Daughters of Wisdom Award $5,000 Mission Grant to St. Charles Hospital
Pictured are members of the nursing and counseling staff of the Chemical Dependency Rehabilitation and Withdrawal & Stabilization Units displaying the “Big Books,” integral guides to daily living after discharge from St. Charles Hospital’s program.
When we reached out to St. Charles Hospital to ask about how they were using Mission Grant money, this is what they wrote:
“THANK YOU TO THE DAUGHTERS OF WISDOM FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF ST. CHARLES HOSPITAL’S CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY WITHDRAWAL AND REHABILITATION PATIENTS.
St. Charles is one of the only hospitals on Long Island to offer Chemical Dependency Programs and Services on an inpatient basis. Many of the 3,000 patients per year who come through the Hospital’s Withdrawal & Stabilization and Rehabilitation programs are financially disadvantaged, residing in unstable relationships and living situations, and are only able to receive treatment with the help of Medicaid or Medicare. This cohort of patients is by far the Hospital’s most underserved and underinsured population.
With grant support from Daughters of Wisdom in 2021, the Hospital’s inpatient chemical dependency populations will receive The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics & Narcotics Anonymous (NA/AA) – “The Big Book.” This book is important literature that is rooted in spirituality and the belief in God or a higher power. This book is utilized daily by people suffering from substance use disorder and is one of the most important requirements for incorporating the AA and NA programs into everyday life. The Hospital is donating these books received with grant funding from the Daughters of Wisdom to patients who are not financially able to purchase it for themselves upon discharge from the Unit.
In 2019 and 2020, the Daughters of Wisdom provided Big Books to 1,400 patients along with 135 Daily Reflection books.”
This year’s grant was endorsed by Sr. Ann Gray, DW.
Claire Olsen, Program Director, Chemical Dependency Rehabilitation and Withdrawal and Stabilization Units, said, “We are so grateful to the Daughters of Wisdom for helping our patients who would not be able to financially manage purchasing these books for themselves. They are a crucial part of recovery especially at an early stage when they are admitted to St. Charles.”