Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
|
|
Vincentian Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Sunday, April 3, 2022
Gospel: (John 8:1-11) The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” In response, they went away one by one…So he was left alone with the woman before him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
Reflection: A story that begins with deathly accusation ends with divine mercy. Where the community’s condemnation would have led the adulterous woman to death, Jesus’ mercy leads her to new life. A story that begins with exposing the sin of an individual ends with exposing the sinfulness of all. Where the community begins with awareness of the woman’s sinfulness, they are transformed through encountering Jesus into awareness of their own sinfulness. A story that begins with human testing of the divine ends with divine invitation to repent. Jesus reveals a new order in which all are called to repentance and the experience of divine mercy. Jesus’ desire for us is not death but new life. (Living Liturgy, p.90)
Vincentian Meditation: God’s loving presence is cleansing, as baptism and penance remind us. God’s love labors to break down the resistance that it finds within us. It is a creative love that works toward change, transformation, new beginnings. God wants to make a home within us. The recurring Lenten season nudges us each year toward self-denial. The real point of ascetical practices is not merely to “give up” objects, but to reconstruct one’s deepest self so that God might take fuller possession of our home. Jesus asks that the same energy we might have used in accumulating riches, consolidating power, or pursuing personal pleasure be channeled toward the building up of a “new person” as a dwelling place for God. (Maloney, Go! On the Missionary Spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul, p. 99-100)
Do you hold unjust prejudices and judgments of the poor?
Are you ready to free yourself from these obstacles to Christ-like love?
|
|
Our Council's Annual Vincentian Retreat: "Our Essential Friendship" |
|
We gathered at St Ignatius of Loyola parish - 85 strong - this past Sat morning (3/26) to share in Mass, Stations of the Cross, and our facilitated retreat. Fr Earl Fernandes, pastor @ St I's and committed advocate for the recent revitalization of their Conference, articulated the Vincentian vocation as we celebrated our Mass. Stations of the Cross were made all the more impactful with Vincentian context and quotes from our Society's founders & St Vincent. Sunnie Johnson-Lain introduced her friend Tim Williams, SVDP's National Formation Director, visiting from St Louis. Tim led a wonderful reminder of how our lives and our Vincentian experience are enriched by friends - a circle we are blessed with a nearly infinite opportunity to grow. Members of St I's Conference graciously hosted this event which included continental breakfast hospitality and a generous dose of social time for Vincentians from throughout our Council. Huge thanks to all of our friends - new & old - who contributed to an inspiring, uplifting, and well-timed gathering in the midst of our Lenten journey. |
|
This Friday! Please use this link to RSVP in advance:
|
|
Archdiocese of Cincinnati Beacons of Light Initiative
-
Our Archdiocese continues to post fresh content at BeaconsAOC.org .
-
Our Archdiocese hosts monthly Beacons Roundtable Zoom gatherings on Tuesdays, 1:30-3pm. These gatherings are attracting priests, deacons, parish leaders, and passionate parishioners from throughout our Archdiocese. April's gathering on 4/26 is entitled Stewardship as a Way of Life. Future dates are 5/17 & 6/21. This is all part of Phase 0 - Warm-Up - of this Beacons of Light initiative. In this Phase 0, we are encouraged to pray, learn, and prepare. Phase 1 - Leadership - begins with the implementation on 7/1.
- Are you building enthusiasm for opportunities in your Family of Parishes?
|
|
We're Searching for a Volunteer Program Coordinator
We’re looking for an engaging and personable individual with a heart for service to share the mission of SVDP as our next Volunteer Program Coordinator. Do you or someone you know fit this description? Please help us find this vital team member. Here's the link to the posting on our website:
|
|
Referring Neighbors for our Council's
Centrally Administered Assistance Programs
TANF update: We have fully extended the TANF funding which was made available to us. We do not expect additional TANF funding before 2023. We will keep you posted as we learn more.
************
EPI update: We are nearing full extension of our current allotment of the City of Cincinnati's Eviction Prevention Initiative funding. We are still processing applications. And we do anticipate funding replenishment from the City; we are yet to determine if we will need to temporarily suspend extension of this assistance. More to come.
City of Cincinnati's Eviction Prevention Initiative (EPI) eligibility:
Neighbors must live in the City of Cincinnati and have formal notice of eviction proceedings
Vincentians who have connected with a neighbor whom they feel would be a good candidate for EPI should email our Call Center Coordinator, Muslimah Winbush, at [email protected] , with a referral. This email should consist of the following:
- Name of your Conference
- Full name of the neighbor you are referring
- Neighbor’s phone number
- Neighbor’s email address
Your email will ensure that we have proper documentation of the initial referral. Muslimah will then contact the neighbor to complete the request. If the neighbor cannot be reached by phone, the neighbor will be sent an email expressing that we have attempted to reach out to them and that if they are still in need of the assistance, they would need to call Muslimah directly. Once the request form has been completed, Muslimah will send an email to the Vincentian who made the referral confirming that the request form has been submitted for review. Please do not ask the neighbors to call Muslimah directly unless they are returning her call.
Please understand that we do not have the resources to extend assistance to every eligible neighbor and manage expectations accordingly. Selections are made from all eligible request forms (including neighbors who do & do not reside in Conference footprints) submitted in a given week; request forms are not carried over from week to week, but a neighbor who was not selected can be resubmitted.
As we are experiencing, availability of assistance through these funded programs is fluid. We will continue to pass along new developments so you can adjust your approach - and manage expectations - accordingly.
|
|
Summer Heat Relief
We will again be providing fans and air conditioners to eligible neighbors throughout our District Council's footprint. The program will officially begin on Mon, May 2. More information will be coming in April about who is eligible and how neighbors can request this assistance.
|
|
Our Thrift Stores are Eager for Your Furniture Donations
Demand for furniture (for voucher redemption and purchase) is currently exceeding the pace of donations we are receiving. Do you have surplus furniture you'd like to donate? Just call us @ 513.421.2273 (421-CARE) to make it happen. Thank you for repurposing this furniture with someone who will truly value it.
|
|
Cooking Improv with La Soupe
Our Catino Choice Food Pantry is partnering with La Soupe to present monthly Cooking Improv demonstrations in the Teaching Kitchen at our Neyer Outreach Center. Instructors from La Soupe will teach participants basic cooking principles and how to use what you have to create delicious, nutritious meals. The demonstrations will be on the first Wednesday of every month, 11am-1pm. The demos last 15-20 minutes and will be presented continuously during this time frame. Each demonstration will be limited to seven participants.
Our next event is this coming Wed, 4/6. No pre-registration is required. Feel free to share this information with your neighbors, or if you’re interested in getting involved in our Teaching Kitchen programming, please reach out to Demi Schoenherr at [email protected] for more information.
|
|
CMS is Your Tool!
-
36 Conferences have implemented CMS and are benefitting from its functionality
-
9 Conferences have onboarded since June, 2021
- Our St Cecilia Conference implemented on 3/1/2022! Who's next?
- CMS will deliver its greatest value to you, your fellow Vincentians, and your neighbors when ALL of our Conferences are on board
Bottom-line: This tool helps you better engage and lift your neighbors. And it will help us better attract resources to assist these same neighbors experiencing need. Join fellow Vincentians & Conferences and make this leap forward now!
CMS help sessions are available by appointment. Please contact John Wessel at [email protected] or 513.562.1823 to schedule a session, which can be for groups or individuals.
If prompted for a password, enter “ member ”, all lower case and without the quotation marks.
|
|
Looking for a Little Spring Refresh?
SVDP logo attire provides simple, attractive visibility of your Vincentian vocation. It just might give someone a nudge or start a conversation that leads another soul to the gift of "faith lived"...or a donation to fuel your Conference's good works.
|
|
More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors
Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)
We extended $54,287 in Feb for an FY2022 YTD (5 months) total CAF assistance of $292,009.
March activity through Tues, 3/29:
-
You've submitted 159 applications
-
We've approved 170 applications - approx $71,500 in assistance
- 2 applications were withdrawn; 2 were declined
-
We currently have 16 applications in progress toward approval
Sharing uplifting news: 2 Conferences have generously twinned available funds to augment our CAF resources in the last 30 days. Thanks to this twinning, we have been able to continue to extend CAF throughout this, our most active month since March, 2021. And thanks to you for submitting quality applications, to our volunteers who are processing these applications so promptly, and to Olivia for her positive get 'er done presence. As has been our recently repeated message, we encourage you to fully consider our neighbor's situation and other resources which could be deployed as you discern a request for CAF assistance. This is particularly applicable to neighbor situations where the total $ required exceeds the sum of the assistance you can assemble - and please remember there are other programs available in our community which have provisions for much higher assistance caps. If you are contemplating extending CAF assistance as a more-immediate bridge due to extended turnaround times for other publicly-funded community programs, please make sure our neighbor is in the queue for these other programs to which they should be eligible. Advocate for & with our neighbor to seek these community resources!
Our Charitable Pharmacy is Still Providing COVID Vaccinations
Want more info? Our Charitable Pharmacy staff is available to answer any questions. You can contact Dr. Rusty Curington at [email protected] and a Pharmacy team member will respond.
Our Re-Entry Program
Our Re-Entry Program is eager to work with neighbors you are serving who have been affected by the criminal justice system. This includes individuals who are currently incarcerated or have been incarcerated in the past; it also includes people who have had interactions with the criminal justice system but have not been incarcerated. It can also include neighbors who have a family member who falls into one of these categories. If you are serving a neighbor who may benefit from these services, which include:
- Direct assistance, including rent, utility, and other basic needs assistance
- Referrals to employment and housing resources
- Case management
- Advice related to expungement and child support issues
Please refer them to our Re-Entry Program Manager, Dion Crockett. Dion can be reached at 513.562.8851 or at [email protected] . You may contact Dion directly or you may share his contact information with the neighbor so that they may contact him.
Dion is also eager to connect with our Conferences. if you would like to host Dion at a Conference meeting or get together with him in another way, please reach out to him.
Rahe Beds Fund & Program
Please send your April bed requests (up to 5 beds per Conference) to Gabby at [email protected] by Tues, 4/5.
If your Conference is considering purchasing beds to extend as assistance, you can get info, including current pricing, or purchase by contacting Dave Chidlow, Stores Retail Resource Manager, at [email protected] or 513.853.1002. Your purchased beds will be picked up at our CHRC within our Liz Carter Center.
The following has been running for weeks now...and, candidly, we're surprised the demand hasn't been more brisk: We still have a limited number of cribs & pack ‘n’ plays available for neighbors with children too young for beds (under age two). These do not count against the limit of two Rahe beds per household per lifetime. If you have a neighbor who is in need of a crib or pack ‘n’ play, please contact Gabby. We will provide the neighbor with a voucher that can be redeemed at our CHRC.
Do you have questions about our Rahe Beds Fund & Program?
Please click on this link Bed Program Conference Guide to review our most current information, which includes some updates to the way beds assistance should be entered in CMS.
Education Center Within Our Neyer Outreach Center
Our NOC Education Center is available for neighbors to use during our operating hours: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4pm, and Saturday, 8am - noon.
Christ Church Plumb Line
Olivia Scheper, Conferences Support Coordinator, is our central contact point-person. Plumb Line only accepts assistance referrals from this single SVDP point-person.
As a reminder, Plumb Line can assist with $400 of past due rent for neighbors who are currently working.
All referrals to Plumb Line should now be sent to:
Olivia Scheper
Phone: 513.345.4986, ext 239
Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW)
GCWW kicked off a new Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program in December. This program provides funds for GCWW utility assistance for eligible tenants residing in the City of Cincinnati. The funds will pay water, sewer, and stormwater charges. Any accrued charges during March 2020 (the start of the pandemic) or after are eligible to be paid with these funds.
Tenants must qualify by completing an online application at assistance.mygcww.org and certifying that their household income is at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).
If eligible neighbors have balances prior to March 2020, those charges will not be paid with these funds. However, neighbors can enroll in a flexible payment plan through the PromisePay Portal. GCWW customers can visit GCWW.promise-pay.com for details about the program and how to enroll. Customers who have paid their accounts and/or have an active payment plan on their GCWW account(s) and keep up with their current charges will be removed from the delinquency/shutoff process.
At this time, the delinquency/shutoff process may resume this Fri, 4/1/2022.
-
Apply Today! Tenants residing in the City of Cincinnati can access the ERA Application at assistance.mygcww.org . Renters can also call 513.591.7700 to receive assistance from the call center to complete an application.
-
Renters not residing in Cincinnati city limits but living in Hamilton County can visit https://erap.hcjfs.org/ for utility assistance.
If you need additional materials or information, please contact GCWW at [email protected] .
Duke Energy
For questions on accounts or pledges for neighbors requesting utility assistance, please contact Duke Energy's Centralized Agency Team at 800.241.3194. Advocates are currently available Monday through Friday, 7:30am - 5:30pm.
Seasonal developments:
-
The Winter Reconnect Order went into effect on 10/18 and runs through 4/15/2022 - closure to this seasonal window is approx 2 weeks away
- The HEAP Winter Crisis Program began on 11/1/2021
- Find more info at energyhelp.ohio.gov
-
Duke Energy has provided a series of toolkits to help their customers. We have posted these resources to our website; you'll find the webpage at this link: https://www.svdpcincinnati.org/2021/12/20/winter-utility-bill-resources-for-neighbors/ We will continue to update this page as we receive additional content.
City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County COVID Assistance
There is still a substantial sum of COVID federal economic recovery & relief emergency funding available in our area. If you encounter a neighbor who has experienced financial hardship due to COVID, please refer them to https://513relief.org .
Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation (CEIF) Vision Clinic in our Neyer Outreach Center
The Vision Clinic operates by appointment on certain Thursdays as designated by CEIF. Our Vision Clinic is open, 8:30am - 3pm, tomorrow and all 4 Thursdays in April. A limited number of walk-in exams can also be accommodated. To schedule an appointment, or to inquire for additional info, please call 513.207.6140.
|
|
Call to Prayer
Jesus, model of compassion and kindness,
free our hearts from unkind judgment of others.
Jesus, model of meekness and mildness,
make us meek and humble of heart.
Jesus, model of forgiveness and mercy,
open our hearts to all people.
Amen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
