Saint Francis Healthcare and its parent organization, Trinity Health, are joining Cinnaire to launch the Wilmington Healthy Neighborhood Fund. A comprehensive, community-driven revitalization effort, the Wilmington Healthy Neighborhood Fund will address the social determinants of health, including safe and affordable housing, in the City of Wilmington. The one-million-dollar Trinity Health/Saint Francis loan will be used for the acquisition and renovation of vacant and blighted homes to revitalize areas of need in the city to create affordable, healthy and vibrant communities.
The first portion of the Wilmington Healthy Neighborhood Funds will be deployed in West Center City, one of Mayor Michael S. Purzycki’s first targeted communities in the City of Wilmington’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program. West Center City has suffered from decades of disinvestment and the City of Wilmington Neighborhood Stabilization Program provides for a holistic revitalization plan to eliminate vacant and blighted homes, reduce crime, improve access to green space and community facilities and overall improve conditions for the residents.
“At Cinnaire, we have an unwavering belief that all people deserve the opportunities provided by living in healthy communities,” said Jim Peffley, Cinnaire Chief Strategy Officer. “Healthy communities provide access to affordable housing, healthcare, education, and jobs while creating opportunities for empowerment. The Healthy Neighborhood Fund will significantly advance the momentum of revitalization efforts underway in Wilmington. We look forward to partnering with Saint Francis, Trinity Health and the City of Wilmington to positively impact the social, cultural and economic fabric of the West Center City neighborhood.”
Cinnaire has committed to bringing the company’s financial resources, products, network of partners and staff expertise to promote comprehensive community development strategies that address social and economic issues in Wilmington. Cinnaire has already invested $250,000 in the Wilmington Healthy Neighborhood Fund and is seeking additional investors to support the fund. Cinnaire will continue to oversee the loan process for qualified developers to acquire and renovate the homes.
“We are very grateful for this support from Saint Francis for our community-based initiatives, which will produce stronger neighborhoods,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “Saint Francis is an important employer that provides a vital health care function for our City. Wilmington is proud to be partners with Saint Francis, Trinity Health and Cinnaire in reducing blight and crime and making our neighborhoods more enjoyable places to live and raise families.”
“For more than 94 years, 
Saint Francis has served the healthcare needs of the citizens of Wilmington, especially those who are underserved. We will now have the ability to provide greater impact to the health and well-being of those we care for by directly addressing the need for quality housing in the neighborhood in which we live and serve,” said Dan Sinnott, President and CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare.
About Saint Francis Healthcare
Saint Francis Healthcare, a Member of Trinity Health—the nation’s second-largest Catholic Health System—includes a 219-bed hospital, numerous outpatient services, a primary care physician network and home health services; is a member of the Jefferson Sidney Kimmel Cancer Network; offers the shortest ER wait time in New Castle County; is a provisional state-designated Level III Trauma Center; is the basic life support EMS provider for the City of Wilmington; and partners with Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children for Level II neonatology care and with Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
Saint Francis Healthcare is affiliated with the Saint Francis Foundation and Saint Francis LIFE (Living Independently for Elders), Delaware’s only PACE (Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) model. To learn more, please visit: https://www.stfrancishealthcare.org
