Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
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Vincentian Reflection for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, February 13, 2022
Gospel: (Luke 6:17,20-26) Jesus raising his eyes toward his disciples said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
Reflection: The blessing is Jesus who stands on level ground with the poor, hungry, weeping outcasts. Jesus is an epiphany of God’s presence among all those who had been excluded. The gospel also indicates the decisiveness of choice: blessing or woe. There are two paths in life one can follow, and either one is with Jesus or against Jesus. The lure is to be consoled now, have our fill now, laugh now, be respected now. Jesus is showing another way: our condition now doesn’t matter so long as we trust and hope in the Lord now. Blessedness isn’t a matter of social status, satisfaction, possessions, respect, etc; it is a matter of keeping our own eyes glued on Jesus. (Living Liturgy, p.58)
Vincentian Meditation: The heart of Jesus’ preaching is the Beatitudes. They speak of basic attitudes of being and dispositions in life. Vincentians are Beatitude people; they opt for the Beatitudes that confront them with decisive choices concerning earthly goods. The Beatitudes purify their hearts in order to teach them to love God above all things. Vincentians understand Pope John Paul II’s words: “The Beatitudes are a call to action.” (US Manual, p.20)
For most of us, the Beatitudes deliver both challenge and hope.
Which Beatitude speaks most to your heart?
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Formation Opportunities & Events
February's First Friday Fellowship
We'll be hosting a virtual Black History Month Celebration, this Fri, 2/11, noon - 1pm. (Postponed from this past Fri, 2/4, due to the winter storm.) 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.
Link to join our Zoom this Fri, 2/11, @ noon:
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Ozanam Orientation
Your first opportunity to participate in Ozanam Orientation in 2022!
Saturday, March 5, 9:00am-3:00pm, in-person @ St Vivian (Finneytown)
This workshop covers the essential elements of what it means to be part of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. As Vincentians, we are all required to attend this Orientation at least once. The Orientation is valuable whether you are a new member looking for an introduction to SVDP or a seasoned Vincentian desiring to deepen your experience of the Society...and you meet fellow local Vincentians from beyond your Conference.
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Extending a Fond Farewell...and Advancing Forward
Margaret Rahn has submitted her resignation from our Conferences Manager role, effective next Friday, 2/18/2022. Margaret has shared her gifts of compassion, experience, expertise, and spirituality in this role since she joined us from SVDP-NKY in November 2019. In these 27 months, she and we have pivoted to navigate the COVID pandemic, huge growth in our Conference Assistance Fund (CAF) activity volume, progression of CMS implementation, and a broad range of your Conferences' & Vincentians' needs as you engaged with your neighbors and one another. Our support team has evolved during her tenure. Margaret has nurtured a vital cohort of Vincentian volunteers who contribute in support of your Conferences' good works. Most recently, Margaret has been instrumental in the addition of Olivia Scheper and her orientation & training in the role of Conferences Support Coordinator. We are thankful for Margaret’s presence, and we wish her an abundance of fulfillment as she ventures forward.
Our search for our new Conferences Manager has already begun with our internal posting of our updated job description. We're optimistic we will quickly attract the right qualified candidate for this excellent employment opportunity to engage with and support you. We'll keep you posted on progress. In the meantime, you are welcome to share your thoughts with Tom Roberts, your Director of Conferences, at troberts@svdpcincinnati.org or 513.345.4910.
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Super (Cereal) Bowl Drive – THIS Friday, 2/11
You’re invited to participate in SVDP’s Super (Cereal) Bowl Drive this Friday, 2/11!
Swing by our Neyer Outreach Center (NOC, 1146 Bank St) with a cereal donation for the Catino Choice Food Pantry any time between 8AM – 11AM. Staff will be ready to accept cereal donations at the back/side door of our NOC – follow the “Donation Drop-Off” signs upon arrival. Just drive up, drop off, and drive away feeling good.
Thank you for helping us kick off Super Bowl weekend by helping feed our neighbors in need! And Who Dey!
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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 .
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Archdiocese of Cincinnati Beacons of Light Initiative
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Our meeting of Conference Presidents, dedicated to Beacons of Light, is Sat morning, 3/19/2022, 9am - noon, site TBD. We are monitoring COVID developments and hopeful to gather in-person to nurture relationship, especially within Families of Parishes. Meeting invitations have been sent and we're eager to have each & every Conference represented. Responses thus far are encouraging. More info to come.
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Our Archdiocese has now committed to release pastors & parochial vicars assignments to Families of Parishes @ noon this Mon, 2/14; the assignments are effective with the implementation of this Beacons of Light initiative on 7/1.
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Our Archdiocese hosts monthly Beacons Roundtable Zoom gatherings on Tuesdays, 1:30-3pm. The next is this coming Tues, 2/15, entitled Eucharist: Center of Parish Life. Future dates: 3/15, 4/26, 5/17, & 6/21
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We encourage you to stay current on Beacons of Light developments at BeaconsAOC.org .
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Please join together to embrace and seize Beacons opportunities to advance our Vincentian vocation and amplify our impact!
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Your CMS Momentum is Our CMS Momentum
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If you are not yet utilizing CMS, now is your time to onboard with CMS
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35 Conferences have implemented CMS and are benefitting from its functionality
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8 Conferences have onboarded since June, 2021, including 1 in January
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7 more are in our active pipeline
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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
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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
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Still not sure? Ask Tom Roberts 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.
If prompted for a password, use the word “member”, all lower case and without the quotation marks.
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Referring Neighbors for potential TANF and EPI Assistance
(repeated 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. We are encouraged by how quickly some Conferences & Vincentians have already leveraged this enhancement. Our goal is to serve our Vincentians well, as you serve our neighbors well.
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COVID Vaccine & Booster Available Now in Our Charitable Pharmacy
Our Charitable Pharmacy is 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.
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.
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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.
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Our Latest on Winter Coats
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. These winter coat vouchers issued anytime during February will expire on March 1 - now less than 3 weeks away. Vouchers can be redeemed for a coat at any of our SVDP thrift stores.
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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? 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.
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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 1st event this past Wed, 2/2, was quite a success. Our next is Wed, 3/2 (Ash Wednesday). 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.
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More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors
Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)
We extended FY2022 Q1 (Oct 2021 - Dec 2021) total CAF assistance of $171,433; our comparable FY2021 Q1 total was $157,616.
Summary of our January activity:
- You submitted 142 fresh applications;1 was withdrawn
- We approved 154 applications, totaling approx $66,000 in assistance
Our start to February (a short month, made shorter by last week's winter storm closures):
- You've submitted 27 applications
- We've approved 43 applications, thereby trimming our applications in progress toward approval to 12
Our budgetary provisions are $60,000 per month through March. We are able to roll forward underextended provisions to cover a monthly overage. We entered February with less than $3,000 in such roll forward. have 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.
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 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.
Rahe Beds Fund & Program
Your February bed requests submitted to Gabby at rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org by this past Sat, 2/5, are currently being vetted. We’re pleased to report that we’ll be able to issue our full, budgeted number of vouchers again this month. We will advise if there are additional beds available. 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.
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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.
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Renters not residing in Cincinnati city limits but living in Hamilton County can visit https://erap.hcjfs.org/ for utility assistance.
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
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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.
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You Can Now Access Past Conference News and Notes
There is now a Conference News & Notes page on our website, where previous 2022 editions of Conference News & Notes are available for your review.
Thanks to our External Relations team for creating this ready resource...and for all of their progress on our website!
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Call to Prayer
For the grace to know the grace of being poor and hungry,
O God, teach us the Beatitudes.
For the grace to know the grace of weeping and laughter,
O God, teach us the Beatitudes.
For the grace to choose blessing and not woe,
O God, teach us the Beatitudes.
For the grace to be true Vincentians,
O God, teach us the Beatitudes.
Amen.
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