Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
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Vincentian Reflection for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 7, 2022
Gospel: (Luke 12:32-48) Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
Reflection: Our “treasure” is something very valuable or our most prized possession. This gospel refers to “treasure” as inexhaustible, secure and incorruptible. This description is of the “treasure” understood as the kingdom of God. Interestingly, the way to possess this treasure is not by possessing, but by giving away. We become rich, by not having and then refocusing our hearts on God’s kingdom. If we are preoccupied by possessions, schedules, work, sports, etc., our heart is already filled with exhaustible, insecure, and corruptible matters. The challenge of this gospel is to redirect our hearts to what is our true treasure, Jesus, and then be faithful disciples. The gift is great. Our treasure is Jesus. (Living Liturgy, p.188)
Vincentian Meditation: “What we as Christians have to watch could be expressed in one word, and that word is more. We always seem to want more money, more pleasure, more power, and it is desiring more that can draw us away from Christ and make us unhappy people. So if we have sufficient food for ourselves, our families, and reasonable comfort in our homes, let us be content. Let us spare a thought and some money for those who, unlike us, are suffering from extreme poverty. Thus we will be able to redirect our hearts to what is our true treasure, Jesus, and then we will be faithful disciples.” (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p. 195)
How does this Gospel both invite and challenge us?
How do we respond?
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Your Formation and Training Opportunities & Tips
First Friday Fellowship – Implicit Bias: Please join us this Friday, 8/5, noon-1pm, via Zoom, on a journey as we explore how our perceptions of ourselves as well as the world around us shape our responses to people/events in this interactive, supportive discussion. Meeting ID: 898 9553 7287; Passcode: 291833 or follow the ZOOM link here @ noon this Friday. Want a separate reminder beforehand about First Friday Fellowship? Then click here for our Signup Genius .
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Welcoming & Fulfilling New Members Workshop – Join us on Saturday, 8/20, 9-11am, at St James the Greater (White Oak) for a reflective and interactive workshop on engaging people to join in the good works of your Conference. We will dive into how to effectively share the gift of our Vincentian life with prospective members, sustain them in their work early on, and plan for the future needs of your Conference. Time will be set aside to develop ideas which can be brought back to your Conference and developed into action. We encourage each Family of Parishes to send at least one Vincentian member. Please RSVP via Signup Genius here .
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Ozanam Orientation – A two-part Ozanam Orientation will be hosted on consecutive Wednesday evenings, 9/14 & 9/21, 5:30-8:30pm, at Our Lady of the Visitation. Designed for new members and those who would like a refresher, we will explore what it means to be a Vincentian member of this Society. Participants must take part in both sections to complete our Society's requirement. This is also a great way to invite prospective members to know more about who we are. To Register for this Ozanam Orientation, please sign up here .
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Please Save The Date! Our annual Fall Fellowship Mass and Reception will be celebrated on Sunday, 9/25, 9am-noon, @ St. Ursula Academy. The price is a mere $10 to offset our costs. A registration link and further details will be coming soon. In the meantime, you will find nomination forms for our Fires of Faith, Ozanam, & Top Hat awards, along with award criteria and lists of recent honorees, by clicking on this link: member support and forms , then enter: member when prompted for a password. Click on Fall Fellowship Awards Nominations Forms in the list of resources to download a viewable & printable copy. Nominations will be accepted for consideration until Wed, 8/31.
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Upcoming Resource Spotlight to Feature our Becky Catino Women's Self-Sufficiency, Employment, and Empowerment Program
Program Manager Tara Kerrigan will explain what systemic change is, why it is impactful, and what this Becky Catino Women’s Program is doing to help our neighbors. Information will include an overview of the acceptance process, indicators of quality referrals, and how you can be involved. Please use this link next Thursday, 8/11, at 2pm, to join us via Zoom to learn more about this innovative program:
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Hope to Dream
St. Vincent de Paul is again partnering with Morris Home Furniture and WCPO to provide beds to kids in need in Cincinnati. Hope to Dream (formerly Day to Dream) will be hosted on Saturday, 8/27, at the Reds Youth Academy (2026 E Seymour Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45237). In celebration of their 75th anniversary as a company, Morris has committed to provide 75 beds this year.
Children who participate in the program will receive a twin bed (mattress, box spring, and frame) as well as bedding, a pillow, and an assortment of other goodies. After a short program on 8/27, the beds will be delivered to the family’s home. We do require that the families attend the 8/27 event.
We're currently seeking your help in finding children to participate in this program.
Please follow this link https://form.jotform.com/221945170220042 for eligibility information and to complete an online registration form for each family. Conferences may request up to five beds each to start. (If we still have space available, we may reach out for additional families.)
Please submit forms by this Friday, 8/5, so we can begin working on scheduling and logistics. Any questions, contact Erin at rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org.
Thanks for your help in connecting children in Cincinnati with brand new beds!
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Voice of the Poor Shares this Nugget
While many Vincentians must focus on our neighbors’ immediate needs, our newly re-energized Voice of the Poor group is trying to see - and impact - the larger picture. Their recent focus is on the urgent housing shortage in Cincinnati. One of the best books available is Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond, ©2016. It is well-researched and reads like a novel with an intimate view of families living in substandard housing, their landlords, and those who benefit from the housing shortage. Here are a few highlights:
1. Evictions have become vastly more common over the past 40 years. In earlier times, evictions were rare and landlords who evicted tenants were shamed by society. Now the tenants are shamed.
2. Most people facing eviction are women with children. There’s a huge (illegal) bias against tenants with children. Children suffer greatly from “housing instability” – changing schools, missing school, witnessing mothers’ depression and rage. Only one in four families who qualify for subsidized housing actually get it.
3. “Convictions and evictions” are both enormous blots on a person’s public record. While Desmond notes that often "men get locked up, women and children get 'locked out'", we see both men & women experiencing convictions and evictions, with negative impact for their household that makes re-entry and recovery a steep uphill climb.
4. Being a landlord of inner-city, low-income housing can be extremely profitable, with little incentive to maintain properties or treat tenants with respect.
5. The author offers hope through practical suggestions in the final chapter.
These highlights from the book are just the tip of the iceberg. The book is available through the public library. If you want to learn more, check out interviews with Matthew Desmond on YouTube. (Diane Rehm’s interview is especially good.)
If you might be interested in becoming a participant in Voice of the Poor, please contact Jane Phelan at janephelan02@gmail.com . The group usually meets by Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30am.
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Archdiocese of Cincinnati Beacons of Light Initiative
Yes, Beacons of Light went "live" on 7/1. New pastors have arrived.
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
You can learn more about Beacons as our Archdiocese continues to post fresh content at BeaconsAOC.org , including the Pathway Platform created to guide our journey.
Sharing news from our Conferences & Families of Parishes:
Our Lady of the Visitation Conference gathered this past Wednesday, 7/27, and welcomed Bill Freiberg of neighboring St Bernard (Taylor Creek) Conference. Sunnie Johnson-Lain joined them and provided this snapshot of this wonderful, generous, and photogenic group:
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Does your Conference or Family of Parishes have news to share?
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Two COVID Facts - Staying Informed
First, Hamilton County’s current COVID-19 community level of variant transmission has risen to “High”. As a result of this change to "High", we have reinstituted mandatory mask wearing for all staff at our Neyer Outreach Center (NOC), Liz Carter Center (LCC), and our thrift stores. We are also recommending wearing masks to our neighbors and visitors to our facilities - and making masks available.
Second, you or your neighbor can order free at-home COVID-19 tests. Each order contains 8 individual tests. Limit of 3 orders per household. Orders are delivered to your home by USPS. Google COVID.gov/tests to learn more and place an order.
Please protect your own health so you can be the Vincentian neighbor you aspire to be!
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Summer Heat Relief Program Update
Our walk-in fan program has ended. Our final number of fans distributed is 1,522.
Our AC waitlist is also closed as we are continuing to contact neighbors currently on our waitlist if/when we are able to assist them. To-date, we’ve distributed 916 ACs.
How chill is that?
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Haircuts from the Heart have Returned to our NOC
Haircuts from the Heart, courtesy of Franciscan Ministries, has restarted their free haircut program. 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, 8/8, 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.
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CMS Tips, Tricks, & Transformations
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 .
Great news:
- Our Cathedral/St Francis Xavier joint Conference & our St Jude Conference implemented CMS in July
- St Saviour & St Teresa of Avila Conferences are committed to implement CMS this month
- St Antoninus, St Dominic, & St John the Baptist (Harrison) Conferences target September to implement CMS
- Our Lady of Lourdes, St Mary (Hyde Park), & St Boniface Conferences are also in our active pipeline
John Wessel is creating new ways to harvest & present the data you are capturing in CMS, when he's not engaging current & soon-to-be users.
Still holding out? Ask a Treasurer of a Conference utilizing CMS how much easier a monthly or quarterly close is in CMS. Act now - your Conference could start FY2023 on 10/1/2022 with CMS in your toolkit!
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More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors
Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)
We, together, extended $581,008 in total FY2022 CAF assistance for the 9 months ended 6/30/2022, including $78,885 to 180 households in June.
Our July activity was quite similar to June:
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You submitted 187 applications
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We approved 186 applications = households assisted; 3 were transferred for ERA 1 evaluation; 7 were declined (ineligible or extremely unsustainable); and 3 were withdrawn
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We extended all of our augmented total of $80,000 of July CAF funding
August is already active (2 days in):
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You've submitted 16 fresh applications
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We've approved 13 applications
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We currently have 33 applications in progress toward approval
Please take note of our high volume of CAF applications in these most recent 6 months.
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. 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.
Thanks to our volunteers who are processing applications so promptly, and to Olivia & Alec.
CAF Spreadsheet Reminder:
Publicly-Funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA1)
We are now extending 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. 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. This program does have mandated specs and significant documentation requirements.
Over 30 Vincentians participated in our Resource Spotlight - ERA1 for Conferences - via Zoom on 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 member support and forms page of our website. Just enter: member when prompted for a password, then look for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) and click on the resource you desire. 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.
Our Conferences' ERA1 activity to-date: 2 applications submitted, processed, & approved - assistance has been extended on 1 and we await external approval to extend the assistance for the other; 4 more applications submitted and currently in process.
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 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
August Bed Requests (up to six per Conference) should be submitted by this Friday, 8/5. We are debuting our brand-new online Conference bed request form for the August bed requests. You can find the form here. The purpose of this form is to make it easier for Conferences to submit their requests; we know that many of you have found the PDF/Word version of the form difficult to interact with. The form also has some automation on the back end that will allow us to process requests more quickly and easily communicate their status with you. As you fill out the form, you’ll notice that questions will appear and disappear depending on your answers to other questions. This is to ensure that the form is as simple as possible for you to fill out, while still providing us with all the information needed. If you experience any difficulties or have questions or suggestions about the form, please reach out to Erin at rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org or 513.562.8857.
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 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 Erin 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, which includes some updates to the way beds assistance should be entered in CMS.
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. 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 today, 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
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 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
Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation (CEIF) Vision Clinic in our Neyer Outreach Center
The Vision Clinic operates by appointment on certain Thursdays as designated by CEIF. Our Vision Clinic is open tomorrow (8/4) and each of the remaining Thursdays in August, 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.
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Call to Prayer
Lord Jesus, may you always be our treasure,
fill us with your peace!
Lord Jesus, may you always be our treasure,
fill us with your strength!
Lord Jesus, may you always be our treasure,
fill us with your love!
Lord Jesus, may you always be our treasure,
fill us with your joy!
Amen.
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