Letter from the Executive Director
The St. Vincent de Paul Society in Dayton is a community of stories, built on individual accompaniment and focused on affirming everyone’s humanity with the greatest material needs: clothing, food, and shelter.
Our annual report this year focuses on several stories of accompaniment, service, and hope, all made possible through community and individual support from donors like you!
For over 70 years the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has quietly ministered in the Miami Valley, and today we continue building community as we always have – one person at a time, with authentic relationships in mutual respect and engagement with one another.
Thank you for your interest and support of our work, as we witness a servant’s love for one another.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Michael Vanderburgh
Executive Director
Since God is satisfied with our good will and honest efforts, let us also be satisfied with the outcome He gives to them, and our actions will never be without good results.
–St. Vincent de Paul
How You Helped Brenda When Life Knocked Her Down
“I’ve never been evicted, never been homeless, and never been in a shelter. The setback was hard.”
Brenda always liked to work hard, but her busy life came to a standstill one fateful Sunday morning in March of 2021. She woke up to go in to work for overtime, but she couldn’t feel her right leg. When she tried to stand, she kept falling. She called into work and sought medical help.
Doctors gave her pain medication and a walker, but it was nearly six months before they found the cause of the issue. Eventually, her pain was so severe that her doctor ordered an MRI. The MRI showed scoliosis, and arthritis on two vertebrae in her spine that were compressing her nerves.
While her condition persisted, she was unable to work at all. “I exhausted all work options,” she says. “PTO, sick leave, FMLA, everything. At the end of July, I got my last check. I got an eviction notice in August. This on top of everything else impacted my mental health.”
She fought the eviction but lost her case. She didn’t have anywhere to go from there. “I have kids, but I couldn’t stay with them because they have stairs,” she explains. With no other options, Brenda came to St. Vincent’s Women and Families Shelter. “I’ve never been evicted, never been homeless, and never been in a shelter. The setback was hard.”
At St. Vincent’s, she found herself humbled. She states, “God set me down to work on my patience, to slow down. God said, 'be still and work on you.'” She met a group of women from a local church, and they picked her up every Sunday so she could join them in worship. She spent more time in prayer, meditating, and reading her Bible. She started her days journaling, writing down what she needed to get done and offering her day to God.
She worked hard to find housing. She says, “I stayed focused, kept putting in applications. I would go to the computer and look up subsidized housing, call them, and apply with my case manager.” With the help of her case manager, she finally found housing. This allowed her to also get the much-needed surgery to correct the arthritis on her spine. She was thrilled to have a place to go after her surgery to recover. “I’ll keep praising God and reading my Bible,” she says.
Here's How You Made a Difference in 2021:
2021 Financial Report
Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life...all of our life.
- Henri Nouwen
The many individuals and organizations supporting St. Vincent de Paul are inspired to respond with love to those in need. We are likewise inspired by your generosity and pledge to be conscientious stewards of the resources that are entrusted to us. In 2021, administrative costs accounted for only 9% of our total expenses, with 91 cents of every dollar invested into our ministries. This is possible only through the service of hundreds of volunteers and the material goods donated by our community. Thank you!
Income.
While government funding and our ownership of the Job Center are significant sources of income, we simply could not do our work without the financial support of private individuals. Thank you for your support of our mission.
Expense.
As you can see from the graph, expenses are focused on feeding, clothing, and sheltering our neighbors in the Miami Valley.
Giving Back to Build Community: How Three Former Shelter Guests Pay it Forward
“If they call on us, we will be there.”
“This place absolutely changed my life,” says Gary, a resident at DePaul Center supportive housing. He and two fellow residents, Steve and Todd, all men of different backgrounds, have banded together to help improve community life at DePaul. Steve explains, “I’ve been in and out of Dayton for most of my life. Whenever I need help, St. Vincent’s has taken care of me, so I’m doing the same in return.”
Steve goes on to describe the group: “We are the Machine. We are the Clydesdales of the DePaul.” With a chuckle, Gary follows up on Steve’s statement explaining, “The three of us help out with anything. If they call on us, we will be there.”
Among other things, these three volunteer their time to keep the food pantry at DePaul running smoothly for the other 40+ residents of the building. With the continued help of the trio and staff, the pantry has become an organized staple of life at DePaul. Todd observes, “The pantry used to be really unorganized. It was just chaos. Little by little we got it so everyone can get what they need and have the opportunity to shop.”
On Tuesdays, the day of the food delivery, Steve goes to the food bank with DePaul Center staff to help load the truck. Anyone can help with the loading and unloading. Once all the food is unloaded at DePaul, Gary, Steve, and Todd sort it out and then residents and even former residents can come get what they need. The “Clydesdales” stay through all of this, from start to finish, and clean up once everyone has gotten what they need.
While the community food pantry has improved for residents, a little library has also quietly grown in their lobby. When Todd found his own place at DePaul, he didn’t take it for granted. Instead, he felt “a sense of responsibility. It’s an opportunity to better yourself, a chance to reflect on who you are as a person.” As an avid reader, he began collecting books from free sources around town. His collection slowly overflowed, so he started stacking books in crates in the lobby to share with the other residents. Staff noticed and found some bookshelves for him to use.
Food always has a way of bringing people together, and here at DePaul, it’s food for the bellies and food for thought.
Organizational Profile
Two boards have oversight responsibility for St. Vincent de Paul.
The Dayton District Council (DDC) Board of Trustees
Coordinates the activities of more than 30 Conferences in our region and focuses on the spiritual growth of its Vincentian members through friendship and service to neighbors in need. The DDC Board also has ultimate financial policymaking authority for all the activities of St. Vincent de Paul.
The St. Vincent de Paul Community Board
Has oversight responsibility for Special Works ministries-the two shelters for the homeless, permanent supportive housing programs, transitional housing programs, our thrift stores, and the Community Furniture Bank.
Community Board
St. Vincent de Paul Social Services, Inc. and St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Enterprises, Inc.
- President: Mike Fink
- Vice President: Michael McGraw
- Treasurer: Dennis Wolters
- Secretary: Tony Ciani
- Allan Crasto
- Larry Hickland
- Louis Lunne
- Kelly McCracken
- William Michel
- Jeff Mullins
- Clare Thielen
- Matt Graybill
- Michael E. Vanderburgh
DDC Board of Trustees
Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Dayton, Ohio, Inc.
Officers
President: Matt Graybill
Vice President: Bonnie Vitangeli
Treasurer: Dennis Wolters
Secretary: Marsha Hess
Spiritual Advisor: Clyde Golden
Trustees
Larry Simpson, Ascension
Pat Gill, Corpus Christi
William Burkhart, Emmanuel
Joan Andersen, Holy Angels (Dayton)
Ken Knapke, Holy Angels (Sidney)
Candy Huttinger, Incarnation
Tom Boland, Mary, Help of Christians
Rose Schultz, Our Lady of Good Hope
Mieke Clark, Our Lady of Mercy
Carol Adamson, Our Lady, Mother of Refugees
Vickie Tischler, Our Lady of the Rosary
Louann Geel, Queen Of Martyrs
John Malas, St. Albert the Great
Mary Cox, St. Anthony
Barb Maichle, St. Augustine (Germantown)
Kate Heminger, St. Augustine (Waynesville)
Tom Forsthoefel, St. Brigid (Xenia)
Cheryl Pothast, St. Denis/Holy Family/Immaculate Conception
Keith St. Pierre, St. Francis of Assisi
Fran O'Shaughnessy, St. Helen
Steve Brandell, St. Henry
Gary Miller, St. Luke
Moira Pfeifer, St. Mary of the Assumption Springboro
Sandy Gehret, St. Michael - Sts. Peter & Paul
John Tishaus, St. Patrick (Troy)
Carolyn Yankel, St. Peter
Brother Tim Cahill, St. Peter (Youth)
Pat Lewis, St. Rita/St. Paul/Precious Blood
Tom Doseck, St. Remy (Russia)
Ella Glabus, University of Dayton
Mary Pat Golden, Urban Outreach Center
Blessed With a Second Chance
“I love each and every one of you. It took everybody to do this: the staff, counselors, the people that have donated their time and their money and their efforts, it’s overwhelming.”
When James became homeless over a year ago, he says, “I felt belittled, like I had failed, like I was unworthy, like I was lost. I had lost hope.” He came to St. Vincent’s Men’s Shelter and found what he’d been missing: the encouragement to make a change.
It didn’t happen overnight. Having struggled with addiction since he was about 12 years old, he was not immediately ready to receive the help that was offered to him at the shelter. “I was just sitting there fighting what was helping me,” he says. “God works in mysterious ways, but man, He delivers.”
He explains that Mark Danis, St. Vincent’s Director of Spirituality, spent many hours counseling him. “When I needed to talk to somebody, there was Mark. He gave me that fatherly love that you need. He picked me up somehow. I don’t know how he did it.” Mark set him up for a 30-day treatment program, and James admits that he can finally see and think more clearly after completing treatment.
“Things started to come together quickly after that,” he says. He was finally able to follow his case manager’s instructions to take the steps needed to find his own place, and now he has. “When I got that apartment, my case manager broke down and started crying, and I did too. This is really happening. I’m so tickled, I’m like a kid at Christmas again.”
Though he is thrilled to have his own place to call home again, he says, “I don’t want to just stop here.” He explained that he wants to come back to donate his time, and one day become a counselor. “There are so many guys here that are unique and talented in their own ways. The world’s a better place with them in it. They just need to get that jumpstart.”
More than anything, he wants to share his heartfelt gratitude: “You guys are all a blessing. I love each and every one of you. It took everybody to do this: the staff, counselors, the people that have donated their time and their money and their efforts, it’s overwhelming. I was in a situation where I had nothing, and everything that I’ve got now has been given to me through you. I just want to tell the donors, thank you for everything that you have done. Without you I wouldn’t be sitting here, now I’ve got a second chance.”
Stepping Stones to a New Beginning
Watch Scotty share his story about how St. Vincent de Paul made a difference in his life trajectory. Scotty had been battling addiction for many years, and after a relapse, he found himself homeless.
But, for the first time, Scotty had hope – hope that is not possible without donors like you.
To read more stories like these throughout the year and stay up-to-date on what is happening at St. Vincent de Paul, sign up for our email newsletter!
St. Vincent de Paul
124 W Apple Street
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 222-5555