Endowments Empower Catholic Ministries Serving Individuals with Special Needs
Every November, National Disability Awareness Month invites us to celebrate the remarkable gifts and achievements of individuals with disabilities — and to reaffirm our shared calling to build communities where everyone belongs.
The Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania embraces this mission year-round by managing endowment funds that futureproof Catholic ministries serving people with special needs. These permanent funds provide lasting financial stability, ensuring that care, compassion, and opportunity continue for generations to come.
The Catholic Foundation manages endowment funds for our Catholic special learning centers, adult living centers, and the disability ministry in the Diocese of Allentown.
Catholic Special Learning Centers: Faith in Every Lesson
At Mercy School for Special Learning in Allentown, John Paul II Center for Special Learning in Reading, and St. Joseph Center for Special Learning in Schuylkill Haven, students are surrounded by faith-filled educators who see not limits — but limitless potential.
Through the support of Foundation-managed endowments, these schools provide:
- Tailored education that nurtures mind, body, and spirit
- Vocational training that builds skills for meaningful work
- Community experiences that foster inclusion and independence
For families, these centers offer more than education — they offer hope, belonging, and the promise of a future filled with possibility.
Catholic Special Learning Centers
Dayspring Homes: Where Care Feels Like Family
In Reading, Dayspring Homes provides compassionate residential and Life Sharing programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rooted in Christian values, Dayspring creates a true home — one where residents grow in confidence, faith, and independence.
The Dayspring Homes Fund supports everything from day programs and client services to capital improvements — ensuring residents continue to thrive in a setting grounded in love and dignity.
The Sr. Janice Marie Johnson, R.S.M. Persons with Disabilities Ministry Endowment Fund
Few embodied the Gospel call to inclusion like Sister Janice Marie Johnson, R.S.M. Sister Janice died on January 7, 2023, but her legacy lives on through an endowment that sustains the Diocese of Allentown’s Ministry for Persons with Disabilities, as well as accessibility efforts, education programs, and initiatives at the three Catholic learning centers.
By supporting this fund, donors carry forward Sister Janice’s vision of a Church where every person — regardless of ability — is seen, valued, and loved.
Your Gift Makes the Mission Last Forever
This November, as we give thanks for life’s many blessings, let us also give thanks for those who remind us that every life is a gift.
When you give to one of the Catholic Foundation’s endowment funds supporting special learning and living programs, you help ensure that Catholic ministries have the strength to continue their vital work—today, tomorrow, and forever.
Your gift today makes an eternal difference.
Learn more about these endowment funds or donate online through the giving forms on this page. Together, we can create a future filled with dignity, opportunity, and hope for all God’s children.