Letter from the Executive Director
The St. Vincent de Paul Society in Dayton is a community of stories, built on individual accompaniment and focused on affirming everyone’s humanity with the greatest material needs: clothing, food, and shelter.
Our annual report this year focuses on several stories of accompaniment, service, and hope, all made possible through community and individual support from donors like you!
For nearly 100 years the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has quietly ministered in the Miami Valley, and today we continue building community as we always have – one person at a time, with authentic relationships in mutual respect and engagement with one another.
Thank you for your interest and support of our work, as we witness a servant’s love for one another.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Michael Vanderburgh
Executive Director
"Let us do our duty well; let us go straight to God; let us work to become very humble, very patient, very mortified, and very charitable."
–St. Vincent de Paul
Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do.
Meet Randall, a Vietnam Veteran and “God’s #1 Funny Man.”
“I’m a naturally funny person,” Randall explains after greeting us with his Donald Duck impression. “I use humor to diffuse instead of becoming bitter and angry. There is so much hate and anger in the world, why add more? If you say something funny, you get a laugh and a nice smile.”
Randall’s humor helped him through his service in the Army during the Vietnam War and beyond, as did his sergeant’s advice: “Adapt and improvise.”
Humor and adaptability were essential when his life drastically changed in 2010. After more than 30 years working successfully as a plumber and electrician, Randall suffered a stroke that left him with severely limited mobility. He had been expecting a job promotion but instead faced an uncertain future and a long, painful road to recovery in a nursing home.
He says, “I made a deal with God, that if I got out of that nursing home, I would be his number one funny man. I would make at least one person laugh every day.”
With grit and determination, he adapted, improvised, and joked his way through rehab. “I worked my tail off to get out of there,” he continues. “I bet I set the record for the guy who had the most falls trying to get to the restroom. They put an alarm system on me so I wouldn’t get up out of bed. However, as a licensed electrician, I took the thing apart when they weren’t looking and disabled the alarm sound. That way when I stood up, it wouldn’t go off!”
His hard work paid off. He finally regained much of his mobility and completed rehab. He moved back home to live with his mother until she passed away in 2021. Her home was not accessible enough for him to stay there independently. His niece agreed to take him in, but the landlord would not allow him to stay.
With nowhere else to go, he came to St. Vincent’s shelter. His case manager, Chris, connected him with Katie, the program manager at St. Vincent’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF). “Katie has been a huge help,” Randall says. “She told me, ‘Now Randy, don’t you worry about anything. We’ll take care of everything.’ And they have.”
SSVF helped him find an accessible apartment where he now lives independently. They helped furnish it, set up grocery deliveries, and ensure he has transportation and medication when he needs it.
While helping him find a home, they also noticed that he was having vision trouble and encouraged him to go to a doctor. He resisted at first, but eventually agreed to go. He learned that he had cataracts that were making him legally blind. “It was like looking through wax paper, that’s how blurry my vision was.”
Now that he has received treatment, he says, “I have never seen better in my life. I am proud to be independent. I can do just about everything here myself. It can still be a challenge to get around, but I don’t let it stop me. Adapt and improvise.”
Thank you for helping veterans like Randall receive the help they need!
Thanks to YOU St. Vincent de Paul Society, Dayton District Council continues to embrace the Dayton community in a network of charity as we have for nearly 100 years. Thank you for joining us in our mission and being part of the ongoing story of love for our brothers and sisters!
Here's How You Made a Difference in 2023:
2023 Financial Report
“The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”
- Henri Nouwen
The many individuals and organizations supporting St. Vincent de Paul are inspired to respond with love to those in need. We are likewise inspired by your generosity and pledge to be conscientious stewards of the resources that are entrusted to us. In 2023, administrative costs accounted for only 11% of our total expenses, with 89 cents of every dollar invested into our ministries. This is possible only through the service of hundreds of volunteers and the material goods donated by our community. Thank you!
Income.
While government funding and our ownership of the Job Center are significant sources of income, we simply could not do our work without the financial support of private individuals. Thank you for your support of our mission.
Expense.
As you can see from the graph, expenses are focused on feeding, clothing, and sheltering our neighbors in the Miami Valley.
You helped a family heal and reunite – now they continue to flourish together.
In the last three years, Sam and Ryan have worked hard to regain custody of their twin boys. The couple found the support they needed at their new home in St. Vincent de Paul’s supportive housing community. “This place has been absolutely crucial to getting us to where we are today,” Ryan insists. “They gave us a place to recover, a place to have our boys.”
They are proud of how far they have come. Sam explains, “We went from active addiction, to sobriety, to two-hour visits with our sons once a week, to home visits, to a probationary period to see if the boys were doing well, and to now having a closed case.”
“Not having my boys really stressed me out,” she says. “Not having your own kids is a weird, empty feeling. I was constantly stressed and worried about them, getting them back.” St. Vincent staff were incredibly supportive in helping Sam and Ryan take the steps needed to regain custody of their boys.
“They supported us by accompanying us to court hearings for our boys, setting us up in their offices for virtual court hearings, writing letters to the judge on our behalf to show the progress we have made, and helping us find resources we didn’t know about in the community,” Sam explains. “They are available to listen and talk when we are having a hard time.”
Today the twins are four years old. Sam says now that they are all together again, “They have blossomed. They are doing great. Riley has an amazing sense of humor. Levi is so smart. I am really proud of them.” Ryan adds, “It is awesome seeing them develop their own personalities.” Even the boys’ former foster parents have remarked on the positive difference they see.
While they enjoy being a family of four again, they continue to look forward. Sam is proud that her mental health has greatly improved. She found a good balance working two jobs that pay the bills and keep her busy but do not overwhelm her. She and Ryan have both been able to purchase and pay off their own cars. Their next step is to find a bigger place.
“Our goal is to be out of here and be fully self-sufficient,” they say. “We are currently saving money for a home and for a bigger place. Right now, this place is great, but we want to have a home with a backyard where they can play.” They also hope to move closer to their family in Kentucky to reconnect with them.
Thank you for your continued support of families and individuals who find the help they need at St. Vincent de Paul! You continue to help families heal and grow every day.
Organizational Profile
Two boards have oversight responsibility for St. Vincent de Paul.
The Dayton District Council (DDC) Board of Trustees
Coordinates the activities of more than 30 Conferences in our region and focuses on the spiritual growth of its Vincentian members through friendship and service to neighbors in need. The DDC Board also has ultimate financial policymaking authority for all the activities of St. Vincent de Paul.
The St. Vincent de Paul Community Board
Has oversight responsibility for Special Works ministries-the two shelters for the homeless, permanent supportive housing programs, transitional housing programs, our thrift store, and the Community Furniture Bank.
DDC Board of Trustees
Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Dayton, Ohio, Inc.
Officers
President: Matt Graybill
Vice President: Bonnie Vitangeli
Treasurer: Dennis Wolters
Secretary: Marsha Hess
Spiritual Advisor: Mark Danis
Trustees
Larry Simpson, Ascension
Pat Gill, Corpus Christi
William Burkhart, Emmanuel
Joan Andersen, Holy Angels (Dayton)
Ken Knapke, Holy Angels (Sidney)
Candy Huttinger, Incarnation
Adam Horvath-Smith, Mary, Help of Christians
Rose Schultz, Our Lady of Good Hope
Mieke Clark, Our Lady of Mercy
Carol Adamson, Our Lady, Mother of Refugees
Emilee George, Our Lady of the Rosary
Louann Geel, Queen Of Martyrs
John Malas, St. Albert the Great
Mary Cox, St. Anthony
Mary Ann Van Atta, St. Augustine
Mary Chitwood, St. Brigid (Xenia)
Cheryl Pothast, St. Denis/Holy Family/Immaculate Conception
Keith St. Pierre, St. Francis of Assisi
Fran O'Shaughnessy, St. Helen
Steve Brandell, St. Henry
Brenda Sagasser, St. Luke
Joe Dues, St. Mary (Dayton SW)
Moira Pfeifer, St. Mary of the Assumption Springboro
Sandy Gehret, St. Michael - Sts. Peter & Paul
John Tishaus, St. Patrick (Troy)
Craig Moore, St. Peter
Brother Tim Cahill, St. Peter (Youth)
Bonnie Vitangeli, St. Rita/St. Paul/Precious Blood
Tom Doseck, St. Remy (Russia)
Kelli Kinnear and Karen Emmerich, St. Teresa of Calcutta (Youth)
Michaela Dharte, University of Dayton
Ray Slyh, Urban Outreach Center
Volunteer Improves Shelter Life by Giving Time and Talent
How Jerry’s wife lives on in his generosity to and love for his neighbor.
“When I met Chris, she changed my life,” Jerry says of his wife of 42 years. “She was the biggest role model in my faith. I was semi-charitable. Chris was the most loving, giving person, always encouraging me not to be so cheap and teaching me how to be charitable.”
When Chris became sick a couple of years ago, Jerry says, “She was in a hospital bed in our living room. We would always watch the Catholic Television Network on Sundays. I slept in the recliner next to her bed. I still sleep there every night.”
Chris passed away in October 2023, leaving a void in Jerry’s life. To help guide his future, he resolved to be open to new opportunities and expand himself – his relationships, his experiences, his knowledge. “You are never too old,” he says. “Once you start thinking you are old, you begin getting old, looking old, and feeling old. I’m not there yet!”
As a long-time monthly donor – Steadfast Friend – of St. Vincent de Paul, Jerry connected with executive director Michael Vanderburgh to learn more about the work of St. Vincent’s many ministries. When he learned about an initiative to improve the intake process and experience for guests entering the shelters, Jerry volunteered his expertise. He happened to have more than 40 years of experience working in process improvement.
He volunteered his time at the shelters three days a week for several hours each day to learn about the current process. Then he took his work home to digest the information and develop ideas.
Within just a few months, he helped develop a successful pilot program to improve the intake process, making it smoother and more efficient. When individuals and families enter the shelter, their individual needs are assessed and addressed more quickly. This helps ensure they are on the right path to receiving the assistance they need.
This work has been transformational, not only for shelter guests, but also for Jerry. Through this experience, his heart has expanded to love his neighbors even more, especially those experiencing homelessness. He sees more clearly the great need for donors and volunteers to give generously in this ongoing mission. “Now I look at everything through the filter of the homeless and the experience I have here,” he says.
"It has been a great opportunity to volunteer for an organization that has a need for my skill set,” he continues. “It has filled the void for sure. The more I do it, the more I want to do it, the more satisfaction I am getting out of the work. I certainly feel that I am making an impact.”
He certainly is making an impact! His humility, kindness, deep faith, and the generosity learned from his beloved wife are all evident in his work and dedication. Thank you, Jerry!
Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers and donors for loving your neighbors so well!
A Message From the Executive Director
A special thanks to all of our supporters in the Miami Valley.
To read more stories like these throughout the year and stay up-to-date on what is happening at St. Vincent de Paul, sign up for our email newsletter!
St. Vincent de Paul Society, Dayton District
124 W Apple Street
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 222-5555