St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
SERVING THOSE IN NEED SINCE 1853
November 2026
Thankful for a Second Chance: One Veteran’s Road to Redemption It’s been said, “We all make mistakes in this life, but we’re afforded the opportunity of redemption.” An Army Veteran, Dedrick attempted suicide a few years ago. “I just thought all I was going to be was a drug addict. I just accepted my fate. I didn’t care, to be honest, if I lived or if I died,” said Dedrick, who is 54 years old. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, nearly 6,500 veterans died by suicide in 2024, which is nearly 18 per day. Dedrick was afforded the opportunity of redemption.
“It took me for a whirlwind for a very long time. I thought I had it under control. I lost things, but I never hit rock bottom until I got older.”
Dedrick was raised only a couple of blocks from our campus in Shelby Park. His father was a paramedic for more than three decades, while his mother was a career administrator. “I grew up around structure. I had a great upbringing,” Dedrick said. Serving our country was in Dedrick’s DNA. “The whole experience is something that I wanted,” Dedrick added. “I had four uncles who served in the military. One of them was a tanker. I used to go out to Fort Knox when I was a teenager and watch the tanks perform drills.”
At 18-years-old, Dedrick enrolled in the military as a chemical operations specialist from 1991 to 1995. He was discharged due to medical reasons. “It was kind of hard to transition back to civilian life. I thought I was untouchable,” he said. “I kind of lost my way … and bounced around for a long time.” A decades-long addiction to drugs stole some of the best years of his life. “Drugs took my youth, my ability to be more successful, I lost some people that I care about, a lot of my memories, and it made me numb emotionally to a lot of things,” Dedrick said. In 2023, a childhood friend invited Dedrick to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. That started the “foundation to press forward.” In July 2025, Dedrick and his fiancé, who had rented a home for several years, were forced to move out due to medical and financial struggles. While researching resources for Veterans, he was able to avoid the streets and move into our VA Grants Per Diem (GPD) Program. “I found St. Vincent and Ms. Gloria Mucker (a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the VA and our VA GPD Liaison). She was an angel. I love her because she really cares,” Dedrick added. Since July 2003, we have operated the VA GDP Program, which is transitional housing that provides 20 beds for Veterans and case management services. “I loved the program,” he said. “I was thankful, but I was never comfortable. When I got home from work ... I was glad to have a place to lay my head.” A Second Chance at Life During Dedrick’s stay at SVDP, one of our staff members received a call at his office from a concerned family member. The family member had not spoken with
Dedrick in a few days, and wanted us to check on him. A staff member alerted our team that Dedrick had been immobile in his room for three days after a series of seizures. We called 911, and he was transported to the hospital for treatment and recovery.
“The doctor told me if I hadn’t been found when I was ... I could have lost my life.”
In August, we were able to help Dedrick move into a one-bedroom apartment near Churchill Downs. “I love it, especially coming from there I have a different appreciation for the little things,” Dedrick said. Dedrick now works as an ambassador for Block by Block, ensuring the area is safe and conducting welfare checks on the unhoused. On Nov. 15, Dedrick celebrates two years of sobriety. “You don’t have to be ashamed to go through something,” Dedrick added. “You have to do the work, and there’s a rainbow at the end for yourself. It just depends on how bad you want it.”
Staying Connected to the Mission: Board Alumni Forms
The Good Samaritan The monthly newsletter of St. Vincent de Paul Louisville Send correspondence to PO Box 17126, Louisville, KY 40217-0126 Please contact us at (502) 584-2480 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Jennifer Clark CEO & Executive Director Jamie Noon Chief Advancement Officer jnoon@svdplou.org Tony Nochim Communications & PR Coordinator tnochim@svdplou.org Chelsea Cruz Volunteer Engagement Coordinator ccruz@svdplou.org
Our Mission We house, feed, and support those in need with compassion and dignity.
Support SVDP To find out more about our work or make a donation, visit our website.
svdplouky St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
This fall, several former St. Vincent de Paul Louisville board members carried on the tradition of being involved in the mission, officially forming the Board Alumni. “That spirit doesn’t just stop when a Board term ends,” Larry Blandford said. “Many have continued volunteering in multiple ways, though we haven’t organized that activity to make it easy or to maintain a connection on how SVDP is evolving to meet the mission.” The main goal is to facilitate Board Alumni to stay involved.
“I want to continue advocating for SVDP with those I meet. To have these connections for both volunteering and engaging on current SVDP topics provides a basis to do so.” —Larry Blandford, SVDP Board Member, 2008 to 2025
The Board’s commitment has helped shape the organization we are today and continues to make a lasting impact on our neighbors in need. “Serving on the Board of St. Vincent de Paul is a privilee that brings you close to our mission, our neighbors, and the people who make this work possible,” said Jamie Noon, Chief Advancement Officer. “That connection doesn’t end when board service does, and I love that we’re creating more opportunities for our board alumni
to stay connected through volunteering, philanthropy, and sharing our work with others.” There were a couple of recent opportunities for the Board Alumni to connect. • On Monday, Sept. 14, Blandford, Jim Williams, and Deacon Scott Haner served lunch at the Open Hand Kitchen. • On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the Board Alumni gathered at The Last Refuge for an evening of fellowship and organizational updates. The Last Refuge is in the exclusive refurbished upper sanctuary of a 145-year-old former church in NuLu. The program consisted of several SVDP staff members and guest speaker George Eklund, Director of Education and Advocacy for the Coalition for the Homeless. For those who have served on the Board, your leadership helped build the foundation for the work we do today. Thank you for your continued commitment to SVDP Louisville. If you are a former Board member and would like to get involved, reach out to Jamie at jnoon@svdplou.org.
Give the Gift of Hope: 30th Annual Santa Shop & More
At St. Vincent de Paul Louisville, the holidays bring a special spirit of generosity to our campus. There are countless ways to make a difference in our community. Whether you purchase a child’s most-wanted gift through our annual Santa Shop, serve a slice of pumpkin pie at our Thanksgiving meal, or make a financial gift, you become part of something bigger.
“My three children would not have had Christmas without this. It helps to be able to ask for what my children need versus what someone wants to buy them.”
—Michelle, housing program resident Your holiday support for families like Michelle’s is such a meaningful tradition, reminding us of the words of Jesus in Acts 20:35: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Together, we can bring hope during the holidays. The 30th Annual Santa Shop For many of the parents or guardians we serve, Christmas morning can feel out of reach. For the past 30 years, Santa Shop has existed to change that—to make sure that every child we serve wakes up on Christmas morning to gifts that our supporters and conferences cared about enough to choose specifically for them. This year, we expect to serve roughly 400 children in our housing programs and through our conference outreach. If you are interested in shopping for a child (infant to 17-years-old), you can fill out a form and we will match you with a specific wish list to purchase gifts at
UPCOMING EVENTS at ST. VINCENT DE PAUL LOUISVILLE
approximately $100-150 per child. Wish list sign-ups are first come, first served. If you would like to serve, we have several shifts available for our three family distribution days on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m.; and Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m.
You’re Invited! Serve at 30th Annual Santa Shop December 12, 14, & 16
Serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas During the holidays, the Open Hand Kitchen serves a special lunch on Thanksgiving and Christmas for residents on our campus and those in the community. These meals will include all the usual holiday fixings like ham, turkey, and scrumptious sides or desserts. Support our Holiday Cheer Campaign Your financial gift to SVDP’s Holiday Cheer Campaign supports families in need this holiday season by providing meals, housing, and hope. There are opportunities available for general donations and sponsorship levels. Stock the Shelves This holiday season, we expect to serve 2,200 households through our Food Pantry and 500 meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We invite you to partner with us to stock the shelves. This includes a specific list of holiday food needs to help us provide meals and groceries for families facing food insecurity. Scan the QR code or visit www. svdplou.org/holidays to be taken to our “Holidays with SVDP” webpage to view available opportunities.
Our thanks to Louisville Metro Government for their support
November Podcast Commissioner Whitney Allen, Kentucky Dept. of Veterans Affairs In this month’s episode, Commissioner Allen talks about how he and his team help local veterans with government benefits, stable housing, and suicide prevention. >>> www.svdplou.org/svdp-podcast
Holiday Stock the Shelves During the holidays, you can support families facing food insecurity. We have provided you with a specific list of holiday food needs to help us provide meals or groceries to our neighbors in need. >>> www.svdplou.org/stock-the-shelves
GE Appliances makes another splash at 2026 Blue Wave On Friday, Oct. 9, GE Appliances, a Haier company, returned to St. Vincent de Paul Louisville for its annual Blue Wave corporate-wide day of service. “This is something I look forward to being part of whenever I have the opportunity,” said Kevin Lawrence, GE Senior Lean Coach.
Nearly two dozen GE employees rolled up their sleeves across our campus, as a part of more than 40 community service projects across the country. On our campus in Shelby Park, GE Appliances completed three key projects.
Food Pantry - Door Renovation Employees finished a major door renovation to improve the flow of traffic in our Food Pantry. Because our pantry is serving more neighbors than ever, we needed to make the space more functional.
“We are grateful to GE and its team for their time and effort to help us create a safer, more accessible space where our clients can receive the food and resources they need with compassion and dignity,” said Jake Martin, SVDP’s Associate Director of Feeding Programs.
Transitional Housing - Storage Shelves & Organization
Employees assembled new storage shelving and organized donated items so that
staff could access them more easily for the residents we serve. Ozanam Inn Men’s Emergency Shelter Donation Storage & Organization
Employees organized existing donations and storage so resources are easier for staff to manage and access for the 80 residents who stay in our Men’s Shelter. “What stands out most to me is the impact St. Vincent de Paul has on our community. The organization touches so many lives, and you can see the dedication of the staff and volunteers in everything they do. Their passion for helping others is evident, and it is inspiring to spend a day supporting an organization that makes such a meaningful difference in the community.” — Kevin Lawrence, GE Senior Lean Coach
Welcome our New Volunteer Engagement Coordinator I’m still learning my way around, meeting everyone, and figuring out where everything is (which may take a little while!), but I already feel very lucky to be here. My background has always centered around people, community, and creating opportunities for others to get involved.
BY CHELSEA CRUZ | Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
I’m so excited to be joining St. Vincent de Paul Louisville as the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator!
Before coming to SVDP, I worked in workforce development with Goodwill Kentucky, where I coordinated career and employer events and built partnerships that connected people with meaningful opportunities.
One of the things I’ve already noticed about SVDP is just how much our volunteers care. You all are a huge part of what makes this organization work. As I settle into my new role, I’m looking to find new ways for people to get involved, making volunteering as welcoming and enjoyable as possible, and continuing to build upon the incredible volunteer community that already exists here. Thank you for welcoming me to the SVDP family. I can’t wait to meet each of you! If you would like to connect with me, please reach out at ccruz@svdplou.org.