Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
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Vincentian Reflection for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 21, 2022
Gospel: (Luke 13:22-30) Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough….For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
Reflection: Jesus’ answer to the question is couched in images: Making his way to Jerusalem - Jesus is being faithful to his own mission, by going to Jerusalem he fulfills his Father’s will even when that means he must suffer and die. Narrow gate - we might see Jesus himself as the gate, and we are saved by identifying ourselves with Jesus and this includes going to Jerusalem with him even when that means we, too, must die to ourselves. Strong enough - strength here isn’t the physical strength to push open a literal door but the spiritual strength to remain faithful to our call to discipleship and to follow Jesus to Jerusalem. Each day we must take up our cross, die to self, and live for the sake of others. This is how we enter the narrow gate and how we get to know Jesus intimately enough to receive salvation: we must live and act like Jesus. Becoming least is a metaphor for dying to self; this is what Jesus asks: that the first become last. (Living Liturgy, p.196)
Vincentian Meditation: “Learning to bear the beams of God’s love, as they shine through the personality of the living Christ, is the work of our lives. His experience of suffering and dying on the Cross is there to remind us that, for one who lives in a world that is enveloped by the clouds and fog of sin, the learning process will at times be a painful one. We are called to bear the beams of God’s love in our personal lives. The events of our lives, so inscrutable, so perplexing, so painful at times, are slowly strengthening us, if we could but see them with the eyes of faith, to look steadily one day at the open face of God, Who is a consuming fire of love. We are also called to refract the beams of God’s love for the poor. We are called, not to stand immobile before the mystery of suffering that we find in so many poor, hungry, lonely, homeless, wandering people, but to break down for them through our service of them, the strong light of God’s love so that they, too, can learn to bear the beams of God’s love.” (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p. 368-9)
As Vincentians, how have we been called to live and act like Jesus?
How are we responding to this call?
How might we grow to better live and act like Jesus?
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Your Formation and Training Opportunities & Tips |
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Last Call to RSVP! Welcoming & Fulfilling New Members Workshop is this Saturday: Feeling the call to share your Vincentian vocation? Recognizing how much your Conference could use more fellow Vincentians to engage and serve your neighbors experiencing need? We encourage each Family of Parishes to send at least one Vincentian member to this New Workshop, then share within your Conference and Family of Parishes. Please RSVP via Signup Genius here . Please note site is St James the Greater in White Oak. Walk-ins are welcome but encouraged to signup in advance.
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Poverty Simulation on Wednesday, 9/7, 6-8pm, at our Ozanam Center in the Liz Carter Center (LCC), 1125 Bank St: Whether you are a new Vincentian or have been involved for many years, this Poverty Simulation will challenge what you know about poverty and the experiences of our neighbors in need - it is harder to get by than you might think. Join us for an interactive experience and discussion on the lived realities of our neighbors! Please register here , as signups have begun to fill.
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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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For a full outline of Vincentian formational opportunities, with registration links, please see our Formation Newsletter for August and September sent out on Friday, 7/29.
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Conference Officers Training Workshop & Forum
Less Than 1 Month from Today
All current & incoming Conference Officers (Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Treasurers, & Secretaries) are invited and highly encouraged to participate in this annual workshop. Expand your servant leadership toolkit with your peers. Will include breakout sessions and content such as Council resources, CMS, Beacons of Light, and other insight & ideas to assist you as your leadership team realizes your vision of progress for your members & neighbors.
When & where: Sat, 9/10, 9am-noon, in our Neyer Outreach Center (NOC).
Your rsvp is requested asap so we can properly prepare accommodations; registration closes Wed, 9/7. Please register here .
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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.
Know of someone that models the Vincentian Life to you and/or others? We encourage nominations for our annual Fires of Faith, Ozanam, & Top Hat awards! Nomination forms, criteria, and lists of recent honorees are found 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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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.
Thank you to all who submitted families to participate; our program is now full. Every Vincentian who submitted a request should have received a confirmation email. Any questions, please contact Erin at enowak@svdpcincinnati.org.
Thanks for your help in connecting children in Cincinnati with brand new beds - a good night's sleep is blessed preparation for a great tomorrow!
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Archdiocese of Cincinnati Beacons of Light Initiative
Yes, Beacons of Light went "live" on 7/1. We're more than a month "in". New pastors have arrived and are engaged.
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.
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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CMS Tips, Tricks, & Transformations
Great progress news:
- Our Cathedral/St Francis Xavier joint Conference & our St Jude Conference implemented CMS in July
- St Saviour Conference implemented CMS this month
- St Antoninus, St Dominic, & St Teresa of Avila Conferences target September to implement CMS
- Our Lady of Lourdes, St Mary (Hyde Park), St John the Baptist (Harrison), & St Boniface Conferences are also in our active pipeline
John Wessel, our Resource Analyst, is creating new ways to harvest & present the data you are capturing in CMS, when he's not engaging current & soon-to-be users. Want a taste? Use this link: member support and forms ; password, if prompted: member ; then scroll the resources list to click on CMS Statistics - Conferences, and explore.
John has created a series of over 30 easily viewed and absorbed videos that are available to you 24/7 on our CMS Support Page,
Password, if you are prompted: member .
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Labor Day - Monday, 9/5/2022
Yes, our summer is waning...and another school year has arrived. Prayers for health, peace, & normalcy for all involved.
Please note SVDP's provisions for the upcoming Labor Day weekend:
- Our NOC will be welcoming and serving our neighbors on Sat, 9/3; closed for the holiday on Mon, 9/5 (along with our Liz carter Center); and re-open Tues, 9/6, @ 8am
- Our thrift stores will be welcoming shoppers throughout this holiday weekend, including Mon, 9/5, on normal operating hours. Thank you, Thrift Stores Team!
Footballs are already flying. Good luck Bengals, Bearcats, Buckeyes, and whichever high school(s) you favor.
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Back-to-School Season is Upon Us
What a Great Time to Extend SVDP Thrift Store Assistance
Fact: We have redeemed less thrift store vouchers than we projected for our current fiscal year which will end on 9/30.
Fact: Inflation is stretching household budgets and forcing hard spending decisions for many.
Opportunity: Please consider what some fresh clothing might do to lift the spirits - and educational experience - of students in the neighborhoods which surround you.
You can help by making a conscious, concerted effort to extend clothing & household goods vouchers to eligible neighbors experiencing the pinch.
We thank our in-kind donors and our thrift store team members for this opportunity to create positive impact which could change lives long after this clothing is outgrown!
Looking ahead to September, we can help our neighbors with fall seasonal clothing.
And 1 More Fact: Our thrift stores are hiring - employment could be a truly impactful hand-up!
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More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors
Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)
We, together, have extended $660,232 in total FY2022 CAF assistance for the 10 months ended 7/31/2022, including $79,224 to 185 households in July.
August robust activity to-date:
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You've submitted 111 fresh applications
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We've approved 107 applications; 1 has been declined; 1 transferred for ERA consideration
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We currently have 33 applications in progress toward approval
Please take note of our high volume of CAF applications. While our CAF exists to be extended to your/our neighbors, please also seize opportunities to help our neighbors experiencing need to access governmental programs for which they may qualify and other publicly- and privately-funded assistance resources. This is particularly relevant for neighbors navigating chronic budgetary shortfalls. Examples include SNAP, SSDI, and the PRC program administered by Hamilton County Job and Family Services ("JFS").
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: 8 applications submitted, processed, & approved; 9 more applications have been accepted and are currently in-process; and another 7 prospective applications are in various stages of collaboration between our Vincentians and neighbors.
Rahe Beds Fund & Program
Thank you, everyone, for using the new bed online request form to submit your August Bed Requests. All requests submitted by 8/5 have been processed and are in the mail or ready for pick-up. Please send any questions or feedback about the new form to rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org . The great news about this online form is that we can continue to make small, functional improvements without having to release a new version. Our goal is to make this process as user-friendly as possible and enable us to process requests quickly so we can get the vouchers in the hands of neighbors.
We’re unable to extend any additional vouchers in August, but we look forward to again accepting six requests per Conference in September.
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 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 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.
The link to our online request form can be found here .
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 .
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 Wednesday, September 7. 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.
Haircuts from the Heart have Returned to our NOC
Bad hair day? Not here.
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. Monday, 9/12, is the next date she will be here (as the NOC is closed on Mon, 9/5, for Labor Day). Neighbors are accepted on a walk-in basis, and should sign in at our NOC reception desk upon arrival.
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 resumed standard billing and credit policies, including disconnections for non-payment.
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 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 (8/18) and next Thursday (8/25), 8:30am - 3pm. Looking out to September, our clinic will be open these same hours on 9/1, 9/15, & 9/29; open morning only on 9/8 & 9/22. 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, you suffered death that we might live.
You are the savior of the world.
Your death brought life to the world,
may we live no longer for ourselves but for you.
Your death brought life to the world,
may we help the poor find the beams of God’s love.
Amen.
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