St. Francis Seraph Ministries - Dining Room
St. Francis Seraph Ministries (SFSM) has been a stalwart in OTR since its inception in 2012. With its mission “nourish and nurture anyone in need,” SFSM takes that mission to heart with the way it runs its programs and welcomes guests. Their largest program, the Dining Room, has had to shake it up a bit during Covid precautions, but they have been one of the few programs who have been able to stay open through the pandemic serving food to people who are most vulnerable. They moved to a carry-out option at the beginning of the pandemic, but in November were able to open up their dining room for breakfast and dinner Monday-Friday, providing a clean and safe place for people to get warm and nourishing food during the cold months. They also provide bag lunches and bagged meals for those who would prefer not dining inside. Also, new this past winter, SFSM served more than 800 meals per week to the Emergency Winter Shelter and Maslow’s Army, as well as provided grocery staples for 80 families living in hotels during the winter months. They were able to fill the gaps that were left when many organizations had to shutter their doors.
SFSM also has many other great programs such as the Sarah Center which recently launched a job-training program called “Stitched,” and soon they will relaunch selling jewelry and soft goods created by the women who participate in the Sarah Center program at 10,000 Villages. SFSM also has virtual cooking classes for young kids with their “Choppin’ It Up” program, and will be re-launching their Cooking for the Family program in the Fall.
LOCAL COMMUNITY GIVEBACK PROJECT
While SFSM gets funding through grants and other partnerships, they rely heavily on donations. Each month they have to spend roughly $3,200 on food/supplies just for the Dining Room program. That is why, SFSM is our local Community Giveback Partner for the first half of 2021, and your giveback funds will help underwrite this expense to directly impact those who are needing nourishing meals especially in this difficult time.
To learn more about what their challenges have been during Covid-19 check out this great article by Cincinnati Magazine.
To find out more about SFSM and how to get involved please go to their website: sfsministries.org
Thank you for being a part of this opportunity to giveback to the community.
