Morris Heights Health Center

Projects With Care has proudly partnered with Morris Heights Health Center (MHHC) for over 25 years, beginning with our Stockings With Care holiday program and then expanding to include our Project First Day back-to-school drive. This year, we're excited to announce that we will be increasing our support for MHHC, reaching 25% more children!

Born out of a deep need for accessible, quality care, MHHC began its journey in 1981 in the South Bronx—the poorest congressional district in the United States—with the opening of the Women’s Health and Birthing Pavilion. It was the first out-of-hospital, midwifery-led birthing center in a low-income community in the U.S. This groundbreaking initiative received accreditation from the National Association of Childbearing Centers and laid the foundation for one of MHHC’s most enduring legacies: the Women’s Health Pavilion, which remains one of its most robust programs today.

Although the original birthing center is no longer in operation, MHHC has grown into a comprehensive healthcare network, now serving more than 57,000 patients annually. It offers a full spectrum of services, including primary and specialty care, dental and mental health services, and a variety of educational and social support programs. This extensive range of care has established MHHC as the leading healthcare provider for the Morris Heights community and surrounding areas.

Today, MHHC operates 29 locations, including 9 Community Health Centers and 20 School-Based Health Centers. In recent years, the organization has expanded beyond the Bronx, opening its first Brooklyn location in 2022, with plans to launch a second Brooklyn site in 2028. As a non-profit organization, MHHC’s growth and impact are made possible through federal, state, and foundation grants, along with generous support from private and corporate donors.

At first glance, the partnership between Projects With Care and a healthcare institution like Morris Heights Health Center may appear unconventional. However, upon understanding the values and compassionate culture fostered by the MHHC team, it becomes evident that this collaboration is both natural and deeply aligned. Often referred to as “The Caring Place,” MHHC has cultivated an environment where the patient is truly at the center of everything they do. Their holistic, person-centered approach recognizes that one size does not fit all. By offering comprehensive wraparound services, MHHC addresses not only immediate health needs, but also the underlying social and economic factors contributing to health disparities in the community.

Serving families in the South Bronx—where poverty rates are among the highest in the nation—MHHC is more than a healthcare provider; it is a vital source of stability, hope, and empowerment. With 80–90% of patients relying on Medicaid and many families with children living in shelters, MHHC stands as a trusted and indispensable healthcare provider in the community. But the center’s impact goes far beyond medical care. Many patients also struggle with food insecurity, a challenge MHHC addresses through its biweekly community food pantry. Rain or shine, community members begin lining up as early as Monday night, and by Tuesday morning, the line often stretches for several blocks—underscoring the critical demand for this essential service.

According to Chief Business Officer Nekeisha Afful and Project Manager Josee Gratia—who work closely with Projects With Care through various programs—a significant number of families also struggle to send their children to school in clean clothing. In some cases, schools have even reported that children appear dirty and unkempt, noting the negative impact this has on their learning experience. This highlights the urgent need for our Project First Day program. Not only does it help relieve some of the stress and burden on parents, but it also empowers children to arrive at school with confidence, dignity, and a readiness to learn. It’s for reasons like these that Nekeisha affectionately refers to Projects With Care as MHHC’s “Joy Partners.”

Given the size of MHHC’s patient population, the responsibility of selecting which families receive Projects With Care’s support rests with the center and its dedicated team. They make these difficult decisions by identifying the neediest families, relying on input from their Practice Managers and Business Intelligence systems. As Projects With Care continues to grow, our goal is to one day support all 20,000+ children served by Morris Heights Health Center. Together, with the continued collaboration of MHHS and our supporters, we move closer to making that dream a reality.

Over the years, our partnership with Morris Heights Health Center has continued to grow stronger, rooted in a shared commitment to uplifting the children and families we serve. In 2019, we were honored to receive the “Impact Awards Gala Special Recognition Award” from the MHHC Foundation—a testament to the meaningful collaboration between our organizations. This spring, several MHHC employees signed up to be Good Neighbors for our new initiative, Project Welcome Home, and others have they’ve expressed a strong interest in volunteering in person at our upcoming Project First Day drive. These actions are a reflection of the deepening engagement and enthusiasm that continues to strengthen our partnership. As we look to the future, we are excited to continue building on this momentum—working hand in hand to expand our impact and bring even greater support to the families who need it most.

To learn more about Morris Heights, you can visit their website at https://www.mhhc.org.