Military pilots are highly trained to handle emergency situations, such as engine loss or a malfunction of controls. But nothing could prepare retired Air Force pilot Bill Vance for the greatest health emergencies of his life: two heart attacks, less than two months apart.

Just as pilots rely on their first officers to help navigate crisis situations and avert tragedy, Bill Vance trusted Mercy cardiologist Arvin Arthur to guide him through treatment for and recovery from his serious heart condition. Bill’s breastbone hadn’t fully healed from bypass surgery he had following the first attack, so when he arrived at Mercy General Hospital he was frightened to face another surgery.

His fears were eased by Dr. Arthur, who opted to treat Bill’s extremely critical condition with five stents. “It is absolutely amazing what Dr. Arthur was able to do that day,” said Bill, who has since recovered. “I know that I am alive and well today because of his skills. I am most grateful to him.” (Continued on page 6)

HORIZONSMERCY FOUNDATION

Fall 2010

This past summer, I announced that I would be moving on from my position as president and CEO of Mercy Foundation. It has been a great pleasure and honor to have served our community in this role. Over the past two years, I have enjoyed reconnecting with donors, meeting new friends, and helping to sustain the Sisters of Mercy ministries through philanthropy.

The community’s commitment to the ministries has been truly inspiring. From financial and in-kind donations to volunteering, the efforts by each of you reflect the Foundation’s vision of a generous and compassionate community in which the needs of people are met through acts of Mercy. I am grateful for your generosity and your kindhearted spirit. I know you will continue to help the less fortunate in every way you can. To quote Sister Mary Baptist Russell, California Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy: “You must not now imagine all is done. On the contrary, you are only now beginning.”

In many ways, Mercy Foundation is also just beginning, guided and invigorated by a new vision, mission, and team. By the next issue of Horizons, the Foundation will have brought on a new president and CEO. I have great confidence that our Corporate Members and Board of Trustees will select a candidate with the strength and vision needed to lead the Foundation during such a period of tremendous growth. You will hear from the new CEO and learn more about Mercy Foundation’s short- and long-term goals in the winter issue.

With much gratitude for all your support,

Sister Bridget McCarthy, RSMPresident and CEO

New beginnings for Mercy Foundation

Two-time heart attack survivor honors Mercy caregivers

Now recovered from back-to-back heart attacks, grateful patient Bill Vance is once again enjoying his favorite pastime – astronomy.

2

In the height of the Great Depression, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced in Swing Time singing, “Nothing’s impossible, I have found, for when my chin is on the ground, I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again.”

Creekview Manor residents Daniel and Carolyn Sedgwick have dusted themselves off a few times during their 54 years of marriage, weathering several rounds of hardship caused by illnesses and, most recently, by what some call the Second Great Depression. “We have run into difficult circumstances from time to time,” said Carolyn. “We just get back up and start over again. We’re resilient.”

Dan worked for more than 25 years for a Bay Area hazardous waste cleanup company. Carolyn worked at the Salvation Army for eight years, and wrote articles for several Bay Area newspapers, as well as for Good Housekeeping. The couple attempted retirement several times, but financial strains kept them in the workforce. When they finally decided to officially take the retirement plunge a few years back, they were dismayed to see their significant life savings crumble with the stock market. At the same time, Dan suffered several injuries and illnesses – including an August 2009 stroke – that made him permanently unable to work. Carolyn was forced to quit her job as a para-educator to take care of him. The lack of income, coupled with a depleted savings from the devastated stock market, made the mortgage on their Tracy, Calif. house unaffordable. They lost their home, and many of their possessions in it, while Dan was still recovering from his stroke.

After Dan was released from a long stay in the hospital, the Sedgwicks found solace in their children and grandchildren, with whom they stayed for a few months until they determined their next step. A family friend read about Mercy Housing’s

MINISTRY NEWS

Creekview Manor a comfortable home for "resilient" couple

"The Sedgwicks are a good example of how a positive attitude is everything. And it is

contagious – they impact the entire Creekview community with positive energy."

— Monika Nielsen, Resident Services Coordinator

Friends, physicians, caregivers and staff came together July 14 to celebrate a significant milestone at Mercy Hospital of Folsom: thirty years of providing high-quality care in the community.

In 1980, the Sisters of Mercy took over Folsom’s 30-bed Twin Lakes Community Hospital – then on the brink of closure – to ensure that the health-care safety net would endure in the region. To meet the needs of Folsom’s growing population, the Sisters opened a new, 95-bed hospital in 1989 on Mercy Hospital of Folsom’s current 26-acre parcel, donated by the Cummings and Tsakopoulos families. As Folsom grew exponentially over the next decade, the hospital once again expanded to meet community needs. Numerous residents provided $4 million in philanthropic support to help construct a new emergency department, and the the City of Folsom contributed $1 million. The Cummings Emergency Pavilion – named for Folsom residents Bill and Claudia Cummings, who contributed a lead gift of $2 million – opened in November 2008, expanding the department from seven beds to 25 and increasing space five-fold to more than 22,000 square feet. Next year, construction will be completed for a new 21-bed telemetry unit, and the hospital recently began renovating its Family Birth Center. These enhancements will enable the hospital to continue to serve the community well into the future.

Mercy Hospital of Folsom celebrates 30 years

3

Creekview Manor, a Folsom, Calif. affordable housing complex for people aged 55 and older with annual incomes ranging between $9,900 and $36,000. Driving down the road toward the complex, Carolyn fell in love with the welcoming yellow clapboard buildings and cottages. In February 2010, they moved into one of the property's 138 units.

Amid the hum of the washing machines in the community laundry facility, Carolyn has found common ground with fellow residents. “The laundry room is a great ice breaker,” she said. “I’ve shared stories with many people there, and I’ve learned that most of us are here at Creekview for the same reasons – circumstances we couldn’t control.”

Carolyn learned to keep her chin up from her single mother, who taught her how to live with dignity and happiness no matter the circumstances. In 1981, Carolyn published an article in Good Housekeeping about her mother being resourceful despite having limited funds with which to raise her and her three siblings. “She learned thrift out of necessity and continued to practice it out of habit,” she wrote. Carolyn still lives by that sentiment, fashioning seat cushions out of fabric found at thrift stores and making many of their other home furnishings. She and Dan, while still settling in, have created a comfortable home at Creekview Manor. “We are grateful to have a place of our own,” Carolyn said. “Everyone is very pleasant. We thank Mercy Foundation and Mercy Housing for their support through this time in our lives.”

Despite the difficult financial position they have faced throughout the years, the Sedgwicks have learned to keep life’s challenges in perspective. As Carolyn shared in Good Housekeeping about her childhood, “As hard as our early years were, our memories were happy ones.” Asked then by her cousin if she ever felt poor, Carolyn shook her head. “No,” she said, “I think we were very lucky.”

Though health and financial circumstances have proved challenging over the years, Creekview Manor residents Dan and Carolyn Sedgwick are charitable at heart, having cared for 23 foster children and recently helping with the Creekview Manor Residents Association's school supply drive for needy Folsom children.

Mercy Housing California will soon open an affordable housing community for seniors in Auburn, Calif., to be located on the Sisters of Mercy property. Ground will be broken on the new sixty-unit complex in 2011, with a scheduled opening for 2012. The community will provide stable housing to seniors aged 62 and older who are on fixed income and could otherwise be homeless. Mercy Housing plans to partner with Placer County health and wellness programs, which will provide life-enrichment services for residents.

Since 1987, Mercy Housing California has developed nearly 10,000 affordable homes across the state, improving the lives of thousands. The organization offers affordable low-income housing programs to more than 23,000 people at more than 100 multi-family, senior and special-needs properties, 37 of which are in the greater Sacramento area. In addition to the new Auburn development and Creekview Manor, other Mercy senior communities in the region include Russell Manor, the Sacramento Senior Safe House, and Diamond Sunrise in Diamond Springs.

For more information about this planned community and/or how you can change lives through Mercy Housing, contact Kevin Duggan, vice president of philanthropy for Mercy Foundation, at (916) 851-2703 or Kevin.Duggan001@chw.edu.

Mercy Housing to open senior complex in Auburn

4

MINISTRY NEWS

Cyrous Hajimoradi sits before a computer, deep in concentration. He is listening intently to a clear voice in the large headphones he’s wearing – not, as it might appear, to an opera or his favorite rock band, but to an English-language program that is helping him improve his listening, reading and writing skills.

A student in Mercy Education Resource Center’s English as a Second Language/Workforce Development program, Cyrous – who speaks Farsi, as well as some Arabic and Turkish – had a good command of English when he arrived in the United States from Iran nearly a year ago, but felt he needed to boost his skills.

“It was a little difficult for me to understand others,” he said. “Slang words, ‘exceptions and rules,’ are especially difficult for me.” He learned about ESL programs from a cousin, researched several in the area, and chose the four-month program at Mercy Education Resource Center after visiting the classroom and meeting a few instructors.

Because the center places dignity and respect for people first, it is a safe haven where immigrants can feel comfortable asking questions and learning at their own pace. Participant progress is gauged at the beginning and the end of the program in the effective use of language, assimilation into culture, success in finding better housing, and the ability to read to their children and help them with homework.

At present, 99 percent of Mercy Education’s ESL students are Spanish-speaking. Most have a fourth-grade education or less, while some have never been to school. Others, like the forty-something Cyrous – a civil engineer in Iran – have advanced education.

Cyrous plans to continue English classes at a community college so he can take engineering courses that will bring him up to speed on U.S. codes and standards, which are different from those in Iran. “Buildings in Iran are largely constructed with steel and cement,” he said. “The United States uses a lot of wood, an extremely limited resource in Iran, where there are no forests. I need to learn the different codes to be an engineer here, and having a good understanding of English is necessary.”

Thanks to the ESL program, Cyrous is well on his way to moving his engineering career to the United States. “The Mercy program has been very helpful to me,” he said. “The organization increased my confidence to speak. When I came here, I didn’t have enough English, but after a while I could speak confidently without help.”

Education center builds Persian immigrant’s language skills

“Mercy increased my confidence to speak English.”

— Cyrous HajimoradiMercy Education Resource Center Student

OFFICERSGarry P. Maisel Chair

Michael T. Genovese Vice Chair

William W. Yee Secretary/Treasurer

Timothy MoranSacramento Service Area President and Methodist Hospital of Sacramento President

Katherine Doyle, RSMSisters of Mercy West Midwest Community Representative

Bridget McCarthy, RSM Mercy Foundation President and CEO

TRUSTEESJosé Abad, M.D.Gil A. AlbianiStephen Bauer, M.D. Christi Black

Patrice N. CoyleKen CrawfordCecilia M. Delury Cathleen M. DoughertyEileen Enright, RSMBob FlauttJoan GannLawrence B. Garcia Diane R. Grenz Jack M. KimmelMike KimmelSharon A. Margetts

Tim Mickiewicz, DDSAlice D. Perez Mark ReadSilvio ReggiardoTim RogersElizabeth Leonard SchatzAlan Shatzel, D.O.Linda J. Van ReesMerrily F. Wong

2010-11 MERCY FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

We welcome your feedback about this newsletter. Contact us at MercyFoundationSac@chw.edu or (916) 851-2700 to share your comments or sign up for an electronic version.

5

With e-mail, texting and instant messaging the norm for communications today, it’s rare to find someone so devoted to letter writing. But that nearly lost art is frequently put to practice by Sister Mary Padilla, who uses the power of the pen to help several California inmates maintain a positive connection to the outside world and learn how they can change for the better.

“I keep in touch regularly with five inmates,” said Sr. Mary, who for three years conducted faith sharing with a group of about 20 Latino prisoners at California State Prison, Solano in Vacaville.

Sr. Mary has maintained contact with several men she has met, and is typically their only connection to the outside world. “Because of their way of life, they have broken from their wives, their children, their friends – from society,” she said. “They say, ‘You’re the only person I can talk to.’”

The lack of connection leaves many prisoners feeling even more isolated and with no reason to turn their lives around. Sr. Mary lends an ear and offers them encouragement. “I try to get them to admit to themselves that they are imprisoned because they did something wrong – and to use that admission to ask for forgiveness,” she said. “Incarceration gives them more time to reflect, and I see a positive change in them from letter to letter.”

Before her prison ministry, Sr. Mary offered guidance to a much different group: elementary school children. She taught for 30 years in the Sacramento region and was principal at several Catholic schools. In 1980, she took her education ministry out of the classroom and into Northern California’s agricultural fields.

A native Spanish speaker, Sr. Mary reached out to farm workers and their children, largely of Mexican descent, with a Spanish-language catechetical program she spearheaded through the Sacramento Diocese. Isolated by language barriers, limited transportation and work requirements, these underserved families are often disconnected from their faith and the church community that creates close ties back home.

Over 20 years, Sr. Mary and lay volunteers prepared countless children and some adults to receive the sacraments of penance, communion and confirmation at farm-worker centers in Davis, Madison, Dixon, Williams and Gridley. She translated volumes of materials from English into Spanish to use during catechism sessions, which were condensed from a one-year to a 12-week program to accommodate the variable schedules of farm workers.

Retirement from her work with the diocese did not stop Sr. Mary from ministering to people in need. In addition to her ongoing correspondence with prisoners, she conducts jail visits in downtown Sacramento through a Loaves & Fishes program. No matter what happens with the incarcerated men and women she has met, she is confident that the friendship and guidance she provides have a positive impact on their lives.

“Whatever we give, it can and will be received,” Sr. Mary said. “I just want each person I meet to see that he or she can be a better person. It brings peace to them, and peace all around.”

THE SISTERS OF MERCY

Sister Mary Padilla: Helping to grow faith

“Whether my ministry is in the classroom, under a tree at a farm-worker center, or at a prison, the purpose is always the same: to help

people grow in faith.”

— Sister Mary Padilla

Sr. Mary Padilla teaching catechism to children at a farm-worker center nearly 30 years ago.

6

Bill expressed his gratitude by making a gift to Mercy Foundation. “I wanted to honor Dr. Arthur for his superb skills, kindness and sensitivity,” he said. He also is grateful for the high-quality care he received by other Mercy health-care workers, from the ICU nurses and his nutritionist to the ultrasound technician who detected minor clots in his leg. “I believe I received the best possible treatment and care while at Mercy,” he said.

Bill’s financial contribution will help Mercy General Hospital continue its high quality of care by supporting training to keep physicians and other health-care workers up-to-date on the latest techniques, treatments and procedures. “It takes additional sources of funding to operate one of the finest cardiac hospitals on the West Coast,” he said. “Some of that funding can come from those who benefit most from the superb care at Mercy. We wanted to be part of that.”

Patricia Henry always felt that helping to tackle the problems of poverty and suffering in the world was overwhelming and daunting. While she would remember her mother’s advice to first “take care of her corner of the world,” she still believed that somehow she could do her part to make a difference on a far greater level.

A volunteer coordinator at Methodist Hospital of Sacramento, Patricia found that connection with Mercy Beyond Borders, a Sisters of Mercy ministry that links women and children in Sudan and other countries with U.S. resources to promote health, provide education and alleviate poverty. After picking up a copy of This Flowing Toward Me – Executive Director Sister Marilyn Lacey’s account of her nearly 30-year work with refugees – Patricia was inspired to make a financial contribution to Mercy Beyond Borders through Mercy Foundation’s Employees Lend a Hand program. “Sister Marilyn’s book resonated with me,” she said. “I learned you can effect positive change, even if it’s a single person at a time.”

Patricia carries that theme into her work managing volunteers at the hospital. “I always tell them

that even one person can make a difference,” she said. While her financial contributions are helping to empower women in Sudan, Patricia’s job at Methodist Hospital has a positive impact on the local community. “So many people are out of work – they want to volunteer to keep up their skills or feel productive. Retired people want to stay active,” she noted. “My job has been a great opportunity to help the hospital meet community needs, and to let the community meet the hospital’s needs.”

Though thousands of miles from Africa, Patricia feels a direct connection to the Sudanese women and children she supports. “What I like about Mercy Beyond Borders is that they make

you feel a part of the organization by keeping you well informed through blogs, e-mail updates and more,” she said. “That makes me feel part of the action, and I know my donation to Mercy Foundation is truly making a difference.”

Being a Mercy employee also makes Patricia feel part of the action. “The beauty of working here is the core values. If you live by them, you know that you need to lend a hand to those in need,” she said. “I feel great working at Mercy. The spirit of those core values is infectious.”

PARTNERS IN PHILANTHROPY

Grateful patient Bill Vance (Continued from front page)

Employees Lend a Hand: Patricia Henry

Are you a grateful patient? Gratitude is a powerful expression of the heart. The Grateful Patients & Families Program offers a way to express appreciation and help Mercy Foundation continue to serve the community’s needs. Visit SupportMercyFoundation.org or call (916) 851-2700 to learn more about the program.

7

The roots of Mark and Patty Read’s relationship with Mercy Foundation and the Sisters of Mercy run deep. Family ties to the Foundation date back to 1954, with Mark’s grandfather, Fred Read, who provided leadership and financial support for the Sisters' healthcare ministry and later served as chair of the Board of Trustees. In subsequent years, the family’s general contractor business, Rod Read & Sons, made generous donations to the Foundation to support housing, education and care for the poor and the elderly.

“Our family has been inspired to give to Mercy for many generations,” said Mark. “The Sisters’ service to others and care for individuals most in need align with our personal values.”

Generous donors themselves for the past decade, Mark and Patty have supported such ministries as Cristo Rey High School, Loaves and Fishes and Quinn Cottages, a Mercy Housing transitional program for the homeless. “When Sister Sheila Browne asked me to sprinkle the holy water during Quinn Cottages’ blessing, I felt a very strong connection,” said Mark. “That’s when we decided to take our involvement with Mercy a step further and include the Foundation in our will.”

The Reads’ bequest was many years in the making. When they were new parents, they were advised to be financially prudent while their two children were young and in school. And it was important to them to save a significant amount for college since they wanted their children to go to a private Catholic university. But once their children graduated, they knew it was the right time to take the step of including Mercy Foundation in their will.

Though creating an estate plan can seem daunting, Mark and Patty found the process helpful in balancing their economic and philanthropic goals, while also providing a framework

for discussing their financial decisions with their children. “Now that the children are taken care of and old enough to understand financial planning, we felt it was important to begin the conversation with them about how we are mapping out our own future, and where philanthropy fits into the picture,” Patty said.

The Reads want their family’s philanthropic legacy with Mercy to endure. Their daughter, Megan, volunteers at Cristo Rey High School, a ministry co-sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy that offers students with limited economic resources a rigorous college-preparatory education. “We strongly believe you lead by example,” said Mark. “We feel everyone should give.”

Patty, who believes in planning ahead, knows that their bequest will help sustain Mercy Foundation programs and services well into the future. “Unfortunately, there will never be a day when there are no sick or poor people,” she said. “The Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Foundation will be here long after we’re gone, and we wanted to ensure their success.”

Grateful patient Bill Vance (Continued from front page) Mark and Patty Read continue a philanthropic legacy

LEAVE A MERCY LEGACYBequests are just one way you can support Mercy Foundation through an estate gift. Planned gifts, such as charitable remainder trusts, can offer immediate benefits to you and your family. You can increase your cash flow, earn valuable income-tax deductions, and reduce or eliminate estate taxes while also supporting the less fortunate in the community.

Making the choice to create a legacy gift requires thoughtful consideration and discussion. Mercy Foundation can work with you and your professional advisor to design a plan based on your goals and unique situation. Donors who include the Foundation in their charitable estate giving are recognized with membership in the Mercy Legacy Society. For more information, contact Kevin Duggan, vice president of philanthropy, at (916) 851-2703 or Kevin.Duggan001@chw.edu.

If you have provided for Mercy Foundation or any of our ministries in your estate plan, please let us know. We would like to acknowledge and thank you.

3400 Data DriveRancho Cordova, CA 95670

www.SupportMercyFoundation.org

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Mercy Foundation's vision is to create a

generous and compassionate community in

which the needs of people are met through acts of mercy.

Inspired by the mission of the Sisters of Mercy to connect

those with resources with those in need, the Foundation

raises philanthropic support and community awareness

to enhance the lives of people in the communities we

serve. The Foundation focuses on healthcare, education,

housing, and care for the poor and elderly.

100% of donations fund the programs and services donors choose.

Our name is Mercy. Our spirit is compassion. — Sisters of Mercy Foundress Catherine McAuley

Sister Libby Fernandez greets a guest at Loaves and Fishes, a Sacramento program that provides an oasis of welcome, safety, and cleanliness for homeless men, women and children seeking survival services. Mercy Foundation donors help to sustain Loaves and Fishes' many programs and services, including its renowned dining room, which serves lunch to 600 to 1,000 guests daily.