Community Impacts Require Community Efforts
Franciscan Ministries, Inc. is dedicated to its mission of addressing the needs of people who are underserved, vulnerable, and overlooked. But, this work is not done in isolation.
From its inception, Franciscan Ministries has recognized how critical collaboration with other nonprofits is to expand the reach of its programs, leverage resources, and bolster advocacy for those unseen and in need. Ed Slater is the Chief Administrative Officer/Volunteer Coordinator with the Center for Respite Care, which serves individuals experiencing homelessness and acute medical issues. He frames the idea of collaboration among local nonprofits in this way, “Partnerships show the high value of leadership, planning, and what combined efforts do” in serving those in need.
These partnerships are central to Franciscan Ministries’ ethos and their value is shown in the expansive number of people the agency can serve.
Tau House
Tau House offers youth and young adult groups the opportunity to spend a week living in simple community while volunteering their service each day with nonprofit partners across the city.
Everyone benefits. Youth and young adults gain a sense of accomplishment, experience personal growth, and expand their understanding of the world beyond their neighborhood.
Franciscan Ministries’ nonprofit partners receive valuable, hands-on help that expands their capacity to serve clients. Tau House currently counts 18 different nonprofits that serve all types of constituencies. In one week, young volunteers might have the chance to provide meals for the homeless, assist with transforming vacant buildings into livable properties, or organize donations of clothing and furniture for families in need.
Area partners note that the added hands are incredibly helpful. Connie Stalf, Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager for New Life Furniture Bank, says that with Tau House “[w]e usually start the group off in the morning assisting our drives on client deliveries, then return to our Community Center for lunch, and in the afternoon either work in our Community Center or our Thrift Store. We are not usually able to have groups with us for the entire day so we’re happy to have Tau volunteers - they accomplish so much during their visits with us!” Stalf notes that the volunteer labor of Tau students is valued at $31 per hour, helping to offset labor costs and shortages. All of this ensures that individuals and families working to overcome homelessness, escape domestic abuse, and extreme poverty, among other circumstances receive the help they need.
Haircuts from the Heart
Haircuts from the Heart’s mission is a simple concept, providing basic haircare to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. However, as Ed Slater with Center for Respite Care puts it, for our men and women, who are homeless and in need of medical care, “having their hair done through Haircuts from the Heart is a transformative experience.”
The Haircuts program leverages its partnerships with nonprofits across the city to provide haircare through its mobile unit to both adults and children. Lighthouse Youth Services provides housing and crisis intervention services to those aged 10-24. Kelly Dunnigan, Vice President of Homeless Youth Services says that “we are extremely grateful to Margarita (our stylist) who comes to the Sheakley Center twice a month to provide haircuts for our youth. The youth at Lighthouse are experiencing a lot of change and stress by being in a homeless shelter. Many lack the income necessary to take care of their appearance in the way they would like. The haircuts offered to them at no charge boost their confidence and help to prepare them for their next steps.”
She goes on to say that beyond the hair services provided, Haircuts from the Heart’s stylist, Margarita, provides a welcoming, friendly face to clients and staff. Dunnigan says “Many times youth just want to hang out in the room with her (Margarita) and don’t even need a haircut. That speaks volumes to the positive environment that she brings and how welcoming she is to youth of all backgrounds.”
Tamar’s Center
Tamar’s Center has long relied on partnerships to serve women in need. Collaboration with other service providers was critical, as the needs of women coming into the shelter were complex
and the level of support needed was broader than any one agency. Tamar’s worked with agencies like Freestore Foodbank, Caracole, Tender Mercies, New Life Furniture, and Our Daily Bread to provide women with food, shelter, medical, and other services to meet the myriad needs of individual women.
As Tamar’s is in the process of evolving its original service model, staff have used these same relationships as sounding boards to identify additional program opportunities, discuss neighborhood-specific needs in Lower Price Hill, and drive planning work. Their advice, time, and knowledge of the community and its needs have been invaluable.
Community Garden
The Community Garden is a unique space for Franciscan Ministries to offer service to the community. Making use of the large green space next to St. Clare Convent, Franciscan Ministries offers growing space for community gardeners, hosting 108 gardeners. Seventy-three percent (73%) of the gardeners are immigrants from Bhutan and other countries.
Franciscan Ministries’ main partner for the Community Garden is Heartfelt Tidbits, whose mission is to support refugees and recent immigrants by facilitating integration and self-sufficiency through education, cultural, and employment-enhancing programming. Sheryl Rajbhandari, Executive Director says that the garden is “more than a pay for a plot.” Franciscan Ministries is “interested in a partnership where there’s a focus on building friendships and an exchange of knowledge and culture.”
The Garden provides fresh produce to hungry families, builds community, supports cultural acclimation and awareness, and educates community members about sustainable farming practices from near and far.
Haircuts from the Heart Wins Neighborhood Partner of the Year Award
Franciscan Ministries Haircuts from the Heart program won the Tender Mercies’ 2024 Neighborhood Partner of the Year award. So far this year, the collaboration between Tender Mercies and Franciscan Ministries’ Haircuts from the Heart has provided 120 haircuts through August to residents across 3 sites in greater Cincinnati.
In addition to Tender Mercies, Haircuts from the Heart currently has 33 sites across 22 agencies, based within Cincinnati social service agencies and non-profits such as Ronald McDonald House, Lighthouse Youth Services, Center for Respite Care, Hospice of Cincinnati, and Bethany House.
Grateful: Franciscan Peddler Continues Generous Support to Franciscan Ministries
Thank you to the Franciscan Peddler Thrift Store for their recent donation of over $12,300 to benefit Franciscan Ministries programs!
The Peddler offers a variety of gently used clothing, shoes, home goods, and more. Proceeds directly benefit Franciscan Ministries programs like Haircuts from the Heart, Tau House, the Community Garden, and Tamar’s Place. Thanks for shopping!
Support Haircuts from the Heart Work with Kids Today!
A fresh haircut can do wonders for a student’s self-esteem and confidence. Your donation helps Haircuts from the Heart provide basic hair care to kids ages 5-18 whose families may be unable to afford it.
Haircuts from the Heart partners with area schools, churches, and social service agencies to distribute vouchers for free basic hair care to students in need. Vouchers can be redeemed at partner salons and shops which are then reimbursed by Franciscan Ministries.
To donate, use the QR code to the right or visit Franciscan Ministries website and click on DONATE.
Above: Hair stylist Margarita Wilson and FM Director of Operations Marci Peebles accepted the award at Tender Mercies’ annual meeting in August 2024.
Franciscan Ministries, Inc.
110 Compton Road
Cincinnati, OH 45215
Welcome to Franciscan Ministries’ New Executive Director
Franciscan Ministries, Inc. is pleased to welcome Holly J. James as its new Executive Director. Holly comes to us with significant leadership experience in non-profit organizations having served as Director, SW Regional Operations of the Children’s Hunger Alliance and as President/Executive Director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati.
“We are so very pleased to welcome Holly as our Executive Director,” said Jason Bruns, Board Chair of the Franciscan Ministries, Inc. Board of Directors. “Holly brings leadership skills, energy, and creativity to the organization’s programs and a deep commitment to the Mission of Franciscan Ministries and the greater Cincinnati community.”
Holly has a Master of Arts in Public Administration from George Mason University, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University, and most recently a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Xavier University.