Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
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Vincentian Reflection for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 24, 2022
Gospel: (Luke 11:1-13) Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.” Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”
Reflection: Jesus teaches us that in our prayer God is our “Father” and just as a parent’s love for their children is unlimited, so is God’s love and care for us unlimited. Jesus further teaches that prayer unfolds in the context of this special relationship of “Our Father,” it is not a kinship or progeny. “Father” is a metaphor used to describe our unique, intimate relationship with God. This relationship inspires us in confidence with the realization that what we pray for is not so important as the fact that we address God in such intimate terms. Prayer always deepens our relationship with God and this is already an answer to what we need. (Living Liturgy, p.180)
Vincentian Meditation: “St. Teresa of Avila often could not finish the “Our Father” because she found that the first few words said everything. What a rich word, “Father.” It brings to our minds what our own human fathers have done for us. When you say “father,” you think of one who provides, and the great provider for us all is God: “Our Father, Who is in heaven.” We can see many things wrong with the world, but it is good to think of what is right in the world. Who made the sun to rise this morning? Who gives us the fruits of the earth and the rains to soften the soil? Who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field? God, our Father. We could continue making a long list of the good and beautiful things we can see with our eyes or hear with our ears in this world of ours, and all of them have come from God: Our Father, Who is in heaven. Who told us all this? Jesus Christ. There are people who say that the most important truth that Jesus has taught us in the Gospels is that we have a Father in heaven and He is God.” (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p. 471-2)
How have you found in your life that indeed God is your “Father"?
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Your Formation and Training Opportunities & Tips
NEW Offering! Inspiring our Community to Vincentian Service – Our newest workshop is being offered on Saturday, August 20th at St. James the Greater (White Oak), 9 - 11am. This workshop is focused on recruiting prospective Vincentians, providing fulfilling engagement, and retaining members. We'll collaborate to generate a concrete plan for recruiting new members and for empowering the ones you already have engaged. We'll explore the central reasons why people join our ranks and how to enthuse them so they never leave. We encourage each Family of Parishes to send at least one Vincentian member. Please RSVP via Signup Genius here .
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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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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 on Thursday, August 11th at 2pm to join us via Zoom to learn more about this innovative program:
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We are partnering with the Cincinnati Reds this weekend to help Strike Out Hunger across Greater Cincinnati! SVDP volunteers will be set up outside Great American Ball Park this Friday (7/22) & Saturday (7/23) to collect non-perishable food items. Those who donate 3 or more food items will receive a voucher redeemable for a ticket to a future 2022 Reds game. Look for our volunteers wearing yellow t-shirts outside the ballpark’s main entrance on Crosley Terrace, as well as along Joe Nuxhall Way near the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum. Food items collected will be distributed through our Becky & Ted Catino Choice Food Pantry and Conference Pantry Network. Want more reasons to enjoy a summer evening at the ballpark? How about Fireworks Friday and a bobblehead promo on Saturday! Both games start at 6:40pm as the Reds host the Cardinals.
Come on down, help feed our neighbors, and Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
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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 providing 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 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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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
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:
Last Wed, 7/13, members of the 5 Conferences which comprise our S-7 Family of Parishes came together for a fun and lighthearted social gathering. Vincentians from St Bartholomew, Assumption, St Vivian, St Clare, and St Bernard SGV enjoyed interacting with each other and their new pastor, Father Andrew Umberg. This group is full of passion, zeal, and a longing to know Christ in others; too much positive energy in the room for a power outage to halt. Many thanks to Assumption for hosting.
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This is a great time to host a social event or getting-to-know-you session with fellow Vincentians within your Family and your new (or existing) pastor. Your Conferences Support Team is here to assist and support your efforts. Feel free to reach out should you need any ideas!
Living our faith - together - is a vital element of this revitalization of our Catholic Church. Onward!
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Our 2022 Vincentian Member Survey Update
Our Conference Life Committee (CLC) would like to again thank each of the 181 Vincentians representing 42 Conferences who submitted a Member Survey. Analysis of the perspective shared began at our quarterly CLC meeting this past Thursday evening. Your insight will help shape future programs and workshops...and will inform our District Council's development of our next strategic plan, targeted for FY2024 implementation.
While your input was mostly complimentary, we have noted your candid suggestions for how we can live our mission even better. You can find a summary of your survey responses and a summary of the opportunities for improvement you cited on the member support and forms page of our website. Just enter: member when prompted for a password, then look for 2022 Vincentian Member Survey.
Special thanks to CLC members Jim Gerwe (St James of the Valley), John Ceddia (St Bartholomew), & Alec Jewell (St Jude YA & Conferences Manager) for their leadership on this survey.
Please watch for further development in future weeks.
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Prescription Fore Fun Golf Outing and Wine & Bourbon Tasting to Benefit our Charitable Pharmacy |
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You’re invited to join SVDP at this year’s Wine & Bourbon Tasting on Monday, August 1st at 5PM, at Western Hills Country Club. Tickets are $50 and include wine and bourbon tastings along with food pairings. The evening also includes a silent auction, raffle, and short program. Proceeds from this event benefit SVDP’s Charitable Pharmacy.
Registration deadline is this Monday, July 25th. Click here to purchase a ticket.
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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 70 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 1,462 fans & 777 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. With current commitments to 8/1 & 9/1 implementations, we will be over 40 Conferences on board...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, when he's not engaging current & soon-to-be users.
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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, including $78,885 to 180 households in June.
Our July activity to-date:
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You've submitted 105 applications
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We've approved 111 applications and 7 have been declined
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We currently have 29 applications in progress toward approval
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At this point, we have a total of $60,000 of July CAF funding
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.
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.
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.
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
We’ve distributed the full budgeted number of bed vouchers for July and look forward to accepting six requests per Conference beginning August 1.
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 you need. 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 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 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?
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.
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
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
With longing hearts we pray,
God our Father, hear our prayer.
For those afflicted in body and spirit,
God our Father, hear our prayer.
For those searching for a place to call home,
God our Father, hear our prayer.
For those seeking for a God to believe and trust in,
God our Father, hear our prayer.
Amen.
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