Conference News and Notes
for Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Sent to all Vincentians & Staff
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Vincentian Reflection for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 3, 2022
Gospel: (Luke 10:1-12,17-20) At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way…Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”
Reflection: In the gospel the disciples are “sent ahead” of Jesus, not so much with a mission to do as to be ambassadors for Jesus. The respect and honor that are due Jesus are extended also to Jesus’ disciples and this is how God’s kingdom is “at hand.” When God’s kingdom is present there is peace and healing. We do everything because we are disciples of Jesus and act in his name. It is in Christ’s presence through us that peace and joy are spread. Mission is being sent to be Christ for others. (Living Liturgy, p.168)
Vincentian Meditation: “I am sure that many of you have discovered in your work for the poor that, while their material needs are often great, their spiritual needs may be greater still. I am sure, too, that many of you have discovered that on many occasions, when the poor present a problem to you or seek your advice, you come eventually to realize that their real need is not your advice, but rather the sympathy of your listening heart. Often I feel that I have given advice to people when what they were really asking for was understanding and compassion. They were seeking a listening heart rather than a speaking bureau of information.” (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p. 538-9)
How have you found that your service indeed demands a “listening heart?”
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Your Formation and Training Opportunities & Tips
Postcard Corrections: The quarterly formation postcards have gone out, however, there are two corrections to note: The first is the Fall Fellowship Mass and Gathering at St. Ursula Academy is 9:00am - noon on Sunday, September 25th. The second update is for the Conference Officers Training registration date - if you are attending, we ask that you please register no later than Wednesday, 9/7; the day and time of the Officer Training itself is correct - Saturday, 9/10, 9:00am - noon). Reminders for the corrected times will be in future updates as well.
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First Friday Fellowship returns this Friday (7/1) at noon via Zoom; the topic is Self-Care and Compassion Fatigue. We all face times of feeling the weight of wanting to help someone in need, yet just do not have the energy to do so. Join us for an interactive discussion with Mary Reid and Patrick Ammerman of our Social Services team to discover ways to help maintain a balance in ourselves, our ministry, and aiding those we love most – including our own family members. This is truly a discussion you do not want miss!
The Meeting ID is: 898 9553 7287; and the Passcode is: 291833. Alternatively, you may use this link to join @ noon on Zoom this Friday.
For separate reminders about First Friday Fellowship sessions, please sign up on
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Last Call: Prayer Partner Signups Thank you to those who have responded saying yes to “walk” and pray with someone for the upcoming quarter. If you would like to try it out for the coming quarter, please send an email by the end of tomorrow (Thursday, 6/30) to Chris Kelley at ckelley@svdpcincinnati.org.
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Please Act Now to Share Your Perspective!
Our 2022 Vincentian Member Survey Closes this Monday, 7/4
Your Vincentian experience and aspirations matter to us. Our 2022 Vincentian Member Survey was rolled out on 6/1. To-date, 138 Vincentians have participated…thank you...and your responses are informative. We are eager to hear from as many of you as possible…and we have extended your window to partake for a few extra days.
As a ready reminder, you can participate in either of 2 ways:
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Via SurveyMonkey, by simply clicking on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RFJW3SN ; should take only 5-10 minutes total and this makes it easier for us to review and analyze the collective responses; or
- By completing the survey on paper, printable version available at this link:
Completed written surveys can be submitted by mailing to:
St Vincent de Paul - 2022 Vincentian Member Survey
1125 Bank St
Cincinnati, OH 45214
Attn: Olivia Scheper, Conferences Support Coordinator
(Given US Mail service, the window for using this method is closing quickly)
Our Conference Life Committee will be vetting your survey responses and envisioning next steps, including communications, at their quarterly meeting on Thurs, 7/14.
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Announcing the Anticipated Arrival of Publicly-Funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) to Our Council
We are now able to extend 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. As you may be familiar, this deeply-funded program can provide substantial rent & utilities assistance for neighbors who have been directly or indirectly impacted by COVID. Your Conference & you will have the opportunity to identify neighbors who are prospective recipients and participate in the process leading to assistance extended. We will be sharing more information about program eligibility and our process in the coming days.
We are inviting representatives from interested Conferences to learn more by participating in our upcoming Resource Spotlight - ERA 1 for Conferences - via Zoom on Thurs, 7/7, 2-3pm; please use this link when you are ready to join this Zoom Meeting:
or you can use Zoom Meeting ID: 891 5614 7186 and Passcode: 795143 .
We intend to record this Zoom session and make it available for future reference.
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Archdiocese of Cincinnati Beacons of Light Initiative
to Implement this Friday, 7/1
Yes, Beacons of Light has arrived. We encourage you to recognize - and 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
As we each & all evolve as change surrounds us, we are well served to remember these 2 foundations of our reality:
- God's loving call to live our faith as modeled by Jesus and emulated by our Society's founders and all Vincentians who have come before us
- Our neighbors experiencing need...and the blessing we have to walk with them
Our Archdiocese hosted a Beacons Roundtable last week via Zoom, entitled Putting Love in Action, which is what we do. Phase 1 of Beacons is Leadership. 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.
Your Conferences Support team is eager to navigate Beacons of Light with you.
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Prescription Fore Fun to Benefit our Charitable Pharmacy |
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All proceeds benefit our Deaconess Health Check/ Charitable Pharmacy, the only pharmacy in Southwest Ohio dedicated to providing free medication and professional pharmaceutical care to people in need from Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties.
Our Charitable Pharmacy is on pace to fill more than 70,000 free prescriptions again this year and continues to serve significantly more patients than prior to the pandemic.
Your critical support helps sustain and deepen our Charitable Pharmacy's life-saving services. For every $1 invested, the Charitable Pharmacy is able to dispense $11 worth of medication to its patients.
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Summer is Officially Here...and Our Summer Heat Relief Program is in Full Swing
With last week’s high temperatures and increased media attention, all ACs that have been purchased have been assigned to a neighbor on our wait list. Neighbors are still welcome to fill out a request form online at https://SVDPcincinnati.org/AC , but please share with them that they are joining a wait list and there’s no guarantee we will be able to provide them an AC. We will continue to purchase and distribute ACs as our fundraising allows. Vincentians are welcome to complete a request on behalf of a neighbor. Vincentians can also arrange to pick-up (@ our NOC, M-F, 9am-3pm) & deliver an AC for mobility-challenged neighbors who have been notified their request has been approved.
We are currently distributing fans on a walk-in basis at our NOC. Neighbors can request & receive a fan - in a single visit - during our normal operating hours.
To-date, we have distributed 1,162 fans & 380 air conditioners - a blessing for so many as temperatures climb again this week.
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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 .
Great news: St Dominic, St John the Baptist (Harrison), & St Saviour Conferences are committed to implement CMS on 8/1/2022! 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.
A new quarter begins this Fri, 7/1. Reporting at quarter's end is a breeze for Conferences utilizing CMS. If you are still on the fence (there are more comfortable seats), please join fellow Vincentians & Conferences and make this leap forward - for our neighbors and fellow Vincentians - now!
Whether you are a current CMS user - or soon to be one - Help sessions are available! Please contact John at jwessel@SVDPcincinnati.org, or by phone at 513.562.1823 to schedule a group or individual session.
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Your Conferences Support Team - Who Does What
Please note additions/changes in red, with further progress & evolution anticipated:
CAF applications & assistance; thrift store voucher forms & stickers; Christ Church Plumb Line; Vincentian recruiting displays & brochures; Conference Locator Map; changes to Conference members roster; volunteering in Conferences Support
Quarterly reports; questions about referrals for neighbors; our SVDP-Cinn’s Members webpage content; Conference officers training; training workshops; Metro bus passes under Everybody Rides Metro program
Tom Roberts, Director of Conferences, troberts@svdpcincinnati.org , 513.345.4910 Beacons of Light, Families of Parishes; Conference strategic or leadership matters; weekly Conference News and Notes; support team members visiting Conference meetings; Council events; twinning & CAF contributions; Conference Life Committee; facilitating support for your Conference beyond our Conferences Support team
Our team is here to serve you.
Please also note that each Family of Parishes, and the current Conferences within these respective Family of Parishes, now have a designated primary contact point-person, which is either Sunnie Johnson-Lain, Senior Director of Services, or 1 of the 3 Conference Support team members listed above. Our Conference Presidents have received a reference document identifying these relationships.
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Celebrating Our Nation's 246th Birthday |
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246! Further proof that time does fly... Those of us of a certain age & experience can recall the patriotic festivities of our country's bicentennial in 1976. (Do you remember Augusta, KY's visibility in the Centennial miniseries aired in 1978-79?)
This weekend, we will celebrate our history, enjoy this moment in time, and ponder the opportunities ahead. Through all of the trials & tribulations that can dominate our thoughts if we so allow, how great it is that we are blessed to live in a society committed to both freedom of choice and unity, including in our religious practices. (And we are all "practicing", right?)
Please not that our NOC will be welcoming & serving our neighbors on Sat, 7/2; closed for the holiday on Mon, 7/4 (along with our Liz Carter Center); and reopening Tues, 7/5, 8am. Our thrift stores will be welcoming shoppers throughout this holiday weekend, including Mon, 7/4, on normal operating hours. Thank you, Thrift Stores Team!
May God bless our nation and all who call it home with peace, safety, wisdom, & respect for the values upon which these United States were founded. Amen.
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More Resources for our Conferences and Neighbors
Conference Assistance Fund (CAF)
We, together, extended $502,123 in total FY2022 CAF assistance for the 8 months ended 5/31/2022.
Our heavy June activity (through Tues, 6/28/2022):
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You've submitted 190 applications
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We've approved 181 applications; 3 were declined; and 1 was withdrawn
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We currently have 24 applications in progress toward approval
We have now fully extended the $80,000 of (augmented) funding available for June. We will begin processing & approving requests again this Fri, 7/1. The recent (last 4 months) pace of CAF submissions exceeds our existing funding commitment. More to come.
Please take note: As shared with all Conference Presidents in April, and revisited during our Conference Presidents Meeting, a Conference must be utilizing CMS to access CAF assistance effective our 10/1/2022 start to FY2023. While there are multiple reasons for this step forward, one of the most exciting is that we are actively seeking to fully integrate our CAF process - from application to assistance extended - within our CMS tool. This should deliver better visibility and efficacy for all.
We offer thanks to those Conferences & their donors who have recently twinned through CAF, to our Conferences & Vincentians who are submitting quality applications, to our volunteers who are processing these applications so promptly, and to Olivia & Alec. We encourage you to fully consider our neighbor's situation and other resources - including community partners & programs and your Conference's own funds - which could be deployed as you discern a request for CAF assistance. This is particularly applicable to neighbor situations where the total $ required exceeds the sum of the assistance you can assemble - and please remember there are other programs available in our community - including ERA cited earlier in this edition - which have provisions for much higher assistance caps.
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 now 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
Conferences will again be invited to submit requests for up to six beds in July. These can be emailed to Gabby at rahebedfund@svdpcincinnati.org this Fri, 7/1 to Wed, 7/6.
Our "new and improved" Conference bed request form (to accommodate up to 6 requests) is now available on the member support and forms page of our website. Here is the direct link to the newly enhanced fillable form:
We will again be partnering with WCPO and Morris Home Furnishings for Morris’s Hope to Dream (formally Day to Dream) event. More information will be coming in mid-July, but we will be looking for children (ages 2-17) in need of a twin bed. If you come across any children who fit this description, you may want to hold onto their bed requests and instead submit adults for your July & August Rahe requests. Hope to Dream will occur at the end of August and participating children will receive their bed and a variety of goodies (including sheets, comforter, pillow, etc.) and have it delivered to their home.
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 Gabby 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.
SafeParish Training
St. Vincent de Paul takes seriously the safety of the children and vulnerable adults who we serve in our ministry. As a Catholic lay organization, we are required to adhere to Safeguarding standards that are consistent with those of our Archdiocese. If you engage with anyone under the age of 18 or with vulnerable adults as part of your work with SVDP, or if you have questions about whether you should complete this training, please reach out to Alec Jewell at ajewell@svdpcincinnati.org for more information on Safeguarding or to register for SafeParish training/background checks. We appreciate your efforts to ensure a safe environment for the neighbors who we serve.
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 this coming Wed, 7/6. 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 will resume standard billing and credit policies, including disconnections for non-payment...and customers may begin receiving disconnection notifications as soon as this week. Actual disconnections will begin taking place in July.
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
There is still a substantial 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 .
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, 8:30am - 3pm, tomorrow (6/30). Please note that our Vision Clinic will be open just 2 Thursdays in July: 7/7 (8:30am - 3pm) & 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
O God, give us the grace to be your disciples:
When the poor are lonely,
may we bring your presence.
When the poor are burdened by worries,
may we bring comfort in your love.
When the poor are sick or in pain,
may we bring your healing and strength.
When the poor come to us,
may they find a listening heart.
Amen.
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