The call for warmer clothing rises, particularly for items that aren’t donated as frequently, he said. This includes larger sizes for both men and women, as well as socks and underwear.
In addition, St. Vincent de Paul’s two emergency homeless shelters — one for women and families on West Apple Street and another for single men on South Gettysburg Avenue — see an uptick in guests, with up to 100 more people per night than in the summer, Oliveri said.
The shelters house more than 400 guests per night, and about 4,000 individuals each year, he said. Another 11,000 people were assisted by St. Vincent de Paul last year through the neighborhood ministries, with services such as food distribution, furniture vouchers, and transitional and permanent supportive housing. Rental assistance also has become a greater need since the pandemic began.
“The people who come to us — it’s everyone,” Oliveri said.
Those in need are supported by about 700 Vincentian volunteers from 31 conferences centered at Catholic parishes throughout the Dayton district, Oliveri said. Another thousand people volunteer in other ways.
Denny Lammlein is an active volunteer at both St. Mary of the Assumption in Springboro as well as Centerville’s Church of the Incarnation, where he just finished two terms as president of the conference.
St. Vincent de Paul is different than some other organizations because volunteers visit the people they are helping and try to get to know them, he said. This human contact also gives volunteers the opportunity to share in the successes of those who are being supported, such as the start of a new job or the purchase of a first car.
“It’s really about getting them to have hope for the future,” said Lammlein, of Springboro.
St. Vincent de Paul does whatever it can to improve the lives of community members, said Steve Brandell, president of the conference at St. Henry Catholic Church in Miami Twp. That includes helping with utilities, rent, bus passes, clothing vouchers and repairs.
The Incarnation and St. Henry conferences also have worked on a brown-bag lunch program at different times, providing hearty meals to community members after the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes and throughout the pandemic. It has become so popular that it now serves about 500 people a month, Brandell said.
“There’s no limit to the charitable activities that we do,” Brandell said. “If there’s a need there and it’s sincere, we can provide it.”
Items most needed for donations:
- Furniture
- Fall/Winter clothing for adults, all sizes (new and gently used)
- Fall/Winter clothing for children, all sizes (new and gently used)
- Women’s socks and leggings
- Shoes (tennis shoes and boots) for men, women, and children; all sizes
- Hoodies and jackets for men, women and children; all sizes (new and gently used)
- Coats for men, women and children; all sizes (new and gently used)
- Hats, gloves and scarves for children and adults (new and gently used)
- Underwear (new) for men and women; size small and above
- Men’s white T-shirts, size small to 4x
- Adult backpacks, bath towels and washcloths (new or gently used)
- Sheets/sheet sets, twin size (new or gently used)
- Blankets, twin size (new or gently used)
- Sweatshirts for men and women, size large to 4x
- Sweatpants for men and women, size large to 4x
- Toothbrushes, combs, brushes and deodorant for men and women
- 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash for men and women
- Cough drops, lip balms, razors and shaving cream for men and women
- Nail trimmers, foot powder, lotion, baby items, diapers newborn to size 7, wipes, pacifiers, baby bottles and sippy cups
- Food items, canned fruit (#10 cans preferred) and canned vegetables (#10 cans preferred)
- Shelf-stable protein items (i.e., canned chicken, canned tuna/salmon, peanut butter, beans), condiments (mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, barbeque sauce)
- Regular ground coffee
- Instant mashed potatoes
- Cream soups
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