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___________________ Our Mission
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___________________ DONOR OPTION
# 272 ___________________ OPTION #
25893 ___________________ A Program Of
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________________________________________ What’s
New ________________________________________ NEWS,
OPPORTUNITIES, and MORE! ¨
January 18, 2009. Annual Saint John Neumann boot drive
in full swing. One of the Saint John’s
Hospice traditions that has really blossomed over
the past few years is the Saint John Neumann boot campaign. Donors are often energized when they
contribute because they know that their donations go directly to the needs of
the poor. Pardon the pun, but you
may say that this is “where the rubber meets the road”. With the money you donate to this drive, we provide hundreds
of homeless men with new, sturdy boots that help protect their feet during
the winter weather. We pass these
out in January after the feast of Saint John Neumann who took shoes off his
own feet to give to another person in need here in Philadelphia. Many who come to Saint John’s Hospice eagerly anticipate
this annual event. Imagine the
excited faces of our men when they come to our celebration and see the boots
facing them. How appropriate that
our mission statement banner and its message of dignity, respect, nourishment
and new beginnings is directly behind the boots. Please consider contributing to this beautiful and meaningful
winter tradition. You may contribute
online (use the Donate button on
this page) or send a check to Saint John’s Hospice, 1221 Race St,
Philadelphia, PA 19107. ¨
November 2, 2009: The Religious Tolerance and Interfaith Dialogue in the U.S. Regional
Project for Africa hosted by Philadelphia’s International Visitors
Council visited Saint John’s Hospice today. In addition to our orientation, Iraina Salaam, Social Services Supervisor, and Ray Mohr, Good Shepherd Program Case
Manager, spoke about HIV/AIDS here in Philadelphia and how we address those
issues here at Saint John’s and our Good Shepherd Program. The participants also helped serve our daily lunch to 365
men. Participants were from Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote
d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique,
Niger, and Tanzania and included religious, education, social services, and
government officials. The group
included Muslim Imams, a Catholic priest, and other Christian and Muslim
leaders. As the title of the tour suggests, a key component was to show
how church organizations work to help cities and states deal with issues of
homeless here in the U.S. All
were impressed at how the races and ages and religious backgrounds of those
who use Saint John’s Hospice mingled with each other both in providing
and receiving service. See Photos at www.flickr.com/photos/saintjohnshospice/sets/. ¨
Saint John’s Hospice
featured on Comcast Local Edition.
See
the 5-minute interview at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IAuLZZpz5A. This interview will air at various
times in November at 0:24 and 0:54 minutes after each hour on the Headline News Channel (HLN). ¨
October 18, 2009: Saint John’s Hospice Donor &
Volunteer Open House was a rousing success. Nearly 100 donors and volunteers joined the Saint
John’s Hospice residents and staff and shared stories, laughter, and an
excellent meal prepared by our kitchen staff. There was even a special entertainment
presentation by Philadelphia’s own Dr
Freeze who performed his Michael Jackson impersonation. See Photos at www.flickr.com/photos/saintjohnshospice/sets/. Special honors went to two of our long term volunteers: ·
Bill Barrett resigned this year from his
volunteer work of nearly 35 years.
Bill has worked nearly every possible job at Saint John’s
Hospice. He’s been featured
in Philadelphia’s Catholic
Standard & Times. He was
the 2008 Volunteer of the Year for
the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and was one of only nine finalists for the Catholic Charities USA Volunteer of the
Year award. ·
Mary and Joe Byers recently retired from
organizing the casserole program at St Anastasia parish in Newtown
Square. They worked this ministry
for over 36 years. Imagine!
… Under their tutelage, St Anastasia’s donated over 60,000
casseroles to the Saint John’s Hospice lunch program. Line those up end to end and you would
get from here to Boston! We had our 1st Annual Silent Auction.
Sincere thanks to our auction donors: ·
Dave DiRenzo and 1210 WPHT/610 WIP Radio ·
Matt Bonner from Toshiba ·
Walter Sabbath ·
Basic Supplies ·
Feraco Co ·
Philadelphia Zoo ·
Charles Giunta of Giunta Meats at Reading Terminal Marker ·
Natalie Borokhovsky and Prantic Healing ·
Roz Bratt of Homemade Goodies Bakery ·
U. S. Food ·
Tootsie D’Ambrosio
and Salad Express at Reading Terminal
Market ·
Bible Way Baptist Church ·
Termini Brothers Bakery ·
Reading Terminal Market ·
Author Bill Pezza ·
J & G Milk Distributor ·
Phil Kates and the Philadelphia Orchestra ¨
September 9, 2009: Saint John’s Hospice is saddened to announce the
death today of Charlotte Farmer,
our evening residential aide.
“Miss Charlotte”, as we fond of calling her, worked at
Saint John’s Hospice since December 2004. The residents and staff of Saint
John’s gathered this evening for a short prayer before our evening meal
where we prayed for Charlotte and her family and also shed tears for a woman
who cared for all and was so kind.
Charlotte always considered herself
“rich and blessed” and was an inspiration to us all.
Charlotte Farmer ¨
August 24, 2009:
The Marketing and Community
Relations departments of the Beneficial
Bank here in center city helped serve lunch today and brought a check for
$500 to Saint John’s Hospice.
Bob Juliano, Vice President
of Community Relations, spearheaded the event with the support of Joanne Ryder, Senior Vice President
of Marketing.
¨ August 4, 2009: Volunteers from Independence Blue Cross here in center city feasted SJH residents with a barbecue this evening. They brought hot dogs and hamburgers and helped serve and exquisite and fun meal. Rafael Durant is heading up this Blue Cross volunteer effort called the Blue Crew! This part of Independence Blue Cross’s ongoing commitment to the community.
¨ July 29, 2009: We bid farewell to two German students who have volunteered at Saint John’s Hospice since last September. Stephan Hildebrand and Benedikt Peckruhn spent a year in ministry at Sarnelli house in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. They volunteered in the mail room and kitchen twice a week since September 2008. Click here to see Ben & Steve’s reflection on Saint John’s Hospice.
Fr Kevin Murray of
Sarnelli House with Stephan Hildebrand (center) and Benedikt Peckruhn (right) ¨
June 26, 2009: We
had a fantastically successful pizza party today. Thanks go to so many who brought
together the whole Saint John’s Hospice family and beyond to offer our
residents and guests. We served
314 men at our noon lunch … all left with a spirit of gratitude and joy
for sharing a lunch that was donated and served with the infectious cheer of LeeAnn
and Mike Camut’s family and
volunteers. See Photos. LeeAnn Camut was the catalyst for this event. She organized the 25 volunteers. She brought pizzas and hoagies, had a
number of families bake and donate cookies, passed out Godiva chocolates and
bags of nuts to our men, and even had bright fluorescent green “St.
John’s Hospice Annual Pizza Party” tee shirts for her volunteers
and SJH staff with the tag line, “Be the Light … of the
Party”. She provided
“Be the Light” self-glow bracelets as well as tablecloths and
fresh flowers for each table. A
number of friends and businesses also contributed: Starbucks, Market
Way Flowers & Gifts, Station Pizza, and J&S Promotions. This was the second
annual pizza party put on by LeeAnn.
Also check out Tom Clark’s write-up in
Philadelphia’s Daily News: Bottom line: we served more than food to our guests
today. Our men shared joy and
good cheer. I was touched by how
solicitous they were in handing their trays to the young volunteers who vied
for most-trays-collected. Our men
left with smiles on their faces as well as a satisfied palate. And we introduced a whole new group of
volunteers who are already thinking of their own possibilities, such as Girl
Scout toiletry projects. It is
one of those days when we felt a bit more closely connected to our mission of
helping our men find dignity, respect, nourishment, and opportunities for new
beginnings. We are truly
blessed. ¨
May 21, 2009: The Reverend
Melvin Floyd of the ¨
May 6, 2009: TownTalkNews.com, an on-line
newspaper, features an article about Saint John’s Hospice Program
Director, Kevin Barr. See Kevin Barr, Professor Offers Help to Homeless, by Adele Malloy, Town Talk
Reporter. Malloy paints a picture
of a man all of us at Saint John’s recognize as a treasure. We’re happy to share it with our
Saint John’s family. ¨
April 24, 2009: Saint John’s Hospice bade farewell this afternoon
to Alan Trotter and Brian Stacy, Capuchin Franciscan postulants
who have worked with us since August 2008. Alan and Brian will move on to a
pre-novitiate period in Victoria, Kansas (at the famous Cathedral of the
Plains) and enter the formal novitiate in Allison Park, Pennsylvania in
August. This will lead to first
vows as Capuchin Franciscan friars next May. Brian worked as an aide to Brother
Kip Ledger, We wish both Alan and Brian Godspeed in their future. They have been a blessing to Saint
John’s Hospice during their time here. The Capuchins and the church are
blessed to have them. ¨
April 16, 2009: The Ancient
Order of Hibernians hosted their annual dinner for the residents of Saint
John’s Hospice here last evening.
The dinner consisted of roasted beef eye of round, whole white
potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls & butter, cake, and beverages. This year’s sponsor was Mr Dick Kane and his family. See Photos. The Ancient Order of Hibernians is a fraternal organization for
Catholics of Irish virth or descent who are or intend to become United States citizens. Members of local AOH Divisions prepared
and served the meal, led by Joe Fox, AOH 17, and offering tremendous help to
Mamie Mathis, SJH evening cook.
Also pitching in were Ladies
Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Junior
Ancient Order of Hibernians division
from nearby Roman Catholic High School. This dinner is part of the Hibernian
Hunger Project, a national program that feeds thousands every year in
remembrance of the more than one million Irish people who died of starvation
and related diseases during the Great Irish Famine. Thank you to all members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
who provided an evening of dignity and respect to everyone here at Saint
John’s Hospice. ¨
April 8, 2009:
Saint Joseph’s
University
students and staff collected nearly 100 pair of new or “gently
used” sneakers that they donated to Saint John’s Hospice. Mary
Beth Catania and Renie Shields organized the drive. As Kevin Barr, Saint John’s Hospice Program Director,
put it: “This really creates a win/win environment for both the men who
desperately need these comfortable sneakers and for your students and
staff. It is an opportunity for
them, through a small sacrifice, to make a real difference in someone’s
daily life. We are thankful for
the spirit of service that flows our of Saint Joseph’s
University.” These sneakers
put a smile on the faces of many homeless men who are walking toward new
opportunities throughout the city.
¨
Apr 5, 2009: Knights of
Columbus annual Easter dinner.
Once again the Knights and Ladies served Easter lunch this afternoon
to over 250 men. See Photos. ¨
Apr 3, 2009:
The U.S. Coast Guard is a regular volunteer group
for lunches at Saint John’s Hospice. During their service earlier this
week, the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay here in Philadelphia invited their
Atlantic City counterparts to join them.
PO3 Crystal Kneen from Atlantic City
gathered information and took some great photos. Read her article here. ¨
Mar 15, 2009: SJH Volunteer Bill Barrett has been chosen as a finalist in this year’s Catholic Charities USA Volunteer of the
Year competition. This is a
prestigious national award that will be presented at Catholic Charities USA
national convention in September in Portland, Oregon. Bill has been volunteering here at Saint John’s Hospice
for nearly 35 years. He has
worked nearly every function we have, from kitchen to dining room to clothing
room to mail room. He is also a
trustee for Roman Catholic High School, his alma mater. In all his activities, Bill is somehow
“drawn back to Saint John’s Hospice where he sees the face of
Christ every day in the face of the men we serve.” ¨
Mar 12, 2009: Saint John’s Hospice Coffee
House Program reached its three-year
anniversary – a milestone capped by a celebration on the night of March 12
that included Coffee House guests as well as SJH and archdiocesan staff. The Coffee House
cares for 27 homeless men seven nights a week from 10 pm to 6 am. It opened in early 2006. It operates in the “yard”,
the enclosed alley between the hospice and Good Shepherd Program
residences. In addition to a
heated area sheltered from weather and street traffic, the Coffee House
offers staff support as well as snacks, beverages, and a restroom. Hanif Jackson leads
the Coffee House staff that includes Raqueeb
Dockery, Mustafa Brooks and Grady Savoy. Hanif takes great satisfaction that we
reach a population that doesn’t use the shelter system. He tells about one man who was
accepted into and completed our residential program—he now has an
apartment, a car, and two jobs. “The difference
between our Coffee House and other overnight programs is that we are open
seven nights a week. And
it’s not just about coffee and donuts; we strive to help our men have
the vision that that they can have so much more in life,” says
Hanif. “We constantly help
them get other services such as outpatient programs and housing
opportunities. We also follow-up
with our consumers … no other coffee house does this.” Hanif concludes that “my
greatest wish is that we can continue to provide the needed services to
address what men need to rebuild their lives, heal themselves, and see these
results.” Three men who had
successfully moved out of the Coffee House program to our residential program
spoke at the celebration. Two have since graduated from SJH into
transitional housing. Each shared how much the Coffee House meant to
them. They were all struggling desperately when they entered the yard
and found the coffee house to be a great source of hope and support. “Instead of
giving them a piece of fish, we teach them how to fish,” says
Hanif. “We plant the seeds
knowing that we sometimes won’t see the harvest. What’s important is that the guys
have a place where they can come and feel safe and loved.” Dave Stier, SJH
operations manager, characterizes the Coffee House as a place of hope. A small glimmer of hope is so
important for men to pick themselves up and begin again. ¨
What We Need!
· New underwear: boxers, t-shirts, socks. Extra large sizes are best for
t-shirts. · Toiletries – shavers, shaving cream,
toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, lip ice/balm. · Belts … all sizes and styles. ¨
Please take a
moment to read our Newsletter. |
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