Need for Housing for Refugees

Help a provide a home for refugees fleeing war ravaged and economically devastated lands.  Catholic Charities SW Ohio is looking for apartments and homes to rent and can guarantee payments.

A ‘Refugee’ is a person outside of the United States who seeks protection on a “well-founded fear of persecution or death” in his or her homeland because of race, religion, political opinion, national origin, or membership in a social group.  Internationally, there are an estimated 40 million ”displaced people” with 14 million of them being refugees.  But only 1% of them – roughly 140,000 – will be cleared to escape from squalid and life-threatening conditions in refugee camps to come to freedom and safety.  They come from the far-flung corners of the World – in places such as Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, Congo, and Bhutan – and re-settle in the United States, Western Europe and Australia.

For decades, Catholic Charities SouthWestern Ohio has provided services to refugees coming to the United States to live in Cincinnati.  Our program is now the only refugee resettlement program operating within 100 miles of Cincinnati.

Catholic Charities SW Ohio is a part of the national program operated by Catholic Charities USA who works with the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, and the United States Department of State and Department of Homeland Security.  This program is the largest refugee resettlement program in the nation.

Here in Cincinnati, we annually resettle between 150 and 200 individuals, and provide a broad spectrum of services for as many as 300 individuals.  Among those services:  we facilitate medical assessments and treatment, connect clients with support services, arrange to enroll their children in school, and counsel and connect clients with the means to make their transition from foreign lands to their new lives in Cincinnati.  We work with them as they make their way to citizenship, which they can achieve after five years.

Among the most crucial service we provide is the establishment of a home for our new arrivals. In the current economic environment the inventory of affordable housing at or below market rate for our clients is in ever-diminishing supply -  seriously challenging our ability to serve our clients.

Catholic Charities SW Ohio is looking for rental properties in the Cincinnati area.  If you own a property or know of individuals or businesses that own rental properties, we would like to have a conversation.  We can guarantee the security of the rental payments and the assurance that our refugees will be respectful of the opportunity given to them to come to America to seek safety and freedom for their families.

If you have a rental property or know of a suitable rental property, please contact Norm Solomon at Catholic Charities SW Ohio at 513-241-7745 or nsolomon@catholiccharitiesswo.org.

Photo: two families who arrived in November from Bhutan and have been resettled in the Cincinnati area by Catholic Charities SW Ohio.

Legal & Financial Planning for Long-Term Care Workshop

With long-term care, there are many legal and financial planning issues for both caregivers and care receivers.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish and the Caregivers Assistance Network of Catholic Charities SouthWestern Ohio is offering a free workshop on Wednesday, February 29th from 7:00-8:30pm to address long-term care legal and financial planning issues.

Rebecca Goodman, an experienced elder law attorney, will address the financial and legal impact of caregiving on caregivers and care receivers, including Medicaid eligibility, living wills, the power of attorney, advance directives, and how an elder law attorney can help you.  She will offer practical suggestions on preparing well in advance to meet these challenges.

The workshop will be held at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish (Undercroft-Presentation Room) at 4366 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211.

For more information, call Margaret Iannacci at 513-241-7745 or email at miannaci@catholiccharitiesswo.org.

Our 98th Anniversary

On February 14, 1914, the Bureau of Catholic Charities and Social Services was formed in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati by Archbishop Henry Moeller to help with recovery and assistance needs created as the result of the 1913 flood.

The agency has provided a broad range of services since its inception.  In the early years, the staff worked closely with St. Vincent DePaul volunteers in providing material assistance for the poor and was concerned with providing services for immigrant families coming to America. The Bureau became incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in February, 1924.

The programs of the agency have evolved over the years, but the mission stays the same – to respond to the teachings of Christ by providing services to advance the dignity and welfare of people in need.

On February 14, 2012, the agency celebrated its 98th Anniversary.  The main office staff had a small celebration to commemorate the occasion (see above) and presented Kathleen Donnellan, the agency’s Chief Executive Officer, with a 98th Anniversary cake (see left).

The agency will soon begin plans to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the agency on February 14, 2014.

Blankets to Warm Refugees

Refugees experience the warmth of Christ through blankets donated to Catholic Charities by parishoners in Cincinnati.

When refugees come to the United States, they are often arriving with very little in the way of possesssions.  They are arriving from United Nations refugee camps in war-torn and economically devastated places, such as Bhutan, Congo, Somalia and Ethiopia.  They are forced to flee their country of origin due to fear of death or persecution.  They are brought to the U.S., accepted by the federal government, and welcomed into communities throughout the nation.

They also tend to come from warm, tropical climates.

So, imagine what it must be like for them to end up in Cincinnati in the dead of winter.

One of the most needed and desired items for refugees in Cincinnati is a simple blanket – something to keep them from shivering through a Queen City winter’s night.

Responding to this need, the Refugee Resettlement Program of Catholic Charities decided to solicit the help of the parish community in our service area.  We asked parishes to spread the word that we needed new or gently used blankets to provide a warm bed for the incoming refugee families.

The response was tremendous.

More than thirteen parishes collected and donated blankets.  A number of generous individuals brought blankets anonymously to the agency’s offices.  St. Columban Parish (Loveland) provided a number of handmade blankets through its Quilting for a Cause initiative.  The children of St. Francis de Sales Parish (Lebanon) made a large number of colorful handmade fleece items (see above).

The warmth of the blankets is essential for our families but the warmth of the welcome from the local parishes is equally important.

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)

Empty Bowls of Champaign County

The 1st Annual Empty Bowls of Champaign County was very successful in raising funds for the Second Harvest Food Bank and awareness of the plight of the hungry in our community.

For the past 17 years, Catholic Charities SouthWestern Ohio, through its Second Harvest Food Bank, has held its “Empty Bowls” event at Wittenberg University.  The event raises money for the Food Bank, while raising awareness for those who go hungry . . . for those who have “empty bowls.”

The bowls are made and painted by Wittenberg students and sold to the benefactors attending the event.  Local restaurants are recruited to make and serve the soup that goes into the bowls.  The event has always been a great success.

This year, the Food Bank decided to hold a similar event at Urbana University.  On January 26th, 350 people attended the 1st Annual Empty Bowls of Champaign County.  450 bowls were made and painted by Urbana students and sold at the event (see above).  12 local restaurants served their signature soups, ranging in taste from the potato dill pickle soup to the roasted corn chowder.  Altogether, the restaurants served 75 gallons of soup.  Bobby D’s, a local bakery, pitched in and served more than 30 loaves of their garlic basil bread and dinner rolls.  Adding to the evening, the TAC Choir* performed for the diners. 

The event will be held again next year and the 18th Annual Wittenberg Empty Bowls event is planned for March 22nd.  For more information, contact Anna Plataniotis at (937) 325-8715 or aplataniotis@catholiccharitiesswo.org.

(The TAC Choir is made up of individuals who participate in the TAC Enterprises program, which is a not-for-profit organization that provides life skills, meaningful employment, and housing connections to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.)

Coming of Age

On Thursday, February 2nd, Mike Dutle was interviewed on the Impact Cincinnati program on WVXU.  He is the director of our Coming of Age program.  For the interview, go to this link and to learn more about the program go to this link.

The Coming of Age program is designed to help those who are 50+ to explore their future, as well as connect and contribute through paid and unpaid opportunities in their communities.  The program also provides training to nonprofits about how to build their capacity to capture the energy and expertise of this population; and programs for corporations to include in their retirement planning services for their employees.

For more information, please contact Mike Dutle at 513-241-7745 x2524 or mdutle@catholiccharitiesswo.org.