Conference News and Notes

for Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Sent to all Vincentians & Staff

Vincentian Reflection for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 2, 2022

Gospel: (Luke 17:5-10) The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “…Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending the sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”

Reflection: The apostles’ request of Jesus to “increase (their) faith” is made in the face of the seemingly impossible demands of discipleship. Jesus answers by illustrating what faithful discipleship looks like. The servant has been laboring all day in the field, but more is yet to be done. The work of the disciples is never completed. Discipleship is never-ending. To be a disciple means to be a servant. Here faith means faithfulness, that is, faithfulness in service. The faith-filled person puts in an honest day’s work. That person is gracious to those with whom he or she comes in contact. That person is ready to reach out and help another, even beyond one’s own workload. That person does not judge or condemn others. The faith-filled person sees Jesus in the other and responds to the situation with Jesus’ love and mercy. Faith is faithfulness in action. (Living Liturgy, p.220)

Vincentian Meditation: We are called to be servants of the poor. And mercy, says Vincent, is the “proper attribute of God himself.” Mercy is a facet of charity that calls us first to identify in spirit with the other person. For instance, St. Vincent tells us, “To be compassionate toward the sufferings of our neighbor and to weep with him…to soften our hearts and to render them responsive to their sufferings and miseries.” Indeed, “love gains for us an entrance into the hearts of others.” Mercy calls as well for outward signs or gestures. As St. Vincent observed, “Heart and hand should go together as far as possible.” Consequently, he urges, “Weep with your poor and your sick. God has appointed you to be their consolation…Serve the poor with gentleness, compassion, and love.” (Melito, St. Vincent de Paul “Windows on His Vision”, p. 139)

Our Society's founders were brilliant to emphasize a balance of faith, friendship, & service in our vocation. Is our Vincentian service filled with mercy, where heart and hand go together?

Fall Fellowship 2022

Just 2 days before the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, over one hundred of us gathered at Saint Ursula Academy this past Sunday morning, 9/25, for our annual Fall Fellowship Mass, Awards Ceremony, and Reception. Simply a beautiful celebration of our Society's heritage & legacy; our Vincentian vocation; and all who have answered the call to walk in hopeful solidarity with our neighbors now. Highlights included:

Commissioning of our new Conference Presidents

• Gwen Dukes, St. Joseph, West End
• Jim DeSalvo, Our Lady of the Rosary/St. Matthias
• Jennifer Mansfield, St. Gertrude
• Sue Meyer, Cathedral/St. Xavier
• Barbara Schwallie, Holy Trinity

Commissioning of our new Vincentian Volunteers of Cincinnati (pictured below with Mike Dunn, Executive Director)

• Phuong Phan
• Madi Eftink
• Samuel Newton

Recognition of 22 Vincentians celebrating special membership anniversaries in 2022, led in duration by Paul Blom, St. James of the Valley Conference - 65 years, and Gary Ott, St. Dominic Conference - 55 years!

Presentation to our inspiring honorees of our 3 major awards

• Fires of Faith Award to Larry Hurley, President of St. Antoninus Conference, as nominated and introduced by Michael Gideon, Treasurer of St. Antoninus Conference
• Ozanam Award to Bill Kuebler, Friend of St. Ann Conference, as nominated and introduced by Steve Lang, President of St. Ann Conference
• Top Hat Award to Jane Weber, Treasurer of Our Lady of the Rosary/St. Matthias Conference, as nominated and introduced by Kathy Nienaber, Secretary of Our Lady of the Rosary/St. Matthias Conference

With gratitude to all who came together to share faith, friendship, and service, we offer special thanks to

• Fr. Nathan Wendt, S.J., for presiding at our liturgy
• Debi Schwartz, our Archdiocesan Council President & member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Conference, And Alison Zlatic, our Cincinnati District Council President & member of Nativity Conference, for their presence & faith-filled servant leadership
• Mike Dunn, our Executive Director, and Sunnie Johnson-Lain, our Senior Director  of Services, for their guidance
• Aggie & Fred Brackmann, Jenny Stein, & Bob Wilhelm, for the gift of their music
• Andrea Brunsman & Saint Ursula Academy for hosting us 
• Chris Kelley, our Formation and Service Learning Director, for planning this event, and all who contributed

Our External Relations Team has posted many more pictures; link to come.

Your Formation and Training Opportunities & Tips

Walking with our Neighbors – Next Wednesday, 10/5, 6-8pm, at our Ozanam Center (1125 Bank Street) - Every day we encounter many of our neighbors in need and wonder how we can better help them; we look for ways to help bring about a sense of systemic change in their life which will one day lead to them no longer needing us as a support. Join us for a discussion on how we can identify neighbors ready for these kinds of changes and explore different ways to accompany them as Vincentians at these crucial moments, in a safe yet thoughtful way which helps them to truly flourish. To sign-up for this event, please use this link for our Signup Genius.

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First Friday Fellowship – Next Friday, 10/7, noon-1pm, via Zoom; This month’s topic: Faithful Citizenship – Join us as we look at the various ways we are called by our faith, and our Vincentian life, to be a presence of Christ’s peace, unity, and most of all, His love in the world today – focusing especially on our communities and nation in these difficult times. To participate, you may click on this link at the time for joining the meeting . The Meeting ID is: 898 9553 7287  and the password is: 291833. If you wish to receive a separate reminder email the day before or morning of, please sign up on our Signup Genius page here .

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Exploring Poverty opportunities – You have two October Workshops - come discover the dynamics related to experiences of poverty and how our experiences can shape not only our minds, but also our interactions and the society around us.

• The first opportunity is being hosted by our St. Gertrude Conference for all in their parish community, as well as fellow Vincentians or others who may wish to learn more, next Saturday, 10/8, 9:30am-12:30pm; light refreshments are provided; to signup for this offering, please click on this link and register through Signup Genius.
• The second opportunity will be hosted at our Ozanam Center (1125 Bank Street) on Tuesday, 10/25, 5:30-8:30pm; to signup for this offering, please click here for the signup genius .

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Chris Kelley, our Formation and Service Learning Director, can be reached at 513.345.1767 or ckelley@svdpcincinnati.org .

Upcoming Resource Spotlights

Please note the following, available to you to participate virtually via Zoom:

Tomorrow (Thursday, 9/29), 11am-noon: ERA 2 (assistance for eligible neighbors residing in the City of Cincinnati); Please use this link when ready to join this Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83548112482?pwd=aSt0c3pwODJhM1NpYWR2NUZmdE8xdz09

Meeting ID: 835 4811 2482

Passcode: 004279

Wednesday, 10/19, 3-4pm: SVDP Beds Assistance, including our Rahe Beds Program; Please use this link when ready to join this Zoom meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83354481477?pwd=QW0xNElHWFNHMEhYeTJGa3JKcFlzQT09

Meeting ID: 833 5448 1477

Passcode: 139292 

RetroFittings Tickets Are On Sale!

For the first time since 2019, RetroFittings will return to the stage at Cincinnati Music Hall on Thursday evening, 10/20/2022. Students from the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP fashion program transform items found at our St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores into runway fashion. The theme of this year’s fashion show will be Hues of Hope. RetroFittings will also include an exclusive boutique featuring upscale items from our thrift stores, silent and live auctions, drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and (of course) good company. Proceeds from this event benefit St. Vincent de Paul – proving a good cause never goes out of style! Secure your ticket at this link: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/Retro2022

Holiday Programs - Application Period Begins This Coming Monday

The holidays are just around the corner and our online application window for Christmas gift assistance will open on Monday, October 3. The online request form will be available at SVDPcincinnati.org/holidays . Link will go live on 10/3. Those without access to the internet are welcome to use the computers in the NOC Education Center to complete the request.

Welcome Room Volunteers Needed

Are you looking for an additional way to live out your Vincentian calling? Do you have one morning or afternoon a week to share? Our Neyer Outreach Center (NOC) is actively looking for more Welcome Room Volunteers any day of the week to serve our neighbors.

Welcome Rooms are intended to replicate the Home Visit experience – Volunteers meet with neighbors, assess assistance needs, and offer to pray with our neighbors.

It’s a great opportunity for couples, friends, or anyone who wants to get better with CMS!

Please contact Dayna Boyle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at 513.345.4982 or dboyle@svdpcincinnati.org for more details!

Highlights From our 2022 National St. Vincent de Paul Annual Assembly

Members of the SVDP-Cincinnati team recently attended St. Vincent de Paul’s Annual Assembly, which was held in Baltimore this year. Over 800 Vincentians from around the US gathered for four days of training and formation, meetings, fellowship, and prayer. This gathering, held in late summer each year, is a wonderful opportunity to meet and learn from Vincentians and SVDP staff from Councils around the country and to reaffirm our commitment to our shared vocation. 

A particular highlight of the gathering was a talk given by St. Vincent de Paul’s National Episcopal Advisor, Bishop Donald J. Hying, who shared three points for reflection: 

• The mystery of our call to be Vincentians: what is it about you—your gifts, your passions, and your story—that makes you uniquely called and suited to be a Vincentian? 
• Vincentians are ministers of reconciliation: in a polarized world, Vincentians are called to be uniters and healers of people
• God’s abundance is for everyone: we are sent out into the world to narrow the gap between heaven and earth; we are to serve from a posture of abundance and generosity rather than fear and scarcity

Videos of many of the sessions are available for viewing at https://vimeo.com/showcase/9774133 . 

We encourage you to set aside time to attend next year’s Annual Assembly, which will be held on September 2-6 in St. Louis, the home of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the US. We promise that you will come away, as we did, full of renewed zeal for the gift of Vincentian life! 

Get to Know the Candidates for SVDP’s Next National President

Every six years, St. Vincent de Paul members around the US elect a new National President. The role of the US President is a critical one, as this person represents SVDP USA at the international level, and determines the focus and activity for our Society during their term. Our next President will take office on October 1, 2023. We have two talented Vincentians who have been nominated for this election-- John Barry and Brian Burgess. You can view each candidate’s Annual Assembly speech at https://vimeo.com/showcase/9816867 . Stay tuned for more information on the election process as it unfolds.

The Home Visit, on the Day after the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul:

Is it Time to Come Home?

The home visit, as practiced by St Vincent de Paul himself long before our Society came into existence, and by Blessed Frederic Ozanam and his contemporaries at the genesis of our Society, remains the differentiating element of our Vincentian vocation among numerous ministries and service organizations. We are overjoyed to see so many Cincinnati Vincentians re-engaging with our neighbors in this interaction - so personal, so mutually lifting.  

Upcoming Temporary Disruptions of our NOC Services

• Today (Wed, 9/28) - Our NOC and all normal services offered within will close at 2pm for a special function and re-open Thurs, 9/29, 8am.
• This Fri, 9/30 - Due to fiscal year-end inventory tasks, our Catino Choice Food Pantry will be closed all day and our Charitable Pharmacy will be open for pick-ups only. Our NOC will be open and other services will be available as usual. Both our Catino Choice Food Pantry and Charitable Pharmacy will re-open for normal services on Sat, 10/1, 8am.

New Language Service Available to our Conferences

A growing number of our Conferences are experiencing increased interactions with Latino members of our community…and are struggling to effectively communicate with neighbors who are most fluent or exclusively fluent in Spanish. We have contracted a dedicated language service to help you engage these neighbors in a welcoming, affirming manner. Any Conference member can download the “LanguageLine InSight” app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer at https://insight.languageline.com/ . You simply need to use the Authentication Code 6NN692GLS2 the first time you login. Through this app you will have access to over 40 different languages, including Spanish, via an interpreter. You will have the option of either audio or visual (for those needing sign language); we strongly encourage using visual only when you must. Please be efficient in your utilization as our Council pays by the minute for this service; visual is nearly twice as expensive as audio. When you access the service, you will be asked for your name and department, you simply need to state your name, then “St Vincent de Paul Cincinnati Conferences”, then your Conference name. Be sure to only call through the app; you cannot use this service through a regular phone call.

A testimonial from within our Council, "We actually just gave the line a call, figured trying it out would be the best way to know. It was very easy. You login and just select the language, then immediately it connects you with an interpreter who can add the other person to the call. It’s all through the app, very quick, very easy."

Our Charitable Pharmacy and Social Services are already using this tool to engage our Latino neighbors.

If you have any questions or are having trouble accessing the service, please reach out to Alec or Olivia of your Conferences Support Team.

A final seed to plant: If your Conference is among those engaging more neighbors preferring or needing to communicate in Spanish, please consider this an opportunity to seek the addition of Spanish-speaking members. This could enhance your responsive communication and expand your Conference’s perspective.

You Deserve a Breather...

You've given so much in this SVDP year which ends this Friday, 9/30, so we'll keep this really brief...

Our FY2023 begins this Saturday, 10/1, and our holidays season will quickly be upon us.

Our opportunities abound:

• How will your Conference and you embrace Beacons of Light to radiate Christ and evangelize - in action and in word - for all those you touch?
• Have you joined your fellow Conferences & Vincentians in utilizing CMS to do good even better? All of our Conferences - and our neighbors - will benefit when all of our Conferences are sharing the empowering knowledge we are capturing in CMS.
• How will you share joy & hope with those you love best and those who hunger for love this Christmas season? Make it memorable.
• To whom will you extend a personal invitation to experience this Vincentian vocation? 

God bless. Be safe. Feel good. We're here for you.

More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors

Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)  

We, together, have extended $740,192 in total FY2022 CAF assistance for the 11 months ended 8/31/2022, including $79,960 to 189 households in August.

September activity to-date:

• You've submitted 185 fresh applications
• We've already approved 180 applications
• You've withdrawn 4 applications;  we've declined 3 applications
• We have 88 applications currently in-process

We had fully extended our augmented September funding of $80,000 by late last week; we have therefore temporarily suspended approvals until Monday, 10/3, when our new FY2023 monthly CAF funding of $60,000 from our Cincinnati Council is available. We will be able to extend this $60,000 per month plus any twinning to CAF from fellow Conferences. If your Conference is currently blessed with funds exceeding 2-3 months of your normal operating outflow, please know that we have fellow Conferences in search of funds to invest in lifting neighbors right now. We invite your Conference to discern if twinning is your best available act of faithful stewardship.

Please expect that we will be implementing adjustments to our CAF model to more closely align your/our flow of applications with available funding.

While our CAF exists to be extended to your/our neighbors, please also seize opportunities to help our neighbors experiencing need to access governmental programs for which they may qualify and other publicly- and privately-funded assistance resources. This is particularly relevant for neighbors navigating chronic budgetary shortfalls. Examples include SNAP, SSDI, and the OWF & PRC programs administered by Hamilton County Job and Family Services ("JFS").

Finally, we remind you that your Conference must be utilizing CMS to access CAF for your/our neighbors effective this Monday, 10/3/2022. Each CAF application submitted should have a CMS case #. Why? CMS, as now used by the majority of our Conferences, is proving to be an extremely useful tool to do our good works better.  

Publicly-Funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA 1 & 2)

We have now processed and extended all the ERA 1 (Hamilton County) applications we could in collaboration with CAA. We no longer have access to ERA funds for Hamilton County residents living outside the City of Cincinnati. We were able to transfer certain applications for City of Cincinnati residents to ERA 2, funded through the City of Cincinnati. As of today, we have approved 5 ERA 2 applications and have 6 more in progress. This ERA 2 program should be available to December, 2022 and we are readily accepting ERA 2 applications from your neighbor and you for qualified City of Cincinnati residents. Want to learn more? Please note the Resource Spotlight tomorrow (Thurs, 9/29), promoted earlier in this edition.

Rahe Beds Fund & Program

The October bed request window will be open October 1-5, and each Conference may submit up to six bed requests using the online request form .

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 dchidlow@svdpcincinnati.org or 513.853.1002. Your purchased beds will be picked up at our CHRC within our Liz Carter Center. Please be aware that our beds cost and resale pricing have risen significantly.

We still have 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 one, please contact Phuong at rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org . 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?

You can find the most updated Bed Fund Conference Guide in the Members section of the SVDP website. You are also welcome to join us on Wednesday, 10/19, 3-4pm, for a Beds Assistance Resource Spotlight. (Zoom information found earlier in this edition).

Metro Bus Passes (Everybody Rides Metro)

Your Conference has access to Metro bus passes to be extended to neighbors for use for any of 3 defined purposes:

1. Commute to/from new employment
2. Commute to/from our Bank St services hub or other community social services
3. Commute to/from medical appointments

Please understand that these passes are sourced through the Everybody Rides Metro program and our Council is required to comply with the above-referenced usages and submit reports of passes distributed. Please also understand that your Conference will need to record bus passes extended in CMS for the neighbors receiving this assistance. Our Bus Pass Guidelines sheet for Conferences is available to you on the Members Support page of our website https://www.svdpcincinnati.org/conferences-members/member-support/

or use this link to go directly to this document

https://www.svdpcincinnati.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Bus-Tickets-Policy.pdf

If your Conference wants to learn more about this program or request passes, please contact Alec Jewell, Conferences Manager, at ajewell@svdpcincinnati.org or 513.345.4983.

Our Re-Entry Program

Our Re-Entry Program Manager, Dion Crockett, is eager to work with you to assist neighbors you are serving who have been affected by the criminal justice system. If you would like to host Dion at a Conference meeting, get together with him in another way, or discuss a particular situation, Dion can be reached at 513.562.8851 or dcrockett@svdpcincinnati.org . 

Cooking Improv with La Soupe

Our partner La Soupe teams with our Catino Choice Pantry to present monthly Cooking Improv demonstrations in the Teaching Kitchen at our NOC. Instructors from La Soupe and volunteers engage participants on basic cooking principles and how to use what you have to create delicious, nutritious meals. All recipes are based off ingredients found daily in our Catino Choice Pantry. Neighbors are encouraged to sample the delicious dishes and discuss preparation and ingredients with our staff, volunteers, and resident La Soupe instructor, Chef Mona! 

These sessions are held on the first Wednesday of each month. The next event is Wednesday, 10/5, 11am-1pm. 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 dschoenherr@svdpcincinnati.org for more information. ​

Haircuts from the Heart in our NOC

This is a free haircut program, courtesy of our partner Franciscan Ministries. Stylist Margarita will be in our NOC on the first and second Monday of each month, 9am-noon, cutting hair in a room on the 2nd floor. This coming Monday, 10/3, is the next date she will be here. Neighbors are accepted on a walk-in basis, and should sign in at our NOC reception desk upon arrival.

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.

Please note: Your Conference does not need to enter your request for Plumb Line assistance into CMS when you submit it to Olivia. Olivia will add the referral into CMS once she submits it to Christ Church.   

All referrals to Plumb Line should be sent to:

Olivia Scheper

oscheper@svdpcincinnati.org

Phone: 513.345.4986, ext 239

Please understand and have faith: Plumb Line only communicates with the landlord and the neighbor after our referral is made. Therefore, once we have submitted your neighbor referral to Plumb Line, no news is good news. Christ Church will only communicate with us when they are unable to assist a neighbor or there are difficulties with a case. We should not contact Christ Church for status reports on a referral.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW)

GCWW's Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program provides funds for assistance for eligible tenants residing in the City of Cincinnati. There are eligibility stipulations. Tenants must qualify by completing an online application at assistance.mygcww.org .

Renters can also call 513.591.7700 to receive assistance from the call center to complete an application. There is also 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. 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 GCWWCares@gcww.cincinnati-oh.gov .

Duke Energy

The combination of high temperatures and elevated fuel prices has impacted summer bills.

Duke Energy has resumed standard billing and credit policies, including disconnections for non-payment.

Duke encourages us to follow our standard steps for processing pledges on customer accounts. 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.

Duke also encourages us to direct customers to their helpful fact sheets to find programs, tips and tools. Should a customer not meet their qualifications for assistance, please refer them to Duke's customer care organization at 800.544.6900 where they may find assistance through a flexible installment plan.

State of Ohio Program for Struggling Homeowners

Save the Dream Ohio helps eligible Ohio homeowners facing foreclosure and/or who cannot afford to pay their mortgage payments, utility payments or other related housing costs as a result of economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of Ohio was awarded $280 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the program. Click here for more information:

Save the Dream Ohio - Managed by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (ohiohome.org)

City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County COVID Assistance

Our neighbors & you can still find info and resources at https://513relief.org .

Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation (CEIF) Vision Clinic in our Neyer Outreach Center

The Vision Clinic operates by appointment on certain Monday mornings & Thursdays as designated by CEIF. Our Vision Clinic is open tomorrow (Thurs, 9/29), 8:30am - 3pm. 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

Lord, increase our faith,

give us compassionate hearts filled with mercy.

Lord, give us the grace to weep with those we serve,

forgive us the times when we judged or condemned them.

Lord, may we bring consolation to those who are suffering,

may our heart and hand always go together.

Amen.