St. Paul Conference & Thrift Stores help woman battling stage 4 cancer
It takes a lot to help somebody.
This time around it took a pick-up truck, a trio of volunteers, $500, and a thrift store.
Elizabeth, who has stage four colon cancer, recently moved into her one-bedroom apartment in Pleasant Ridge Park (because her previous complex had shooting incidents). She only had two aluminum folding chairs for her kitchen table, a TV on top of empty boxes, and a twin mattress for her full-size bed frame.
“After living at my apartment for eight months, it wasn’t until my place was furnished and I nested that I realized I was surviving,” Elizabeth said.
In July, Elizabeth contacted the St. Paul Conference—a SVDP parish-based conference in her area—for assistance. Conference members Maureen Welch and Rebecca Bartsch made a home visit.
“She politely sat on her rollator walker and let us have the chairs. It was so humbling,” Welch said.
Welch then reached out to the SVDP Bittersweet Thrift Store, one of our three locations, about a Thrift Store Voucher.
“I went to figure out what the process was,” Welch added. “The store manager was a jewel. I explained that our client needed a mattress, but she really needed so much more. The manager was so compassionate.”
Another St. Paul Conference member, Gene Dowell, offered his pick-up truck. That Saturday, Elizabeth went on a shopping spree with Bartsch to choose which items to bless her home.
“It was just really powerful,” Elizabeth added. “The difference between having furniture and not having furniture is the difference in surviving and thriving in my opinion. I just feel so much better. I can have people over. It’s really changed my life … suddenly I was at home.”
“Imagine having nothing and you get to go in and pick out things for your house … You get to make this one-bedroom apartment a home,” Bartsch added. “The
store was so clean, nice, and organized. It just looked like a store. It didn’t look like a secondhand store ... That just really impressed me.”
With $500 to spend, Elizabeth was able to get a full-size mattress, two sets of sheets, a couch, two living room chairs, end tables, a coffee table, a TV stand, a picture for over her couch, two “real” kitchen chairs, and a nightstand.
“Everything purchased was nice and of high quality,” Welch said. “Elizabeth was so grateful and appreciative. It felt good to be able to help make her life a little easier while she undergoes chemo treatments.”
Our Thrift Store then sent the invoice and a copy of the signed voucher, which was then paid for by the conference.
“The process was easy … SVDP's Thrift Stores are such a blessing not only to the community, but to the clients we serve,” Welch said. “It was truly everybody pitching in. It was just meant to be.”
Afterwards, Elizabeth even called Jessica Brotzge, Store Manager at the Bittersweet Thrift Store, to thank her.
“The donations we receive from our community are so important,” Brotzge said. “They never go to waste. We were able to help a fellow community member who was in great need and there are so many more, every day, just like her. I get to see firsthand the impact of giving and changing the quality of someone’s life with belongings some of us wouldn't think twice about.”
Your donations make a difference. For donation hours or guidelines, visit www. svdplou.org/thrift-stores
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
Jennifer Clark CEO & Executive Director
Pam Evans Sr. Director of Advancement pevans@svdplou.org
Tony Nochim Communications & Public Relations Coordinator
Send comments or change of address notifications to tnochm@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.
The Dominican Brothers tradition continues
BY ALEX PAUL | Marketing Intern
This summer our campus was blessed by the presence of two Dominican Brothers, Phillip and John, who brought both compassion and joy to their service.
From May 30 to July 24, the Brothers served at our Special Works Campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As part of their spiritual formation, they worked in the Food Pantry, served meals or ate with those in the Open Hand Kitchen, and spent time with residents at Ozanam Inn Men’s Emergency Shelter.
Their presence was more than just helpful; it was transformative for both the clients and the Brothers.
“We had so much fun preaching the Gospel and being with people,” they said. “It was a joy to sit down, hear people’s stories, and share in their experiences.”
The men living at Ozanam Inn were also curious about the Brothers—who they were, why they wore habits (their white robe), and what drew them to a life devoted to Christ. These conversations often became deeply personal.
“They asked how we were able to dedicate ourselves to Christ, and how we’ve personally struggled in faith,” Bro. Phillip said. “That sparked some really good, honest conversations.”
Brother Phillip
Bro. Phillip’s journey to religious life began later than John’s. He was attending
the University of South Carolina when he first began to sense God’s call.
“I only felt the call to help and serve when I was nearing the end of college,” he said. “That’s when I realized I was being led to the seminary.”
Bro. Phillip’s time here helped confirm that calling, as he learned the importance of being a compassionate, steady presence for people in crisis.
“Being here has helped me learn how to be a sympathetic presence,” he added. “That’s something I need to carry with me through seminary and into ministry. It’s not just about words. It’s about being there.”
Brother John
Bro. John, on the other hand, attended Catholic schools from a young age and said the clarity of his vocation came slowly through prayer.
“The more I prayed, the more I realized I wanted to live a life of obedience and dignity,” he said.
Bro. John reflected on how eye-opening it was to see how people end up in difficult circumstances.
“It’s interesting to see how people respond to these harsh situations—especially when it’s not always their fault,” he added. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help, but also to learn.”
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St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
Brother Phillip, left, and Brother John, right, are pictured with volunteer John Bowling.
St. Vincent de Paul hosts 2025 National Assembly in Louisville over Labor Day weekend
From Wednesday, Aug. 27, to Saturday, Aug. 30, St. Vincent de Paul hosted the 2025 National Assembly in Louisville, as 800 SVDP Conference Members gathered at the historic Galt House.
“It was amazing to be part of the host city team for this National Assembly,” said Jennifer Clark, SVDP Louisville CEO & Executive Director. “I enjoyed connecting with other SVDP Executive Directors from across the country, learning and reflecting on the meaning of the work we do every day. A big thank you to our Conference President, David Neill, Spiritual Adviser Deacon Jack Koenig, Donna Young Cicchiello, Deacon Scott Haner, and the wonderful team at SVDP USA for making all of this possible.”
The theme was “Honoring Heritage … Embracing Change.” Here were some highlights from the National Assembly:
• On Tuesday and Wednesday, we held three tours on our Special Works
Campus. There were a couple dozen attendees at each tour (bottom).
• On Thursday, keynote speaker Gregg Colburn and SVDP USA National CEO Michael Acaldo were guests on our monthly podcast (top left). The episode “Housing and Humanity” was live streamed at The Galt House on our Facebook page. You can check out the conversation by visiting www.svdplou.org/svdp-podcast
• On Friday, the Host City Event was held at the Muhammad Ali Center. There were more than 400 attendees at this event.
• On Saturday afternoon, 50 volunteers made 500 lunches and 200 snack bags on our Special Works Campus (top right).
• At the Closing Dinner Banquet, Lily Sumner, a Mercy Academy graduate and UofL freshman, won the Young Vincentian Excellence Award of the YYAEL Mideast Region.
Our thanks to Louisville Metro Government for their support
podcast shares stories of people, partners, and programs in the Louisville community and across the country who care about our mission. You can watch or listen today at www.svdplou.org/svdp-podcast
Stock the Shelves
As part of our monthly initiative, we are asking for proteins in September. You may drop off during Food Pantry hours or reach out to Nicky Peck, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, at npeck@ svdplou.org or (502) 301-8685.
Our largest fundraiser of the year is later this month! There is still time to take part in the 22nd Annual ISCO Industries Clubs & Cocktails. This special twoday event brings our St. Vincent de Paul Louisville community together to celebrate the mission we share in.
On Sunday, September 21, join us for an inspiring Dinner and Hope Award presentation at The Olmsted. Then, on Tuesday, September 23, enjoy a beautiful
day at Harmony Landing for the golf scramble.
SVDP supporter Steve Woeste (pictured to the left) has attended both the dinner and scramble for the past five years (and a putting contest winner at a previous scramble).
“When I was getting ready to retire, I thought I needed a hobby, so I started playing golf,” said Woeste, a newer member of the St. Bernadette Conference. “Clubs & Cocktails is a good way to help the cause and have a little bit of fun at the same time. It’s socializing with the folks I’m playing golf with and those I bring to the dinner and auction.”
You can purchase tickets for both days or just one. Your generous support
will allow us to continue to house, feed, and support those in need with compassion and dignity.
“SVDP Louisville is one of the few that I know about that actually tries to help people change the trajectory of their lives,” Woeste added. “This organization has a goal to break the cycle so to speak and help people help themselves.”
To purchase tickets, scan the QR code to the right.
Have questions about purchasing tickets, hosting a table, registering a foursome, or sponsoring the event? We’re here to help. Contact Makenzie Greenwell, SVDP’s Special Events Manager, at (502) 272-2134 or mgreenwell@ svdplou.org.
Give for Good Louisville: A Hand Up Toward Hope on Sept. 18
The biggest online giving day in our community is on Thursday, Sept. 18. For more than a decade, the Community Foundation of Louisville has hosted Give for Good Louisville.
It’s an opportunity not only for you to donate, but to invite those in your sphere of influence to participate also.
“I didn’t want to just make a donation myself, but leverage friends and business associates to reach out during Give for Good,” said John Hanks, a SVDP Board Member and Treasurer since 2008 (pictured, right). “You get inundated with asks of all these worthy causes. I thought, I need to be more proactive in letting people know about an organization I believe in and feel strongly about.”
Last year, 173 donors raised more than $64,000. This exceeded our goal by more than $4,000! This year’s goal is $65,000, which would put us at more than $330,000 since we started
participating in this annual giving day. This goes to our neighbors in need.
“I’ve always admired that we offer people a helping hand up, not a hand out with our mission to serve people with compassion and dignity … to really help people become the best version of themselves and towards independent living without our assistance,” Hanks added.
This year, we are focusing on our overall mission, which is to house, feed, and support those in need with compassion and dignity. Our theme is “Life Humbles. Give Hope.”
We encourage you to donate on Sept. 18—not before or after—so that it counts towards the Give for Good day total. To see your giving impact, follow us throughout the day via email or on social media. We will be live streaming throughout the day on our Facebook and
YouTube pages (@svdplouky). Visit our website for more information.
Interested in being a matching sponsor? Help us double the impact of every donation made. Contact Makenzie Greenwell, SVDP’s Special Events Manager, at mgreenwell@svdplou.org or (502) 272-2134.
