Poverello HouseP. O. Box 80763Las Vegas, Nv 89180

POVERELL HOUSEServing the homeless in the Franciscan tradition. NEEDS LIST

• A fairly new flat screen TV,at least a 32 inch screen

• A fairly new microwave oven

• Canned goods

• Cleaning supplies

• Hygiene and toiletry articles

• Gently used men's andwomen's clothing

Call Lance at 558-5043 to arrange a drop-off or a pick-up.

Poverello House 218 Platinum St. Henderson, NV

“The deeds youdo may be theonly sermon

some persons willhear today”

– St. Francis of Assisi –

Hello again to all our wonderfuldonors and readers. As we gofrom from our unusually mildwinter months and thankgoodness that we escaped thecold and snowy weather thatenveloped most of the country,it is a good time to reflect on theplight of those members of oursociety who are less fortunatethan others. 

Despite all the gains our greatcountry has made over the yearsin areas of tolerance, one segmentof our population is still consis-tently overlooked, namely thehomeless. Thousands of people,including women and children,are currently without homes andthe amenities that many take forgranted. It is a sad state of affairsthat so many go unnoticed by thegeneral population or are dismis-sed as lazy or mentally unstablewhen most homeless are neither.

Here at the Poverello House, wedo care and work to try to helpthose who are less fortunate.We provide a home-like environ-ment where men and women canhave breakfast and lunch, takeshowers, do laundry, watch TVfor the day and in general get aday off the mean streets of life.Unfortunately, our limitedresources and space only allowus to help ten guests a day,including a women's only day runby the amazing Martha Hickmanwho has volunteered tounselfishly do this for over tenyears every week, but the guestsare very appreciative. 

The Poverello House in Hendersonhas evolved into much more thanjust a weekly stop-over for most ofthe guests. Many of our guests havetold me that it is one of the few placesaround where they can feel safe, andas one guest put it, " I feel like I canstart my life over again in a positiveway when I leave here." I personallyam pleased to hear this and amproud to manage this house and helpso many people. Several of our guestshave "cleaned up their act" here andhave moved on to good jobs andhave re-integrated themselves intosociety as productive citizens. Thisis the essence of what we are tryingto accomplish at Poverello House.

Of course, none of this would bepossible without the help of you,our donors, to whom we are mostgrateful, and our wonderful donorssuch as Cindy and Karen, who

consistently bring meals everyother week. Thanks also to ourfriends at St. Joseph's Husband& Mary Catholic Church and theFriends of the Desert group at thelocal St. Timothy's church fortheir continuing food donationsand support of our cause. Alsothanks to our Board of Directorswho unselfishly donate their timeand resources to keep the houserunning. Most of all, I want tothank all of you out there who arereading this and are willing tohelp us out financially andotherwise with our worthy cause.God Bless You!

Lance Meifert, Manager Henderson Poverello House

The Homeless - Overlooked In Our Society

POVERELL HOUSEN E W S

SERVING THE HOMELESS IN THE FRANCISCAN TRADITION SPRING 2014

WOMEN’S DAY REFLECTIONSOnce again, a change in the seasons is about to occur. We’re allthankful for the mild winter that we are experiencing. However, nomatter what time of year it is the homeless population struggles toget through each day. Here at Poverello House, homeless men andwomen get a reprieve from theirdaily routine. Wednesdays is a dayreserved for ladies only. It’s achance for them to rest, do theirlaundry, watch TV, take showersand visit with each other. TheLadies can also get clothes andpersonal items which are donatedby several different organizationsor charities. There are alsovolunteers who cook meals for uson certain days. What great mealsthey are too! We have been blessedwith wonderful volunteers.

Some of the ladies that come toPoverello House have been guests for many years. Others come andgo. I have to say that I’ve truly enjoyed visiting with every guest andlearning a little about each one.

Looking for a job is a daunting task for the homeless. At one time oranother they have been looking for work. Sometimes they aresuccessful, but when it doesn’t happen for them, the ladies arethankful that there is a place where they can go where they are treatedwith dignity. After all - we are, every one of us, Gods Children.

Thanks to Brother David and the many volunteers who continue tomake Poverello House possible.

Martha Hickman, Ladies Day Coordinator

Teenage Yearsby David Buer, ofm

Now that we have begun our17th year serving the homeless insouthern Nevada, I am reflectingfor Poverello House as a teen ager,would be. Anticipating what thefuture may hold.

The teen years, probably for all ofus, had a mixture of challenges anddreams. We were awkward in someof our decisions, as we tried to findour way toward valuing what istruly important and separating outwhat may be tempting andseductive, but not rooted in joy andhappiness.

As I watch my nephew and niecesgrow up, I've realized as an uncle,that at some point we cannotcontrol things. We have to keep ourdistance, while being available asneeded. I'm sure the experience ismuch more profound for parents.

In 2012 we made the decision toclose our Poverello House in LasVegas, after 15 years of serving ourhomeless brothers there. It was atough decision, but as we've seensince, it was the right decision.We knew though, that we wantedto enhance our presence inHenderson. Our Poverello Housethere, opened in 2002, and wouldoften have a waiting list of guestswanting to come in. We also knew,that Henderson had no easy accessovernight shelter for men orwomen.

So in 2013 we were approached bya candidate for the PermanentDicanonite, who wanted to help setup a winter shelter. As the yearprogressed, plans were made andPoverello House made acommitment to help support it.Choice Hills Baptist Church offeredto host the shelter, funds wereraised, cots and blankets werepurchased and the shelter openedNov. 15, 2013 and servedHenderson's homeless each night

“..the ladies arethankful that

there is a placewhere they cango where they

are treatedwith dignity”.

A LENTEN REFLECTION

through March 15, 2014. About20 men and 5 women were therenightly.

As Poverello House looks to thefuture, it is with hope, gratitudeand a continuing commitment toassist our 40-45 weekly guestswith loving daytime hospitality.We have also expanded ourcommitment, to include assistingthe shelter again next winter. Wethank you for your ongoingsupport and may God bless you,your family and all in your circleof love.

Poverello House unexpectedlywas declared the beneficiary of alarge bequest. Because of thisgenerous gift, we will be able to

replace our aging 11 year old truckwith 150,000 miles on it, with a

newer, smaller pick up truck thatwill meet our current needs better.

Deo Gracis!

Blessings,Br. David

GOOD NEWS!

By Paul F. KilroyFormer Director of Operations for PoverelloHouse, 2002-2012

When I was a young boy back inBoston, I had a schoolmate friendwho was one of a number of childrenin a large, well-to-do Italian family.He, his six siblings and his parentsall lived in a grand old house of 24rooms along with his grandmotherand great aunt. The house itselfbelonged to his grandmother, andshe was very definitely the reigningmatriarch under that roof, andthough we children were occasionallyallowed to play quietly in her welllandscaped yard, we were neverinvited by her to come indoors.

The “matriarch” was thin anddecidedly forbidding in demeanor,but her sister – my friend’s great auntwho also was part of the household– was a large and jovial woman.Her name was Litizia, and I rememberall the children in the neighborhoodseemed to like her, and think of heras sort of a grandmother. When wewould see her walking to the grocerymarket down town, we would allfollow her along to hear her storiesof what life was like “back in theold country.” On the way homeagain, we would all compete to seewhich one of us could carry herheaviest bag.

Litizia did most of the houseworkinvolved in keeping the matriarch’swell-regulated house in order, anddid all the cooking as well. Like manyItalian families back east, they hadtwo kitchens – the main, well-appointed kitchen which wasupstairs where everything wasalways perfectly clean. Little morewas ever done in the upstairs kitchenother than to wash an occasionaldish or retrieve flatware from adrawer. The actual working kitchenwhere Litizia did all the cooking,however, was down stairs in thebasement. When we children playedoutside we generally gave thematriarch’s property a wide berth,but on certain days of the week when

we knew Litizia was in the downstairskitchen cooking – we would go to thecellar window and lightly tap, and agenerous sample or three of whatevershe was preparing would come outof the window for us all to enjoy. Weate countless just-fried meatballs overtime, passed to us on a dinner forksthrough that cellar-kitchen window.

One day when my friend’s parentsand the matriarch were gone out oftown, my friend invited me in to seehis house, knowing that unlike hisgrandmother, Litizia would begracious to us. The house was in anolder section of Boston, and its darkrooms were filled with ornatelycarved furniture and tables withmarble tops. One particular roomwas the formal parlor where thematriarch would receive her moreimportant guests, though no onecould ever quite remember a timewhen such a person of requiredmagnitude ever called and wasreceived there. The children of thehouse were absolutely forbidden toenter it, but on this one particularday with only Litizia at home – wefurtively stepped into this room tohave at least a look. Everything wasspotless and very elegant – the parlorset was wrought of rosewood andburl and the arms of all the chairswere carved with lion’s heads. Onething I particularly remember seeingwas a fancy silver bowl standing ona sideboard with a napkin placedneatly over the top. Not choosing toresist being curious, I lifted a cornerof that napkin and saw that it heldwhat looked like Christmas ribboncandy (which also looked decadesold). It had all been artfully arrangedin the bowl at some point in thematriarch’s dim past, but apparentlynever eaten or offered to anyone inall the years it stood on thatsideboard. The fancy carved parlorset was apparently never sat on aswell – the tufted seats and backs wereall crisply covered with some sort ofcrinkly plastic, effectively defyinganyone to find the least comfort insitting on it.

The matriarch and others returnedto the house several days later, andit did not go unnoticed by her thatapparently someone had touched thenapkin-covered candy bowl. No oneever confessed to my misdeed, butapparently for the matriarch thesubject was the fuel of ongoinginterrogation by her for weeks. Atlast, the large room-dividing doorswere drawn from their pockets in thewall to close off that room, and theyremained closed until about twoyears later when the matriarch drewher last earthly breath. The funeral– except for her immediate household– was not well attended.

Some months passed, and I learnedthat my friend’s family – who hadinherited the house – was planningto sell it and much of the contents soas to buy for themselves a smallerand more user-friendly home. Iremember seeing men come one daywith a truck, which they parked nearthe front stairs of her house afterdriving over a portion of impeccablelawn. Without wiping their feet beforeentering “her” house, they thenunceremoniously carted off most ofthe fancy-carved furniture, includingthe sacrosanct parlor set on whichnever a man did sit. A yard salefollowed a week or so later to sell offthe smaller residual things the familydid not want, and I remember walkingin to see that silver candy bowl nowsitting on a folding table, pricednominally, divested of its napkin andemptied of its contentssave one smalladhered fragment of something whichlooked like it once was a peppermint.

Possessions, power and prestige,when we fall into the trap of makingthem our all-consuming focus, willpossess us at last – not we, them …and we will only be able to take awaywith us into eternity what we havegiven away of ourselves to others,for Christ’s sake. Blessed Lent!