Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
Vincentian Reflection for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, February 6, 2022

Gospel: (Luke 5: 1-11) After he had finished speaking, Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing…when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him…Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Reflection: Jesus’ power manifested in the great catch of fish brings Peter to confess his sinfulness. But the story does not stop with the confession of unworthiness, but continues with Peter who then “left everything and followed him.” The appearance of God always reveals our own sinfulness, but God’s focus is elsewhere—on our call and our mission. God sees humanity as created to be good, as persons who can choose to respond to God’s call and fulfill the mission God gives. If we look for “large catches of fish” we will miss God’s message. The gospel invites us to look to the simple manifestations of holiness that indicate the presence of God, for example, in the generosity of so many volunteers, in the faithfulness of husbands and wives, in the unselfishness of parish workers, in the uncomplaining suffering of the sick, in the gracious wisdom of the elderly. The “ yes” response to our call is to imitate these good behaviors and by so doing we extend God’s reign. (Living Liturgy, p.54)

Vincentian Meditation: The holiness of St. Vincent and of each one of us in the last analysis is a gift of God. The holiness of a saint is a sharing in the holiness of God Himself, and we recognize holiness when we see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the life of a person. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p.316)

How have you seen the presence of God in the “simple manifestations of holiness” in those around you? And how has this inspired you?
Formation Opportunities & Events

February's First Friday Fellowship
We'll be hosting a virtual Black History Month Celebration, this Fri, 2/4, noon - 1pm. Though we annually hold this event in-person as a potluck, we will be gathering over Zoom this year. If you are interested in reading a poem, singing a song, sharing a story, etc, please let us know. We would love to have at least 3-5 folks sharing themselves as part of our celebration. All are welcome to join even if they feel called to participate without sharing.
To RSVP or volunteer to share, please email Formation@SVDPcincinnati.org .
Link to join our Zoom this Fri, 2/4, @ noon:
Stuffed Animals Available

A generous donor recently dropped off several bags of brand-new stuffed animals to the NOC and we’d like to share them with you. Want to lift a neighbor's spirits? Does your Conference have an Easter program? Would you like to bring stuffed animals to children during home visits? If your Conference could use any of these furry friends, please contact Demi at dschoenherr@svdpcincinnati.org . 
Referring Neighbors for potential TANF and EPI Assistance
(prominently repeated this week for emphasis)

In response to your feedback, we are taking steps to streamline the process for Vincentians to refer neighbors whom they feel would be good candidates for the Eviction Prevention Initiative (EPI) or Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF). You'll find more info on both of these publicly-funded assistance programs in the More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors section below. Available to you now: Vincentians who have connected with neighbors whom they feel would be a good candidate for either program should email our Call Center Coordinator, Muslimah Winbush, at mwinbush@svdpcincinnati.org , 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 were 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.
Since this is a new accommodation, your feedback is greatly appreciated. Our goal is to serve our Vincentians well, as you serve our neighbors well.
Cooking Improv with La Soupe

The 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, with the first one scheduled for today (Wed, 2/2), 11am-1pm. The demos will last 15-20 minutes and be presented continuously during this time frame. Each demonstration will be limited to seven participants. 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.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati Beacons of Light Initiative

We've rescheduled the meeting of our Conference Presidents, dedicated to Beacons of Light, to Sat morning, 3/19/2022, 9am - noon, site TBD. This is in recognition of the increase in COVID cases (hopefully now receding) and our strong preference to gather in-person to nurture relationship, especially within Families of Parishes. Meeting invitations were sent last week. We're eager to have every Conference represented. More info to come.
We encourage you to stay current on Beacons of Light developments at BeaconsAOC.org . Our Archdiocese is adding content more rapidly these days.
We expect our Archdiocese to release the assignments of pastors & parochial vicars to specific Families of Parishes this month (February).
So much opportunity ahead!
Our Re-Entry Program Stands Ready

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 people 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 dcrockett@svdpcincinnati.org . 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.
Hamilton County Links for COVID Information & Resources

For your ease, we relay the following links, as provided by Hamilton County:
COVID Vaccine & Booster Available Now in Our Charitable Pharmacy

Our Charitable Pharmacy is now able to provide the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID vaccine - as initial treatment or as a booster - for Ohio residents.
How do you or a neighbor get a vaccine from the Charitable Pharmacy?
  • We have both Pfizer and J&J vaccine available at both our NOC & Western Hills locations on a walk-in basis at no charge.
  • All Ohio residents are eligible. There is no income requirement or expectation to certify for ongoing services.
  • Allow 30-45 minutes to complete paperwork, receive the vaccine, and be monitored by a pharmacist for any rare allergic reactions.
  • We will ask to see a photo ID and vaccine card documenting any previous vaccines. If anyone does not have this documentation, we will work with them to find other documentation options. 
Our new addition of the Pfizer vaccine is particularly relevant because:
  • Anyone 12 years or older may receive the Pfizer vaccine as their primary 2-dose vaccination or as their single-dose booster.
  • Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine approved for minors. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to sign a consent form.
  • This vaccine may be used as a booster 5 months after completing the initial 2-dose series.
  • The CDC has preferentially recommended the Pfizer vaccine as a booster over the J&J vaccine.
The J&J vaccine still has relevant applications: 
  • Anyone 18 year or older may receive this vaccine as their primary single dose vaccine. This vaccine is ideal for anyone who is required to be vaccinated before returning to work because they can be fully vaccinated in one dose.
Our Charitable Pharmacy staff is available to answer any questions.
Our Latest on Winter Coats

Special thanks to all who donated coats and/or hosted collection drives; this year’s Coat Drive has concluded. If you still happen to have a barrel of coats to donate, please call Aidan Detterman at 513.562.8841, ext 258. Thank you for so generously providing the gift of warmth this winter season!

Neighbors from throughout Hamilton County who have not received a coat from us this season may come to our Neyer Outreach Center (NOC, 1146 Bank St) and request a coat voucher. Neighbors must bring their photo ID and an ID for all household members who will be receiving a coat (even if they’re not present). Limit of one coat per person.
Alternatively, if a neighbor approaches your Conference with a need for coats, you can email Erin Nowak at enowak@svdpcincinnati.org with the name and DOB for all family members who would like a coat, as well as the address where the voucher should be mailed. This may be the Vincentian’s address, in which case the Vincentian would then give the neighbor the voucher, or the neighbor’s address. Vouchers issued anytime during February will expire on March 1. Vouchers can be redeemed for a coat at any of our SVDP thrift stores.
Three Thoughts from our Thrift Stores

  • Each of our thrift stores is currently hiring; our Mason & Milford stores have particular need. Positions available include cashiers & floor associates. Do you have a neighbor seeking an employment opportunity? Motivated candidates can apply on our SVDP Cincinnati website, About Us tab, under Employment Opportunities.
  • We are actively accepting in-kind donations at each of our store sites and our donation boxes located throughout Hamilton County. Demand for men's and kids' clothing is high.
  • Is your coat closet full, thanks to a bountiful Christmas? Got a coat that is only warming a hanger these days? While our Council's formal Coat Drive has concluded, our thrift stores are eagerly accepting coat donations as we are being reminded this week that winter is not yet ready to surrender to spring.
Your CMS Momentum is Our CMS Momentum

  • If you are not yet utilizing CMS, now is your time to onboard with CMS
  • 34 Conferences have implemented CMS and are benefitting from its functionality
  • 9 Conferences have onboarded since June, 2021, including 2 in January
  • 5 more are in our active pipeline
  • This web-based version of CMS is user-friendly: quicker, more reliable, and supports multiple devices
  • You’ll enjoy improved turnaround on financial closing; quicker access to all neighbor data throughout our district; better reporting availability for your Conference meetings; and a secure location for all of your go-forward data for future reference
  • John Wessel, your Resource Analyst, has assembled great training and support resources to complement his personal commitment to your positive CMS experience; he's happy to join you for a CMS demo
  • Still not sure? Ask Tom Roberts, Margaret Rahn, or John Wessel for contact info of neighboring Conferences who have embraced CMS
Bottom-line: this tool helps you better engage and lift your neighbors. Make 2022 the year you join fellow Vincentians & Conferences and make this leap forward! 

CMS help sessions are available by appointment. Please contact John Wessel at Jwessel@svdpcincinnati.org or 513.562.1823 to schedule a session, which can be for groups or individuals.
CMS training videos are located on our svdpcincinnati.org website, accessed via the Members tab, or just use this link: https://www.svdpcincinnati.org/cms-support-page/
If prompted for a password, use the word “member”, all lower case and without the quotation marks.
More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors

Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)
We extended $53,118 in CAF assistance in October; $64,678 in November; & $53,637 in December for an FY2022 Q1 total of $171,433; our comparable FY2021 Q1 total was $157,616.
Summary of our January activity:
  • You submitted 140 fresh applications;1 was withdrawn
  • We approved 154 applications
  • We had 29 applications in process toward approval to begin February
Our budgetary provisions are $60,000 per month through March. We are able to roll forward underextended provisions to cover a monthly overage. As expected, we exceeded $60,000 in CAF assistance extended in January. 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.
Margaret Rahn, Olivia Scheper, & our 12 invaluable volunteers are intently processing and approving applications...and performing other vital support tasks. Want to join this NOC-based team? You can learn more by contacting Tom at troberts@svdpcincinnati.org , Margaret at mrahn@svdpcincinnati.org , or Alec Jewell, Volunteer Manager, at ajewell@svdpcincinnati.org . 

Rahe Beds Fund & Program
Your February bed requests are being accepted now 'til this Sat, 2/5. We’re pleased to report that we’ll be able to issue our full, budgeted number of vouchers again this month. Please send requests to Gabby at rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org. As a reminder, all bed vouchers are now redeemed at the Clothing and Home Resource Center (CHRC) in our Liz Carter Center (LCC, 1125 Bank St).
 
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.
 
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. Please note that these are available while supplies last, so please wait until you have confirmation from Gabby before telling the neighbor we’ll be able to assist them. We will provide the neighbor with a voucher that can be redeemed at our CHRC.

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. If you’re a Vincentian with computer knowledge you’d like to share, please reach out to Alec Jewell, Volunteer Manager, at ajewell@svdpcincinnati.org . 

City of Cincinnati's Eviction Prevention Initiative (EPI)
We are actively accepting and processing applications for this assistance from eligible City of Cincinnati residents in Conference footprints. Our neighbor must have formal notice of eviction proceedings to be eligible for EPI.

Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF)
Our Social Services team is extending rental assistance through this TANF (Temporary Aid for Needy Families) program. This program, through at least June 2022, will pay for up to four months' rent for neighbors who meet the following criteria:
  • Hamilton County residents
  • US citizen or qualified non-citizen
  • Has custody of at least one minor child and/or at least six months pregnant
  • At risk of homelessness
  • Have a household income that is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (currently $53,000/year for a family of four)
 
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 will resume on April 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 GCWWCares@gcww.cincinnati-oh.gov .

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 
  • The HEAP Winter Crisis Program began on 11/1/2021
  • Find more info at energyhelp.ohio.gov
  • Soaring Winter Utilities Costs - Duke Energy has provided a series of toolkits to help their customers navigate. 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 huge 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 .
Note: The Hamilton County 513 Relief Bus (the Hamilton County Equity and Resources Mobile Tech Bus) will be available to neighbors at 1916 Central Parkway, outside the Ohio Means Jobs office, for these winter months. They are doing vaccinations there on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so these days could be busier. More info available here .

Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation Vision Clinic in our Neyer Outreach Center
The Vision Clinic operates by appointment on certain Thursdays as designated by CEIF. Great news! Our Vision Clinic is open, 8:30am - 3pm, tomorrow and every Thursday in February. 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.
You Can Now Access Past Conference News and Notes

There is now a Conference News & Notes page on our website, where past editions of Conference News & Notes are available for your review.
You can visit this page directly at: https://www.svdpcincinnati.org/news-and-notes/ . Please note visitors will be prompted to enter a password: member .
This page can also be accessed through a link on our Members Support and Forms page: https://www.svdpcincinnati.org/conferences-members/member-support/ . Just scroll down and click on Conference News & Notes Archive.
Thanks to our External Relations team for creating this ready resource...and for all of their progress on our website!
Winter Storm Expected this Week

Be careful out there. And please say a special prayer for those among us seeking warmth and shelter.
Should we need to close our Bank St facilities or our thrift stores, we'll post notice on our website and in other public media.
Call to Prayer
                                                                                                                                          
O God, there are those who do not know your presence,
may our lives be a sign of faith for them.     
O God, there are those who live in fear and doubt,
may our lives be a sign of hope for them.
O God, there are those who do not experience your love,
may our lives be a sign of love for them.
O God, there are those who are poor and oppressed by others,
may our lives be a sign of justice for them.
Amen.