Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
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Vincentian Reflection for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 17, 2022
Gospel: (Luke 10:38-42) Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Reflection: Martha’s hospitality was made edgy because of her becoming burdened with the cooking and serving. Martha is settling to be a servant where Jesus is looking for disciples. Mary’s hospitality was gracious because she focused her attention on Jesus: “she sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.” The surprise is that Jesus affirms that the “better part” is to sit and listen - both metaphors for discipleship. The “better part” is to be a disciple! Before we can carry on the mission of Jesus as disciples, we must become disciples by sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him. Practically speaking, this means being attentive to the Scriptures during Mass. It also means taking the time to be with Jesus in prayer - not just saying prayers but being quiet and listening to how Jesus speaks to our hearts. (Living Liturgy, p.176)
Vincentian Meditation: “Have you noticed that there is no rejection of Martha, no suggestion that she should not have been engaged in preparing the meal? Jesus merely underlines a truth that St. Luke records earlier, namely, that they are blessed who hear the word of God and keep it. He is putting emphasis on a sense of attention to the word of God, if we are to offer that service to others which is the fulfillment of the second great commandment of the law. Hearing the word of God in prayer through reflection is a condition for true selfless loving service of the body of Christ.” (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p. 298)
In our Conference, how can we become better disciples, more like Mary?
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Leadership Announcement
SVDP is announcing publicly today that Mike Dunn, Executive Director, will be stepping down from his position on December 31, 2022, to pursue another professional opportunity.
A committee comprised of members of the Board of Directors and a SVDP staff member has been formed to conduct a national search for SVDP’s next Executive Director. Local executive search firm, Gilman Partners, will facilitate the search. The search committee plans to hire the new Executive Director by November to allow for overlap with Mike to support a seamless transition. Like Mike, the search committee is committed to finding a new Executive Director who both believes in and models our Vincentian spirituality and has a strong vision for our next phase of service as Vincentians. Our new Executive Director will have the opportunity to influence our next strategic plan to go into effect October 1, 2023 and help ensure we have the resources and support needed to continue to grow in our spirituality and respond to the needs of our neighbors.
Alison Zlatic, SVDP District Council President and Vincentian at Nativity, will be leading this search process. She can be reached at alisonzlatic@gmail.com should you have questions throughout the process.
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Your Formation and Training Opportunities & Tips
How do we serve? A simple question, yet the truth is we often focus more on the material support we provide without realizing the deep impact someone can have by simply being present and speaking with another. There is no gift of charity foreign to us, which is why the way we approach a neighbor is as varied as the neighbors themselves; we can just as easily visit hospitals and the homebound, or drive a parishioner to Mass on Sunday, as much as we can assist someone with a check for their rent or bring a bag of food. The Manual (p.24-26) offers many insights on ways we can accompany and serve our neighbors, making Christ’s presence known in an individual and communal way, and these varied approaches are a great means to broaden our outreach, inviting the wider community into our work.
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Updating of Spiritual Advisor Listings: Thank you to those Conference Presidents/Spiritual Advisors who have reached out so far in updating our listing. If you have not done so, please email Chris Kelley with the name and preferred email address of the current Spiritual Advisor for your Conference.
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Publicly-Funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA1)
We are now able to extend ERA assistance - working in conjunction with Community Action Agency (CAA) who has been extending assistance through this program for months. Our Council will be extending this assistance to selected, eligible Hamilton County residents until 9/30/2022. As you may be familiar, this deeply-funded program can provide substantial rent & utilities assistance for neighbors who have been directly or indirectly impacted by COVID. Your Conference & you have the opportunity to identify neighbors who are eligible prospective recipients and actively participate in the process leading to assistance extended. Given the short window we have access to ERA1, we are intent upon expediently ramping up. This program does have mandated specs and significant documentation requirements.
Over 30 Vincentians participated in our Resource Spotlight - ERA1 for Conferences - via Zoom this past Thurs, 7/7. For those who could not join us - and for ongoing reference for all - we have posted links to the recording of this Zoom session, the embedded PowerPoint presentation, and other relevant documents to our SVDP Cincinnati website. Go to Members page, then click on the Learn More tab under Member Support & Forms. If prompted for a password, enter: member . You can also reach out to Olivia Scheper & Alec Jewell of our Conferences Support team for further clarity. Finally, please reach out to Olivia if you are interested in volunteering to help process applications.
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Archdiocese of Cincinnati Beacons of Light Initiative
Yes, Beacons of Light went "live" on Fri, 7/1. Many of you have now met your new pastor.
We encourage you to seize this opportunity for your Conference and you to:
- Connect with fellow Vincentians within your Family of Parishes
- Nurture relationship with your Family of Parishes pastor and parochial vicars
- Participate in the leadership process as your Family of Parishes creates and realizes your collective vision of vibrant parish life
- Partake in determining how your Conference is best positioned to live this Vincentian vocation for your members, Family of Parishes, neighbors, & community
- Attract potential Vincentians to join you in this vocation - for today and a multitude of tomorrows
Is this a part of what your Conference is exploring this month?
You can learn more about Beacons as our Archdiocese continues to post fresh content at BeaconsAOC.org , including the Pathway Platform to guide our journey.
Vincentians embracing their new Family of Parishes: This past Saturday evening, members of St Boniface, St Joseph - West End, and Holy Family Conferences gathered at Holy Family Catholic Church in Price Hill to celebrate Mass together and then share food and socialize. Rich dialogue included the practices, aspirations, unifying similarities, and differentiated realities in which they live, serve & engage. Faith was prominent and connection blossomed. Plans are forming to serve together on an upcoming day...to come back together for Mass at 1 of the other worship spaces within their Family of Parishes...and to include their pastor in their newly expanded circle of friends. Onward!
Your Conferences Support team is eager to navigate Beacons of Light with you. Living our faith - together - is a vital element of this revitalization of our Catholic Church.
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Our 2022 Vincentian Member Survey
Our heartfelt thanks to 181 Vincentians who shared their perspective while our survey was open 6/1 to 7/5. We have now embraced the next phase of our survey: summarizing and interpreting your input. Our Conference Life Committee will be vetting your survey responses and envisioning next steps, including communications, at their quarterly meeting tomorrow - Thurs, 7/14.
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Opportunity: We're Searching for a Giving Officer
Our External Relations team is currently hiring a full-time Giving Officer. This role manages relationships with a number of SVDP donors, finding ways to engage these folks in our mission and securing their support for our programs and services. The ideal candidate is goal-oriented, enjoys building meaningful relationships, and is a strong communicator. The full role description can be found here. If you are interested in learning more about this role or know someone who may be a good fit, please contact Daniel Flynn.
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Prescription Fore Fun to Benefit our Charitable Pharmacy |
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All proceeds benefit our Deaconess Health Check/ Charitable Pharmacy, the only pharmacy in Southwest Ohio dedicated to providing free medication and professional pharmaceutical care to people in need from Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties.
Our Charitable Pharmacy is on pace to fill more than 70,000 free prescriptions again this year and continues to serve significantly more patients than prior to the pandemic.
Your critical support helps sustain and deepen our Charitable Pharmacy's life-saving services. For every $1 invested, the Charitable Pharmacy is able to dispense $11 worth of medication to its patients.
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Summer Heat Relief Program Update
Our AC waitlist is officially closed. We will continue to purchase and distribute ACs as our fundraising and sourcing empowers. We will contact neighbors currently on our waitlist if/when we are able to assist them.
We still have a supply of fans that we’re distributing on a walk-in basis at our NOC. Neighbors can request & receive a fan - in a single visit - during our normal operating hours. Once our current supply of fans (approximately 175 left) is exhausted, we will no longer be distributing fans. If you’d like to pick up a fan for a neighbor, please contact summerrelief@svdpcincinnati.org.
To-date, we have distributed 1,324 fans & 644 air conditioners. Pretty cool!
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Could Your Summertime Wardrobe Benefit from Some SVDP Wear?
Faith in action is always in style. Has there ever been a better time to increase you Vincentian visibility? Your choice to display your commitment to this vocation may lead to a conversation and attract others to share in our faith, friendship, and service. Our SVDP Apparel Site is just a click away: https://svdpcincinnati.itemorder.com/ . The site features clothing from t-shirts to more formal, as well as specialty items like insulated tumblers. Ordered items can be picked up for free at U Sports (7751 Five Mile Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45230) or delivered to your home for an additional delivery charge.
If you have any questions or your Conference wishes to place a bulk order, please contact Janice McGinnis, U Sports Account Manager, at 513-519-4203 or janicemcginnis@usports.biz .
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CMS Tips & Tricks
John Wessel, our Resource Analyst, has created a series of over 30 easily viewed and absorbed videos that are available to you 24/7 on our CMS Support Page, https://www.svdpcincinnati.org/cms-support-page/. Password, if you are prompted: member .
Our new quarter began 7/1. Reporting at quarter's end is a breeze for Conferences utilizing CMS. Find out for yourself!
Great news: Our Cathedral/St Xavier joint Conference implemented CMS on 7/1. St Dominic, St John the Baptist (Harrison), & St Saviour Conferences are committed to implementing on 8/1/2022! And we have more Conferences in our pipeline toward implementation...
and we have further enhancements of CMS on the way...
and John Wessel is creating new ways to harvest & present the data you are capturing in CMS.
Whether you are a current CMS user - or soon to be one - Help sessions are available! Please contact John at jwessel@SVDPcincinnati.org, or by phone at 513.562.1823 to schedule a group or individual session.
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Have You Noticed Enhancements to Our Website?
Here's one: Our Conference Locator Map has been expanded to include Conferences in our neighboring Hamilton & St Martin District Councils. Expect further enhancements.
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More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors
Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)
We, together, have extended $581,008 in total FY2022 CAF assistance for the 9 months ended 6/30/2022.
Our June activity was our heaviest since Jan, 2021:
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You submitted 208 applications
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We approved 180 applications; 3 were declined; and 1 was withdrawn
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We extended $78,885 in CAF assistance to these 180 households (we had to suspend approvals briefly from Tues, 6/28, until Fri, 7/1, as we approached the $80,000 of augmented CAF funding available for June)
Our July activity:
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You've submitted 60 applications
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We've approved 49 applications and 6 have been declined
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We currently have 48 applications in progress toward approval
- At this point, we have a total of $60,000 of July funding committed
The recent (last 4 months) pace of CAF submissions exceeds our existing funding commitment, which was temporarily increased to $60,000 per month. Our budget provisions for FY 2023 which begins 10/1 are nearing determination. More to come.
Please take note: As shared with all Conference Presidents in April, and revisited during our Conference Presidents Meeting, a Conference must be utilizing CMS to access CAF assistance effective our 10/1/2022 start to FY2023. While there are multiple reasons for this step forward, one of the most exciting is that we are actively seeking to fully integrate our CAF process - from application to assistance extended - within our CMS tool. This should deliver better visibility and efficacy for all.
We offer thanks to those Conferences & their donors who have recently twinned through CAF. We also appreciate the direct twinning activity between Conferences with surplus funds and those experiencing more need than the funding they organically attract. Thanks to our volunteers who are processing these applications so promptly, and to Olivia & Alec. We encourage you to fully consider our neighbor's situation and other resources - including community partners & programs and your Conference's own funds - 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 - including ERA cited earlier in this edition - which have provisions for much higher assistance caps.
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:
- Commute to/from new employment
- Commute to/from our Bank St services hub or other community social services
- 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 now 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
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 Charitable Pharmacy is Still Providing COVID Vaccinations
The CDC has recently released new guidance on boosters for those most susceptible to severe COVID complications. We have the Pfizer vaccine. Want more info? Our Charitable Pharmacy staff is available to answer any questions. You can contact Dr. Rusty Curington at rcurington@svdpcincinnati.org and a Pharmacy team member will respond.
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 .
Rahe Beds Fund & Program
All your bed requests submitted by 7/6 have been processed and placed in the mail (unless other arrangements were made with Gabby).
Our "new and improved" Conference bed request form which accommodates up to 6 requests is available on the member support and forms page of our website. Here is the direct link to the newly enhanced fillable form:
We will again be partnering with WCPO and Morris Home Furnishings for Morris’s Hope to Dream (formally Day to Dream) event. More information will be coming in mid-July, but we will be looking for children (ages 2-17) in need of a twin bed. If you come across any children who fit this description, you may want to hold onto their bed requests and instead submit adults for your July & August Rahe requests. Hope to Dream will occur at the end of August and participating children will receive their bed and a variety of goodies (including sheets, comforter, pillow, etc.) and have it delivered to their home.
A big "thank you" to Gabby, who has served as our bed program coordinator over the last 11 months. Gabby's time with us comes to a close this Fri, 7/15, as she concludes her VVC year of service. Please continue to send requests/questions to rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org - the email will be monitored by our Outreach Center Programs team until our new VVC cohort begins at the end of August.
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 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 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?
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.
SafeParish Training
St. Vincent de Paul takes seriously the safety of the children and vulnerable adults who we serve in our ministry. As a Catholic lay organization, we are required to adhere to Safeguarding standards that are consistent with those of our Archdiocese. If you engage with anyone under the age of 18 or with vulnerable adults as part of your work with SVDP, or if you have questions about whether you should complete this training, please reach out to Alec Jewell at ajewell@svdpcincinnati.org for more information on Safeguarding or to register for SafeParish training/background checks. We appreciate your efforts to ensure a safe environment for the neighbors who we serve.
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 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. The demonstrations are on the first Wednesday of every month, 11am-1pm. Neighbors are encouraged to sample the delicious dishes and discuss preparation and ingredients with our staff, volunteers, and resident La Soupe instructor Chef Mona!
The next event is Wed, 8/3. 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.
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 be sent to:
Olivia Scheper
Phone: 513.345.4986, ext 239
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 will impact summer bills.
Duke Energy recently implemented a new billing and payment system - and had suspended disconnections for nonpayment as they fine-tuned this new system. They have now advised that they have resumed standard billing and credit policies, including disconnections for non-payment. Customers may have begun receiving disconnection notifications and actual disconnections will begin taking place this month.
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 summer bills page and to these helpful fact sheets to find helpful 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.
Additional info on public assistance resources can be found at energyhelp.ohio.gov .
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:
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. Reduced availability for the month of July: Our Vision Clinic is next open on 7/28, 8:30am - 11am (no pm hours). 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.
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Call to Prayer
Lord, show us the way to be disciples who “sit and listen,”
Spirit of God, show us the way.
When we suffer with those who suffer,
Spirit of God, show us the way.
When we hear the cries of the hungry,
Spirit of God, show us the way.
When we meet the broken-hearted.
Spirit of God, show us the way.
Amen.
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