John's Story: From a three-story house to a twin-size mattress
“I DIDN’T FULLY UNDERSTAND, BUT AT SOME POINT, I REALIZED THAT I HAD TO COME TO TERMS WITH IT.”
A lot can happen in one day.
John downsized from a three-story house to a twin-size mattress.
“I literally did walk out of the doors of my house into the doors of St. Vincent de Paul,” John said.
On July 9, 2025, John resided in his three-story, 3,000 square foot home in Crescent Hill, where he was a homeowner for the past 20 and a half years.
On July 10, John became a resident of Ozanam Inn Men’s Emergency Shelter, in a dorm with about a dozen other men.
It was something he never saw coming.
John grew up in a strict home environment and decided to live on his own.
“I have been independent my entire life,” John added. “I had been used to taking care of myself ... since I was 17.”
In 1988-89, John enrolled in interior design at the University of Louisville. A love for homes, John opened his own commercial and residential cleaning business, Cosmopolitan Cleaning and Concierge, in 1997.
“I worked very, very hard,” he said. “I cleaned houses and ran errands. I did whatever my client’s needs were ... You name it, I took care of it.”
For nearly 25 years, John successfully ran his cleaning business until the pandemic blindsided everybody.
“When COVID hit, my phone started ringing and my clients were like, ‘We can’t have you and your staff in our home,’” John said. “My largest commercial account at the time … shut down its brick-and-mortar permanently.”
In Dec. 2020, John reluctantly closed his cleaning business. He got a job at GE, but worked in “excruciating pain” because his health began declining. He quit two years later, and now uses a walker. He will need spine surgery as soon as possible.
John tried to make it on his own, with some help from family and friends, without any income. It lasted two years until eventually his savings dried up, his home went in foreclosure, and was sold in an auction. He had to sell his personal and work cars, which were both Mercedes.
Two days before his eviction, John secured a bed at Ozanam Inn through Metro United Way’s 2-1-1 call center.
The experience has humbled John to the point of tears and emotional heartache.
“I’ve truly fallen,” John added. “I’ve never been this low in my life. I’ve lost everything.”
John celebrated his 59th birthday at Ozanam Inn.
“I spent my birthday here at the shelter. That’s also a new experience. I never thought I’d do that,” he said.
John says he has grown through it all.
“I didn’t fully understand, but at some point, I realized that I had to come to terms with it,” John said. “I said, ‘Well John, God wants you here for a reason … He brought you out of your comfort and put you where He wants.’”
Proverbs 24:16 has encouraged him, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”
“I’d be in my Mercedes SUV and see the guys holding up the cardboard signs and I’d say, ‘You know they’re buying booze with that money,’” John added. “I’d be so arrogant I wouldn’t give them a second thought. Then, I remembered they have eyes and God loves them. I go through life so differently now.”
John is rising again. He wants to pursue a real estate license. Through wraparound services, we helped him navigate disability payments, secure TARC3 transportation, and find permanent supportive housing.
“Their purpose is to help people transition from being homeless into housing and getting started on a better life,” he said. “2026 is going to be a phenomenal year for me. The God of the mountain is the same God of the valley. We are blessed at St. Vincent de Paul.”
The Good Samaritan
The monthly newsletter of St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
Send correspondence to PO Box 17126, Louisville, KY 40217-0126
Visit us at 1015-C South Preston Street, Louisville, KY 40203-2733
Tony Nochim Communications & Public Relations Coordinator
Send comments or change of address notifications to tnochim@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.
Conference Connection
Many Americans are one crisis away from homelessness.
NerdWallet and U.S. News surveys found that 57% of Americans said they were living paycheck to paycheck and more than two in five Americans couldn't pay for a $1,000 emergency expense.
Whether it’s a family on the brink of eviction, someone in need of utility bill assistance in the winter, or groceries to make it to month’s end, the 27 SVDP parish-based conferences answer the call.
“The need in Louisville is great,” said Jeannie Donovan, a Holy Spirit Conference member and SVDP Board Member. “The conferences and Special Works Campus are so vital in helping with this need in our community.”
While the Special Works Campus offers emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing, food outreach, and wraparound services, the conferences prevent households from entering homelessness. They help with rent, food, clothing, or bills (see graphic*).
Fourteen active members in the Holy Spirit Conference help households in need in the 40206 zip code.
“I knew of St. Vincent de Paul Society, but I had never really been involved. I think this organization does a great job,” said Gus Herbert, Holy Spirit Conference President. “Its mission directly helps individuals and that’s the kind of social services I want to be involved in.”
If other conferences have a household in need in their zip code, Holy Spirit will often contribute financially.
“It’s a total team effort and everyone chips in and participates,” Herbert added.
Holy Spirit Conference members serve at the Open Hand Kitchen twice a month. They have been involved in serving the residents in our Domestic Violence Program. Last summer, they donated more than $600 in towels, pillows, and sheets. They also sponsored a Halloween party for the residents, and donated 30 Holiday Cheer Bags and toys for its Christmas party.
Holy Spirit School put together 48 birthday kits for our Food Pantry clients.
Last fall, Holy Spirit hosted a movie night for Ozanam Inn Men’s Emergency Shelter residents and plan to do it again.
“It exceeded our expectations as far as attendance and the neighbors were very grateful and respectful,” he said.
Holy Spirit Conference has been involved in Stock the Shelves and Stock the Shelters, helping with non-perishable food items and personal care items, respectively. They also have members who visit prisons and bring communion to the homebound. Holy Spirit Conference is also learning more about home visits.
“We’re looking for any opportunities we have for direct connection,” Herbert said. Herbert believes it’s important to belong to something bigger than yourself.
“I want to have something that I give back to the community and help people,” Herbert added. “I don’t want to just donate. For me, the Open Hand Kitchen is the best thing. I love serving there.”
Visit www.svdplou.org/svdp-conferences.
St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
Our 8th Annual Roses & Rosé is a Derby-themed, women-inspired brunch giving back to domestic violence survivors at St. Vincent de Paul. Roses & Rosé will be held on Sunday, April 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Olmsted.
Anne Burnham, a member of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, is a returning attendee who fills a table.
“I love that dual purpose of getting together with friends and family, but also giving back to the community,” Burnham said (pictured below, left).
It's a celebration of the women in your life while also enjoying rosé wine and mimosas. We have several ways to support this event—a silent auction, shopping in our Vendor Village, wine pull, mission round, and more.
“I really like that people have different options to support the community of St. Vincent de Paul through purchasing items from vendors, bidding on things during the silent auction, or the wine
pull,” Burnham added. “The event has definitely grown and evolved over the years … and tying in the mission and the reason why we’re all there.”
All proceeds will directly support our Domestic Violence Program, which served 234 people, including 125 children, with 92% exiting to a stable housing this past fiscal year. Your support helps us provide hope and healing for these households.
“The few weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby is a time in our city where people are happy and excited to be doing various community things,” she said. “I love that Roses & Rosé is an opportunity for women to get dressed up and support both women and men that are in SVDP’s Domestic Violence Program.”
To purchase tickets, you may scan the QR code or visit https://svdplou. maestroweb.com/. Last year, we sold out with nearly 300 guests, so don’t wait to secure your seat!
If you can’t attend in person, but would still like to help, consider purchasing a nice meal for someone we serve or bidding on a silent auction item (available to view in mid-April) using the same link. If you have any questions, you may reach out to Makenzie Greenwell, Special Events Manager, directly via mgreenwell@svdplou. org or call (502) 272-2134.
We look forward to seeing you during Derby season!
Our thanks to Louisville Metro Government for their support
Sunday, April 26 March Podcast
Metropolitan Housing Coalition
Executive Director Tony Curtis
This month's podcast focuses on the state of housing in Louisville.
>>> www.svdplou.org/svdp-podcast
Do you want to purchase tickets? Scan here. Stock the Shelves
As part of our monthly initiative, we are asking for dry Easter foods to share the hope of Easter through giving. As we celebrate renewal and resurrection, bless others with Easter meal essentials and festive treats for a child's Easter basket.
>>> www.svdplou.org/stock-the-shelves
Together, we made a difference! Access our
We are excited to share our 2024-25 Impact Report with you. It is available as a PDF or digital flipbook.
Inside, you will find a letter from our CEO & Executive Director Jennifer Clark, financial statement, statistics behind our programming and services, volunteer impact, thrift store support,
Shopper Spotlight
snapshots of those we serve, and a donor recognition list.
View the Report Now You can view our Impact Report by scanning the QR code or going to www.svdplou.org/ our-impact.
Marsha Wiseman is a thrifter.
“I was never much of a thrifting person, but I am now,” Wiseman said.
After retiring from JCPS seven years ago, Wiseman began frequenting our Dorsey Plaza Thrift Store.
Wiseman has found that our Thrift Stores are more than just a place to shop; they give her a sense of purpose.
“I feel like I have a calling here,” Wiseman added. “I feel like God sent me here so I can help other people with what I’ve been through.”
In the last several years, Wiseman has become a widow and lost a son. The Thrift Store is a time of “therapy” for her.
“It’s more than a store, it’s a community,” said Alice Wilberding, Shift Lead at the Dorsey Plaza Thrift Store. “Sometimes our customers come not so much to shop, but to talk with our staff and the people here.”
The Thrift Stores were Wiseman’s entrance into our organization, where 100%
“It’s more than a store, it’s a community,”
— Alice Wilberding Shift Lead, Dorsey Plaza Thrift Store
Why Support our Stores
of the proceeds support our programming and services.
“I think this Thrift Store is important because the money stays locally,” Wiseman said. “The money supports those fleeing domestic violence, experiencing homelessness, children, and St. Vincent de Paul has a real stronghold in the community. I really support this group because they help a lot of people.”
Wiseman enjoys the interaction.
“I’ve gotten to know everybody too,” she said. “I like the people who work here. I also like volunteering and putting stuff out. I like to talk with the customers.”
We offer quality, secondhand items at an affordable price.
“There are a lot of nice purses and clothes and knickknacks. They only put out the good stuff,” Wiseman said. “You get bargains, a variety of things, and you don’t have to go to the department stores anymore. I come on their discount day.”
This season is a perfect opportunity for some spring cleaning. We have three Thrift Store locations across Jefferson County. Here are five personal perks when supporting our stores:
New Loyalty Program: Earn 1 point for every $1 spent. Collect 100 points and receive a $10 coupon on your next purchase at any Thrift Store.
Discount Days: On certain store items, we choose a different colored price tag fastener. Every week, we use a different color, and that color is 50% off Tuesdays through Saturdays. On Tuesdays, it’s only 99 cents for the previous week’s color. Senior Days are also on Wednesdays.
Free
Furniture
Pickup:
Request a free donation pick-up of large items by calling us at (502) 468-8953. We’ll work with you to schedule a time to pick up your donated items such as furniture and approved appliances.
Second Chance Employer: Your support employs nearly a quarter of our staff at our stores and warehouse.
Sustainability: Donating declutters your home and keeps items from ending up in landfills. Often, thrift stores throw away unused items. Our Warehouse Department recycles them to developing countries.
Scan the QR code to learn more about our Thrift Stores.
