants and the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.
One of the grant recipients leading this community-centered approach in the Bronx is Part of the Solution (POTS). Founded in the 1980s as a soup kitchen on Webster Avenue, POTS has grown into a multi-service organization aimed at helping Bronx residents achieve long-term stability.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has awarded POTS nearly $1 million to expand its legal clinic and stability mentorship program. Diego Padilla, POTS’ Director of External Relations and Communications, explained that the funding will enable the organization to enhance its legal services for Bronx residents facing eviction and expand its mentorship program to provide clients with access to benefits, financial literacy tools, and workforce preparedness support.
Padilla underscored the importance of trust and long-term commitment in POTS’ approach to breaking the cycle of poverty.
“It’s a gradual process of really trying to break the cycle of poverty, working alongside our clients by helping them achieve their goals,” Padilla said. “We’re very excited for this project, and we’re very excited that Mother Cabrini believed in these two programs.”
In 2023, the POTS legal clinic helped more than 300 Bronx households avoid eviction. With the additional funding, the organization aims to assist another 300 families annually over the next three years.
The foundation’s grants also focus on improving healthcare access in the Bronx. Montefiore Medical Center has been awarded over $150,000 to support the NYC Homeless Healthcare Fellowship, a specialized one-year training program for early-career physicians. The fellowship equips doctors to address the complex healthcare needs of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, including substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.
Fellows work in shelters, mobile units, and on the streets, delivering care tailored to patients’ unique circumstances. Dr. Andreas Lazaris, a 2023–2024 fellow, shared how the program reshaped his approach to medical care.
“I was pushed to think critically about how to provide medical care in innovative ways—meeting patients in the places they call home, integrating social services and supports in ways that make evidence-based medical treatment possible, and centering patient relationships in ways that align medical recommendations with patient values,” Lazaris said.
In 2025, the foundation’s $6.5 million commitment in the Bronx will support 23 programs across 17 organizations. Frascella reaffirmed the foundation’s dedication to its mission, vowing to continue addressing emerging needs in the community.
“We’re going to just follow Mother Cabrini’s example and just get to work,” he said.
