Des Moines Council Society of St. Vincent de Paul

VINCENTIAN VOICE “Friend” our stores on FACEBOOK Third Quarter 2015 www.svdpdsm.org www.svdpusa.org

Dear Friends and Fellow Vincentians, Once again, folks, I’m composing this newsletter. However, by next newsletter we’ll have an opportunity to see just how good our new Executive Director writes! (Oh, BTW his name is STEVE HAVEMANN! – see ANNOUNCEMENTS below!)

The Executive Committee and I had the privilege of meeting many wonderful and talented applicants (and made new friends!) who expressed an interest in the Executive Director position. I’d like to share some thoughts from the experience of being involved in the Executive Director search process:

-We’re a well-kept secret (unfortunately!).

Many of the applicants, some of whom were cradle Catholics, had never even heard of or knew very little about our organization. They may have driven past our store on 6th Avenue, and that may have been the extent of their exposure to our Society. In having done their pre-application research, many were fascinated with our history and remarked on their amazement at the scope of work we do locally, as well as nationally and internationally. I had to chuckle when one of the applicants mentioned he’d called his father to ask if he’d ever heard of our organization. He was surprised to learn that his father, who lived out of the area, was a Vincentian himself, and had been a very active member for at least the last 20 years! Spiritually speaking, humility in service is certainly a virtue we all should aspire to. However, temporally speaking, I’m afraid that to attract more funding and membership we may need to find ways to increase our public visibility and awareness of the scope of our work, without sacrificing the virtues we strive to uphold.

-There are many folks out there that feel the call to a lay Christian service ministry.

The motivation of several of the applicants interviewed was to pursue a Christian lay ministry “calling”. The pay and benefits of the position provide an added attraction: the ability to pursue the spiritual need to serve while still being able to accommodate the temporal reality of needing to support one’s

family and creditors! In researching the work we do and how we do it it was clear that this organization offers many opportunities to serve in many different ways – as store and council employees; as store or council operations volunteers, in a variety of capacities, utilizing the many and varied skills and talents that volunteers possess; and in the community as Vincentian members of a local conference, doing home visits, and identifying individuals’ challenges and needs while walking the walk with our friends.

Our Christian “need to serve” is shared with all people of faith and goodwill and that is why Vincentian volunteerism and conference membership is not limited to Catholics. I believe we have many untapped opportunities to attract new members of all ages, faiths and communities of goodwill, as well as additional parishes within our Diocese, to join us in Vincentian works of charity. One of the challenges of our new Executive Director will be to help us identify and pursue those opportunities.

On another note, I’d like to share with you a story of a home visit and how some of the things we do, even the simplest of things, can bring joy and comfort to those we serve. As we protect the confidentiality and dignity of those we serve, I will not provide any identifying details. I, along with two other Vincentians from my All Saints Conference, including my wife Janet, were privileged to have been involved in a home visit with a family consisting of a mom and three young boys. The call came through a school social worker with whom we work. She reported that a home visit she conducted identified some immediate needs. We did a home visit and found that over the prior six months this family had been living temporarily in 10 different homes of friends and family on couches and floors. A week earlier they had moved into a 2-bedroom apartment with no furnishings whatsoever. They had no phone or vehicle, but the mom was committed to providing her family a stable environment. Over the course of a few days, and with the excellent assistance of our Council’s social services and education center staff, we were able to provide

[Newsletter can be viewed on-line in color on our Council website]

suitable furnishings for this family, including beds and linens, and sign the mom up for HiSet (formerly GED) classes. The most heartwarming and rewarding part of the story was a call from the social worker who had done a follow-up visit, relaying the excitement of the boys in describing their “car and bear beds”, which turned out to be the bed sheets that were obtained and provided through our recent Phyllis Davis Linen Drive! God bless you all!

Yours in friendship and service,

Jim Wachuta, Council President 24th ANNUAL SVDP CHARITY GOLF OUTING

We held a celebration of Vincentian friendship while generating funds for our Tom Varilek Education Center (TVEC) by enjoying another wonderful day of golf, food, prizes and fellowship at Willow Creek Golf Course in West Des Moines on Monday, May 12. We had a great turnout of 148 golfers for our annual golf outing fundraiser. Layered clothing was the fashion statement of the day. (I didn’t even know you could golf wearing mittens!) Although the weather was a bit chilly and windy, the food and service provided by the Willow Creek staff was again exceptional. (FYI, adverse weather conditions do not negatively impact my golf game!...I believe my team clinched last place!...once again!) Many thanks to the sponsors, prize donors, raffle ticket buyers, golfers and all the golf committee members, SVdP staff and volunteers who once again made this a special event. Special thanks to Carol Weyer, our VP and Golf Committee Chair, whose dedication and leadership was instrumental in its success. We don’t have the total of funds raised yet, but it’s in the neighborhood of $18,000. The funds will be used in our education center to provide more and improved educational and training services to more of those we serve, in new programs developed in collaboration with our social services and retail departments. As the number of sponsors, photos and list of golfer and raffle prize winners is voluminous and space is limited it is my intention to post these in the near future on our local website www.svdpdsm.org. Check it out. (I will, however, leak some winners: low men’s (64) was Kelly Broderick, Marc Emmert, Bill Henry, Allan Salz;, women’s low (73) was Betty Wines, Sylvia Lenz, Dixie Harms, Kathy Van Sloun; mixed low (72) was Kay Smith, Fred Larrison, Dean Safris and Mike Volrath; men’s drive-Joe Rosenbaum; women’s drive-Dixie Harms; men’s putt-Bob Anderson; women’s putt-Sylvia Lenz. Mark your calendars for Monday, May 9, 2016, for the BIG! 25th ANNUAL SVdP CHARITY GOLF OUTING when we’ll do it all over again!

MEET MIKE BECK, DES MOINES COUNCIL DISASTER SERVICES COORDINATOR

Mike has been a Vincentian for the past several years as a member of All Saints Conference. Retired from fire services but still somewhat active in fire services training, and with many fire service certifications and incident

command training and experience, Mike continues to have an active interest in serving in a disaster relief capacity. He has been a past Red Cross disaster relief volunteer having been deployed to the Colorado floods a few years ago. He was surprised and excited to learn that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has a new and still forming Disaster Services Program and has been investigating options and opportunities for our area. National has been encouraging Councils to identify individuals to coordinate our responses to local needs as well as participating at the regional and national levels. FYI, SVdP has a HOPE semi trailer staged in St. Louis equipped with a mobile stainless steel kitchen capable of preparing 10,000 meals per day, available for deployment as needed. We are also exploring the possibility of initiating a “House in a Box” program developed by other Vincentians, with household items staged on a pallet to immediately provide families needing supplies to rebuild and restart after experiencing tragedies such as fires, floods and tornadoes. More information on these programs can be found on our national website www.svdpusa.org. We’re looking for more like-minded Vincentians and even non-Vincentians who would like to join Mike in engaging in this work. If interested please contact me at president@svdpdsm.org.

UPCOMING SVdP PICNIC and “FRIENDS OF THE POOR WALK”, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4

Photos from last year’s Des Moines “Friends of the Poor Walk” at Pete Crivaro Park

Members, family, staff, friends, neighbors and parishioners are invited to join us at Pete Crivaro Park and shelter on Sunday, October 4, 2015. We’re having our 5th Annual SVdP Picnic and Friends of the Poor Walk/Run (or just sit and listen to music and visit with friends) fundraiser along

the scenic DM River! We will have live music by “the Authority”, a disc golf contest with prizes, 50/50 raffle and door prizes. Event t-shirts will be available at the walk. There is no entry fee but donors, sponsors, walkers, pledges and volunteers are needed. Proceeds go to the local participating or designated SVdP conferences, district council or national office for works or programs in their service areas. TASTE! TO GO, a local award-winning catering service, has graciously offered to provide the food for this event. Conference presidents are encouraged to pre-order shirts for their conferences. SVdP hats, water bottles, pedometers and tote bags will be on-site for purchase. Registration starts at 11 A.M.; noon picnic; 1 P.M. walk begins; 2:30 P.M. awards and closing prayer. Pre-register on-line at www.fopwalk.org, with your conference president or at either thrift store. Help us help others! Call Moe Kauzlarich, Walk Coordinator, for more information at 778-3596 or e-mail: sewnmoe @aol.com! REFLECTIONS – From the Desk of Fr. John Bertogli, Council Spiritual Director Summer is the most mature of the four seasons. It is a time for endings and beginnings. It is the end of the school year, the start of long weekends and vacations; graduations, weddings, the genesis of a fiscal year, new employment, and longer days and shorter nights. The marginal, those who struggle to get through a day, many who have no opportunity to secure their dignity with shelter, food, clothing, safety and support, find this time of year a burden, especially if the rising temperatures leave them without comfort. The mission and spirituality of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is a breath of fresh air for those who find life troublesome. St. Vincent tells us in his writings, “If God is at the center of your life, no words are necessary. Your mere presence will touch hearts.” St. Ignatius of Loyola says it clearly as well, “love ought to be expressed in deeds.” Our role as Vincentians is to bring hope to those we serve. This past school year a new St. Vincent de Paul Society Conference was introduced. Nine Dowling Catholic High School students met monthly to offer their talents. Our prayerful discernment led us to focus on Christ’s beatitude, “Blest are they who mourn, they will be comforted.” And the spiritual work of Mercy “bury the dead.” Whenever a death was experienced in the Dowling faith community, cards were signed and sent to the bereaved of loved ones. The impact of that simple action left an indelible mark on the recipients. This special outreach will continue as we begin a new school year with hopefully new members. The young

Vincentians were willing to offer their prayerful presence at wakes and funeral services as well as funeral home visitations. Their witness confirmed my conviction that our presence to those in need and to those who hurt can bring Christ’s healing hope via our care and concern. Thanks to the Dowling Catholic Vincentians who remind us of the words of Timothy’s epistle, “Let no one look down upon you because of your youth.” A safe and growthful summer to all! Fr. John O. Bertogli, Metro SVDP Chaplain

ANNOUNCEMENTS! New Executive Director Hired!

I am pleased to announce STEVE HAVEMANN as our new Executive Director. As of this writing I do not have a start date to announce yet. Steve comes to us with an extensive set of knowledge, skills and abilities in our area of non-profit community

service. He has served in various capacities overseeing similar programs such as ours. Please join the Board in welcoming Steve as we look forward to working with him.

Phyllis Davis Linen Drive

Thank you to all of our participating parishes and conferences. This year’s drive was held April 18-26 at many locations throughout the city. Although our total volume was a bit down from last year, we still had a good response with total donations of 1806 items. Thank you to all those who donated items and volunteered their time to make this another successful drive year. And special thanks to Mary Jo Rageller, a long-time volunteer, who counted and organized the donations as they came in, and to our Social Services Director Chasity DeMaranville who oversees the program and distribution. We have already distributed some of the linens to local shelters as well as SVdP social service clients.

Stores Now Taking Major Appliance Donations – As of May 1, 2015, we are accepting donations of major electric appliances in good working condition. This would include washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, etc. For more information contact Jessica Daab, Director of Retail Operations.

Stores Now Selling New Beds – Due to the identified constant high demand in our stores for beds, we have entered into a business arrangement with a mattress company to offer comfortable new beds to our customers at low cost. This provides us the opportunity to more often have an inventory of donated used beds (meeting consumer protection regulations) available at no cost to those in need we serve, through our social services department and conference works. When needed, new mattresses are available at even lower special pricing for conferences.

Timely Submission of End of Year Reports – Looking ahead to our annual End Of Year (EOY) SVdP conference and council roll-up IRS reporting requirements (and challenges!) I am asking conferences to set member activity reporting date targets to assure conference EOY reports are submitted to the Council Office in October, if possible.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers, including Dowling Catholic or other high school students in need of service hours, are always welcome and needed. Council needs include office volunteers, store volunteers at 1426 Sixth Avenue and 109 SW 63rd Street thrift stores, assistance in operating our food pantry on the first and third Tuesday evenings of the month, assistance in our social services department, mentors for students and evening childcare assistance for HiSET students’ children (onsite at our 6th Avenue location during evening class hours) in our education center, and other technical assistance based on skill sets. For additional details or to volunteer, please check our local website (www.svdpdsm.org) for guidance or contact Office Manager Mary Beck (office) at 282-8328, or Jessica Daab (store) at 282-8328, Ext 11. Child Care Coordinator We are looking for a person to coordinate volunteers for our child care service. This person would be responsible for identifying and coordinating volunteers to care for children of parents attending our next scheduled HiSET class. This class will begin on August 25 and will run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through December 17 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. Please contact Andrew Gross, Director of the Tom Varilek Education Center at 515-282-8327, extension 17. Donations Always Needed SVdP picks up donations Monday through Friday based on a zip code route. The Des Moines Council is requesting furniture specifically at this time, but all donations are welcomed. For details or to schedule a pick-up, please call us at 282-8328.

SVdP Has a National Vehicle Donation Program It’s a tax deductible donation. 1. Fill out an on-line form on our national website (www.svdpusa.org) or call 800-322-8284, available 24hrs/day, 7 days/wk. It takes just a few minutes. 2. We’ll have the vehicle picked up within 24 hours. 3. We’ll fill out all the tax forms and send them to you. Contact Us We welcome your suggestions to improve our services. Feel free to contact us: President Jim Wachuta: president@svdpdsm.org Executive Director (Vacant): ____________________or 282-8328 ext. 12 Office Manager Mary Beck: secretary@svdpdsm.org or 282-8328 Retail Operations Director Jessica Daab: retaildirector@svdpdsm.org or 282-8328, ext. 11 Social Services Director Chasity DeMaranville: socialservices@svdpdsm.org or 282-8328, ext. 14 Education Center Director Andrew Gross: ajgross@svdpdsm.org or 282-8328, ext. 17

Dates to Remember July 12, 2015 Quarterly Breakfast Mtg Sun – 8AM mass St. Joseph’s Cath Church July 16, 2015 Exec Committee Mtg Thu, 5:30PM [No Full Board Mtg] July 21, 2015 Evening Food Pantry Tue 5:00PM - 7:30PM August 4 & 18, 2015 Evening Food Pantry Tue 5:00PM – 7:30PM August 20, 2015 Full Board Meeting Thu 5:30PM Sept. 1 & 15, 2015 Evening Food Pantry Tue 5:00PM – 7:30PM Sept. 17, 2015, Thu Full Board Meeting Sept. 27, 2015, Sun Feast of St. Vincent de Paul Oct. 4, 2015 Annual SVdP Picnic and Sun Friends of the Poor Walk,

Pete Crivaro Park