Franciscan Ministries' Newsletter - Fall / Winter 2019

FALL/WINTER 2019

The Begging Bowl Newsletter

The Power of Partnerships

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he ability to partner with other agencies is key to the five programs of Franciscan Ministries. One in particular, Tamar’s Center, depends on strong partnerships to deliver services to women living in poverty and homelessness.

Tamar’s Center is a day shelter program located in Over-the-Rhine for women experiencing homelessness who are victims of sex trafficking. The Center meets the basic needs of our clients by providing the women with food, access to bathroom facilities and a place to rest. In addition, Tamar’s Center connects clients to social service agencies, hospitals and treatment programs.

“Many of our clients have been homeless for years and have never engaged with social service programs,” said Estelle McNair, center director. “To address this

Haircuts from the Heart

issue, we partner with agencies to bring their services to our clients here at Tamar’s Center. We act as a service connector hub where clients can sign up for a medical card, receive an HIV test or enroll in a drug treatment program in the safety and comfort of the center,” she explained.

New to Tamar’s Center is The Exchange Project, a public health initiative of the Hamilton County Public Health Department. It is a Harm Reduction Program that encourages clients to exchange dirty needles for clean ones in order to reduce the spread of HIV and Hepatitis. The Exchange Project also offers influenza and Hepatitis A vaccinations, HIV tests and entry into drug treatment programs.

Tamar's Center

Centennial Barn

Through the Tau House program, groups of volunteers, mostly high school-aged and up, flow through Cincinnati helping at about 18 varied service sites. They are housed at St. Clement Parish with overflow groups going to St. Columban Parish when needed. Tau House Director Marci Peebles said without these partners the program would not be possible. “These are groups of young people who want to help. Through Tau House, they learn about different service organizations, ranging from home building, shelters, food banks and more,” Peebles said.

Other partners and their services include: • Salvation Army Human Trafficking provides blankets, food, bus passes and case management.

• FreeStore Food Bank helps clients with medical insurance and provides vouchers for birth certificates and state identification cards.

• Caracole provides housing and case management for clients who are living with HIV. • Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services addresses mental illness and helps clients with housing.

“Some clients know these services exist but may not know what to do, so at Tamar’s Center we bring the services to them and help them get the process started so they can begin to rebuild their lives,” McNair said.

Tau House

Community Garden

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Message from the Executive Director Partnerships Make It Work At Franciscan Ministries we often think of ourselves as small but mighty. We know our impact is made greater through our work with others in the community, from nonprofit and government agency partners to our dedicated volunteers. We value them all.

Franciscan Ministries has five distinct programs that support the mission to address the unmet needs of the underserved. Each of them has partnerships with organizations that provide the means for us to do our work, or have similar goals that help us coordinate and extend the reach of our services.

Franciscan Ministries Inc. is a nonprofit human service organization with five distinct programs that support our mission to address the unmet needs of people who are underserved, vulnerable, and overlooked.

Programs include Tamar’s Center, offering first response care to women who are victims of human trafficking and suffer with addiction, Haircuts from the Heart, providing hair care for people in need, Tau House offering service experiences for youth, The Garden, hosting a community of local and refugee gardeners and Centennial Barn, a gathering place for meetings and celebrations and the location of our administrative office.

Visit us at www.FranciscanMinistriesInc.org

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The ending of one program, Our Lady of the Woods (OLW), stirs many emotions. We are proud of the service provided for many years by our dedicated, caring staff. We are appreciative of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor for seeing a need, founding OLW, then helping to subsidize rent for up to 20 residents at a time, over a period of almost 30 years.

At the same time, with the help of our board, we recognize that healthy organizations are those that can adapt and embrace change, and seek ways to continuously grow and improve. This can mean making hard decisions, like letting go of a longtime service, in order to grow and evolve in new meaningful ways.

One of the ways we grow beyond our boundaries is through community partnerships. Another is embracing help from our volunteers and benefactors. Franciscan Ministries and the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor are grateful to them all.

TO OUR PARTNERS: THANK YOU! While not an exhaustive list, we want to acknowledge some of our key partners.

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Cincinnati Area Senior Services

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Philippus United Church of Christ

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Civic Garden Center

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Saint Clement Parish

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Caracole

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Saint Columban Parish

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The Exchange Project, Hamilton County Public Health Department

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Saint Francis Seraph Ministries

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Cincinnati Police

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Salvation Army Human Trafficking

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Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women

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Springfield Township

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FreeStore Food Bank

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The Peddler Thrift Shop

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GCBH-Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services

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Strategies to End Homelessness

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Turner Farms

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Heartfelt Tidbits

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Women of Alabaster

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Mary Magdalen House

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Paul Mitchell Hair Schools

Join Franciscan Ministries and friends for our annual fall fundraiser Bubbles and Brew at the Barn: Fun for a Cause, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, October 19, at Centennial Barn. The evening offers food, fun and entertainment in support of our mission to address the unmet needs of people in our community.

“We rely on help from the community so this event is a highlight of the year.

It’s when we show our supporters appreciation with a fun-filled evening,” said Elaine Ward, Executive Director of Franciscan Ministries.

Relax on the beautiful campus grounds while enjoying wine and beer. An array of hors d’oeuvres will be available and a special wine and food pairings station will help develop your palate. Purchase

opportunities will be available. There will also be a silent auction, gift baskets and raffles in which to participate.

Entertainment comes in the form of the Lady Joya Rhythm and Blues Band, the latest project for Cincinnati favorite Lady Joya. Dubbed “The angel of blues” by her fans, Lady Joya is backed by five top-notch, seasoned musicians.

Tickets are $25, and include complimentary wine and beer, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, and access to all activities in the barn and on the grounds.

Bubbles and Brew at the Barn supports Franciscan Ministries, including the ministries’ work with women on the streets at Tamar’s Center, with people who cannot afford

basic hair care through Haircuts from the Heart, The Community Garden helping refugees feed their families, and through youth volunteers from our Tau House program.

Bubbles and Brew at The Barn 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sat., October 19, 2019 Centennial Barn 110 Compton Road

Join us for the Annual Blessing of the Pets Franciscan Ministries is pleased to offer the annual Blessing of Pets in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and his respect for all living things this October.

Officiating is Fr. Dan Anderson of Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province.

While an obvious good time for dogs, pets such as cats, who are unaccustomed to leashes, can be blessed while remaining in their travel kennels.

Organizations around the world celebrate the annual Blessing of the Pets, started by St. Francis of Assisi more than 700 years ago.

Revered as the patron saint of animals, St. Francis exhibited a great love of the environment and all creatures.

He is known for abandoning his life of luxury to devote himself to the church, forming the Franciscan Order and other contributions.

11 a.m., Sat., October 5, 2019 St. Clare Campus

80 Compton Road St. Clare Chapel Steps (look for signs) Fr. Dan Anderson, OFM officiating

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Franciscan Ministries, Inc. 110 Compton Road Cincinnati, OH 45215

Saying Goodbye to Our Lady of the Woods

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he Board of Franciscan Ministries Inc., has made the difficult decision to close Our Lady of the Woods (OLW) independent living facility based in White Oak. Throughout the summer, residents were assisted to ensure a smooth transition to new homes that are right for each individual.

“As of mid-September, most residents have moved,” said Elaine Ward, executive director of Franciscan Ministries. “We have arranged for remaining residents, who might be struggling to find a suitable option, to have individual help from Cincinnati Area Senior Services in navigating their search to find a setting that best meets their needs,” Ward added, noting that the facility will remain open until all residents are settled.

“The board’s decision was strategic for the organization. It will allow us to focus energy on emerging needs in our work with women who are on the streets,” Ward said.

The closing is supported by the leadership of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, who sponsors Franciscan Ministries.

“The Franciscan Ministries mission is to meet the unmet needs of people who are underserved, vulnerable and overlooked.

When Our Lady of the Woods was founded 27 years ago, there was a need for independent living facilities for low income adults,” said Ward.

There are no immediate plans for the building as it still serves residents, though eventually it will be sold with proceeds supporting the mission of Franciscan Ministries, Inc.

“Over the years, the array of elder care options has grown immensely to include programs and settings that address the full spectrum of older adult needs. These services and facilities now surpass what we are able to offer through OLW,” she added.

Founded in 1992 by Sr. Antonita Mettert, OLW is operated in a former convent.

The leadership of Franciscan Ministries determined it is not feasible to transform the facility to keep pace with best practices in the field.

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