St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
April 2017
Thrift Store Offers Mentally Challenged Teens Job Skills Training With a keen eye for merchandising and a competitive drive to improve retail sales, Elexia Hieneman enjoys her job as the manager of St. Vincent de Paul’s Thrift Store in Clarksville, IN. “I am always looking for ways to get more shoppers into our store, just to let people know we’re here, and also to tell them about all the good work that St. Vincent de Paul does in our community,” Hieneman says. Standing near the furniture display and surveying her store’s racks of clothing and shelves of household items, she noted several customers who have become loyal regulars at the Southern Indiana store.
about providing opportunities for others, just as they were given to her. That’s why the CHOICE Program has been a good fit, she explains. The goal is to give teenagers real, on-the-job training (with their school staff ’s supervision), in the hopes that the students with disabilities will eventually find permanent, paid employment.
Elexia Hieneman, manager of SVDP’s Clarksville Thrift Store, 706 Lewis & Clark Parkway.
Other friendly, familiar faces were the volunteers from Clarksville High School. DeAndre, 19, Christopher, 17, and Angelo, 16, are workers with the Greater Clark County Schools’ CHOICE Program, or Community Helping Our Youth In Career Education. Months ago, Patti Zelli, a job coach with the school system, approached Hieneman about putting some of her students to work volunteering at the Clarksville thrift store. The CHOICE Program serves Clark County students who have disabilities, including learning, emotional, and cognitive disabilities as well as sensory (hearing/vision) disabilities, and autism. “As the parent of two kids with disabilities, I wanted to say yes right away,” Hieneman says, adding that she welcomed the extra hands as well as the opportunity to empower others in developing life skills that will benefit them in the future.
DeAndre collects loose hangers.
Formerly homeless at one point in her life, Hieneman worked her way back to stability with the help of others, including St. Vincent de Paul. As a result, she says, she feels strongly
Each Monday morning, Zelli accompanies the students to the Clarskville store, where the teens perform such tasks as collecting hangers and tidying shelves. “Sweeping is DeAndre’s very favorite thing,” says, Zelli. Angelo and Christopher don’t talk much, but it is clear from their attentiveness to detail that they enjoy their work. “They take their jobs very seriously,” Zelli says, before addressing the teens directly. “Don’t you?” The teens momentarily look up, smiling and nodding in agreement. Then they dive right back into their work, carefully dusting and sweeping as before.
Angelo (left) loves working in the Thrift Store.
The monthly newsletter of St. Vincent de Paul Louisville 1015-C South Preston Street Louisville, KY 40203 Ed Wnorowski Executive Director/CEO
Linda Romine Editor, Director of Marketing & Communications
Angela Champion Sprowl Director of Development
Donna Young Director of Conferences/Volunteers
Send comments and change of address notifications to lromine@svdplou.org
Our Mission Respecting the dignity of each person, St. Vincent de Paul Louisville offers hope and help to families and individuals in crisis, including those who are affected by poverty, homelessness, addiction, and mental illness, so that they may achieve more stable and fulfilling lives.
Support SVDP To find out more about our work or make a donation, visit our website.
Former Addict Tells Men: “SVDP Loved Me Back” Kenny, a successful client of several St. Vincent de Paul programs, was a guest speaker March 18 when the Catholic Men’s Conference met at St. Michael’s Church in Louisville. He and Donna Young, SVDP’s Director of Volunteers and Conference Affairs, attended and participated in a panel discussion. “Kenny’s talk was inspiring,” Young says. “He touched the hearts of all the men attending the meeting. Kenny told the group that St. Vincent de Paul had ‘loved him back to life’ by encouraging him to love God and himself. “ A single dad who lives with his son, Bryce, in SVDP’s Family Apartments, Kenny stayed in our Ozanam Inn Men’s Shelter before getting drug treatment and getting his life back on track. He now works full-time, goes to college, and is looking forward to moving ahead in life.
Kenny at the Catholic Men’s Conference at St. Michael’s Church last month
Kenny told the group that St. Vincent de Paul had ‘loved him back to life’ by encouraging him to love God and himself. “He was truly amazing and spoke from his own heart,” Young says. “He showed the joy that his sobriety has brought to his life, and he shared that he is so proud that he has become a good father.” When Kenny was done speaking, he received an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience, which included Joseph E. Kurtz, Archbishop of the Diocese of Louisville.
Kenny and his son, Bryce, outside a museum
Backpacks from Beth Let Women Know Someone Cares Addicts who seek treatment at St. Jude Women’s Recovery Center often show up at St. Vincent de Paul with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The harsh circumstances of their lifestyle choices may have led them to hit rock bottom before arriving on St. Jude’s doorstep. They may have burned bridges with the family and friends who might have accompanied them there to provide encouragement and comfort as they begin the arduous program. For these women who have nothing, a colorful backpack with fresh supplies of shampoos, lotions, deodorant, a day planner, notebook, flip flops and other items, can seem heaven-sent. But it’s the note of encouragement inside the backpack that often means the most to the client. Backpacks from Beth exists to provide such tangible blessings to people struggling to overcome addiction. A nonprofit organization that began in August 2015, Backpacks from Beth grew out of a tragic story. “My brother, Michael, struggled with addition for many years and nearly overdosed several times,” says Laura Setters, the group’s founder and director. “Through the years, our mother, Beth, never gave up hope in him. She always taught as that as long as he still had breath, there was hope.” Unfortunately, their mother Beth died of cancer in February 2013, before being able to witness her son’s recovery. Now 27, Michael has been sober for three years. Michael and Laura honor their late mother’s steadfast hope in her son, through all of his years battling drug addiction, by sharing her compassion with complete strangers who are now in recovery. In recent months, Backpacks from Beth has delivered dozens of backpacks full of comforting items to St. Jude Women’s Recovery Center. “It’s been like Christmas for the ladies here,” says Pam Scott, St. Jude’s program manager. “They have been so grateful for the backpacks and everything included. It has meant so much to them.” A notecard presented with each backpack explains the touching story of how the outreach began, and offers a personal word of encouragement for each client.
Laura Setters (right) with some of the Backpacks from Beth she delivered to Pam Scott (left), program manager of St. Jude Women’s Recovery Center, last month.
An excerpt from the card:
Please know that it is never too late for you to choose life, no matter your circumstance. Anyone can change, and it is my prayer that this backpack shows you that not only are you cared for and loved, but that there is hope. Do not give up. You are valuable. You are being prayed for by many who you don’t even know! Please know that there IS hope and life beyond addiction. God bless, and enjoy your backpack! www.backpacksfrombeth.org We at St. Vincent de Paul and St. Jude Women’s Recovery Center extend our heartfelt thanks to Laura, Michael, and their outreach for helping to bolster the spirits of the women fighting to reclaim their lives.
Scenes Around Campus, Spring 2017
Students from Trinity High School were among those who toured St. Vincent de Paul’s campus in recent weeks. The students, mostly from Catholic high schools, ate lunch in our Open Hand Kitchen and learned about SVDP’s programs that help people in need. Tours are organized by CrossRoads Ministry in Louisville.
2017 Abel Construction
Clubs & Cocktails to benefit St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
- Kick-Off Reception & Auction Sept. 10, 2017 at 6pm Louisville Marriott East
- Golf Scramble
Sept. 11, 2017 Hurstbourne Country Club
SAVE THE DATES! September 10-11
A bouquet of red roses brightened the front desk of St. Jude Women’s Recovery Center. They were a gift of encouragement to one of our clients, from one of her children.