35 Years of CasserolesOur Own “Fishes and Loaves” Story

An Unpaved Road to Peace

In 35 years, St. Patrick Center has served 5.55 million hot meals to people in need, with little or no cost to the agency. How is this possible? The Casserole Program, going strong since 1984.

This is an incredible community collaboration – a real “fi shes and loaves” story – as it takes more than 100 volunteer groups to donate casseroles each month.

Ever wonder how it works? St. Patrick Center founder Edith Cunnane and early supporters recruited monthly volunteer teams. The agency provided various recipes and aluminum pans, and assigned days of the month. Casserole teams bought groceries, prepared, baked and froze the casseroles. Volunteer drivers delivered them on their assigned days of the month.

Today, the effort is seamless. Casserole – and salad and bread – teams consist of Catholic

parishes, church ministries, individuals, companies and schools (2,500 volunteers). St. Patrick Center continues to serve hot midday meals every day of the week.

Instead of asking St. Louisans where they went to high school, bring up the Casserole Program. Everyone knows someone who has or is baking casseroles for St. Patrick Center! Thank you to the many, many people who have provided for this vital community need for 35 years.

Peace did not come on a paved road for Shelby. He grew up in a traumatic household fi lled with alcoholism and abuse and was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder as a child. “I was an alcoholic by the time I was a senior in high school.” Shelby entered the Marine Corps after school, thinking it would provide stability and peace, but it led to more

hard times.

In his twenties, Shelby became spiritually ignited when he worked with someone who had a relationship with Christ. He got sober, went to school for two degrees and successfully worked

in management in the health and wellness industry. “But the demons of

alcoholism and mental illness caught up with me so badly that I eventually lost my job, my possessions and my home.”

Shelby checked himself into the hospital, where he was put in touch with a St. Patrick Center case manager and introduced to our Project HERO program for veterans. He also started working with one of our mental health counselors to learn coping skills and prioritizing. “Through these meetings, I learned that I needed a platform to make the world a better place, earn my keep and give back.”

Shelby decided he wanted to be a peer support specialist and St. Patrick Center paid for him to take a course. “Now I can help others through their traumas, addictions and mental illnesses.”

Shelby’s Story

CHRONICLESST. PATRICK CENTER

NOVEMBER 2019IN THIS ISSUE

OUR MISSIONSt. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-suffi ciency and dignity to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Individuals and families build permanent, positive change in their lives through safe and affordable housing, sound mental and physical health, and employment and fi nancial stability.

PAGE 2Message from Interim CEO Mary Kitley

PAGE 2 Ask the Staff

PAGE 2 Events Update

PAGE 2 Volunteer Spotlight

PAGE 2 CEO and Strategic Plan Update

PAGE 3Young Friends Update

PAGE 3 NEW Annual Report

PAGE 4 Volunteer Opportunities

PAGE 4 Event Calendar

AT THE CENTER OF CHANGE

“St. Patrick Center is wonderful. If you are experiencing homelessness, take advantage of all of their programs and services to fi nd stability and peace.” – Shelby

Staff Day Away 2019

MORE THANHOUSING

Annual Report | Fiscal Year 2019

450Homelessness

Prevented

900Housing Support

364NEW Housing Placements

59,000Services Provided

3,500Directly Assisted

As seen on TV! See related item on page 4.

MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM CEO

Ask the Staff What Motivates You to Come to Work Each Day?

“My clients. Not only do they motivate me to come in daily but they are the reason I have joy, laughter and a smile daily. Their growth and joy inspires me.”

Mary DrummondSemi Independent Case Manager

“I am motivated each day by the dedication of our staff to our clients. Each time I hear of one client going from homelessness to achieving housing and fi nancial stability, and using what he/she learned to give back to the community, I am humbled by the resiliency.”

Estella WrightCompliance Specialist

“I get satisfaction that the work I do helps St. Patrick Center get the funding we need to help our clients with their housing needs. Plus, I respect and enjoy the people I work with.”

Maria BlahaRosati Operations Manager

“The clients, the mission, the employees and the volunteers – these all motivate me to come to work every day.”

Katie JosephSenior Development Manager

CHRONICLES | NOVEMBER | 2019

Chronicles is a publication of St. Patrick Center, distributed three times a year to share the good news with the community, plus grow the circle of those who believe in and support St. Patrick Center’s mission.

If you have feedback, ideas, or would like to go green and have Chronicles emailed to you, please contact our editor: Kelly Peach, 314.802.0687 or kpeach@stpatrickcenter.org

Main switchboard: 314.802.0700Main fax: 314.802.1982Donations: 314.802.0690Media/information: 314.802.0687Programs/services: 314.802.0700Tributes/memorials: 314.802.0690Volunteer opportunities: 314.802.0681Website: stpatrickcenter.org

St. Patrick Center is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, for complying with governance, management and service standards. The COA is a world leader in advocating for individuals, families and communities.

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I was hired four years ago to lead St. Patrick Center’s fundraising and volunteer efforts. I’m presently balancing

those duties while serving as Interim CEO.

As you will see on page 3 of this newsletter, a CEO search is underway by our board and a local fi rm. Please pray for all who are working diligently to fi nd our next leader. We’ve been blessed with amazing leaders for 36 years. We’re grateful for the contributions of our most recent CEO, Laurie Phillips.

We begin our year-end campaign with a question: where would St. Louis be without St. Patrick Center? The community needs us, thousands of people facing homelessness need us and we need you.

When deciding where to donate, you want your gift to make the most difference. St. Patrick Center does a phenomenal job of helping people change their lives. We’re very proud of the Annual Report numbers on page 3 because they equal people and lives changed because of the dedicated work of the St. Patrick Center team.

When we end homelessness for one individual or family, another in need is on the way. This winter, hundreds of people will come to us for help. Please make a meaningful donation to us this holiday season so we can continue to serve St. Louis and change lives for the better.

Mary Kitley

Upcoming Events: Save the Dates Trivia Party, Pot O’ Gold and More

Thanks to the hundreds of attendees who came out to support veterans and help end veteran homelessness at the Veterans Day 5K

Run/Walk on November 9. Presented by Keeley Companies, families walked and ran the 5K and one-mile routes

and enjoyed the runners’ village with its many fun activities for all ages in

Downtown St. Louis. Thanks to the companies and individuals who sponsored the event, registered a team or donated in-kind items.

Many thanks as well to those who attended our Rise. Shine. Give. Empower. breakfast in Sept. Together, we raised more than $23,000 for our Women’s Night Program.

Mark your calendars for our 2020 events right around the corner:

Join us Friday, February 7, 2020 at St. Louis Union Station for St. Patrick Center Trivia Party. Test

your trivia smarts for a chance to win a trophy and prizes. Gather your teammates and register now at the early-bird price of $400 for a table of 8 which includes appetizers, beer, wine, soda/water and parking. The price goes up to $500 on Jan. 7! Shamrock VIP tables are also available for $1,000 each; add-ons include a premium appetizer, upgraded beer selection, preferred seating and special recognition. Register on the event page at stpatrickcenter.org.

Pot O’ Gold: We are looking for team leaders for our Pot O’ Gold campaign in March 2020. Raise funds and awareness for St. Patrick Center with your team. Host a Pot O’ Gold fundraiser at your church, school or business.

For more information about these events, contact Maggie Kloppenberg at 314.802.5418 or mkloppenberg@stpatrickcenter.org.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

International Company Gives Back Locally Ernst & Young, an international business consultant fi rm with a local offi ce in St. Louis, held their 10th Annual EY Connect Day in October and participated in local service projects. A group of 8 volunteers from the local offi ce spent their afternoon at

St. Patrick Center. They served lunch to clients and community members in our Shamrock Club and restocked items and tidied shelves in our food pantry. EY also has representatives on our Board of Directors and Young Friends. We’re grateful for businesses like EY who help make their communities better through service.

change lives for the better. change lives for the better.

Young Friends Update Beer Aplenty and the Irish Party

CEO Search and Strategic Plan Updates

The St. Patrick Center Young Friends have been hard at work with fundraising activities. In August, they raised more than $900 at Tapped’s Charity of the Week event. In October, they raised funds at Center Ice Brewery. In November, they worked the beer tent at our Veterans Day 5K.

Mark your calendars for the Young Friends premier event: Irish Party on March 6, 2020 at

Schlafl y Tap Room. The event will include unlimited Schlafl y beer, food, music, raffl e prizes and games. Irish Party sells out, so purchase your tickets soon. We are also seeking corporate sponsors and donated items for the raffl e.

If you would like to get involved with Young Friends and/or Irish Party, contact Sarah Webb at swebb@stpatrickcenter.org or 314.802.0681.

AT THE CENTER OF CHANGE

3

Two very big projects are underway at St. Patrick Center: the search for a new CEO and Year Two of the Strategic Plan.

Laurie Phillips left her position as CEO at the end of September. “The agency accomplished a great deal under Laurie’s leadership,” said board president Bob Olwig. “We thank her for her nearly fi ve years of tireless dedication to St. Patrick Center.”

The Board of Directors named Chief Development Offi cer Mary Kitley as Interim CEO. The Board formed a search committee and hired an outside search fi rm to assist with hiring a new CEO. We will announce our new executive in the near future.

St. Patrick Center accomplished several goals and actions items during Year One of the three-year Strategic Plan. The agency focused on Program Delivery and Innovation; Advocacy; Revenue Growth and Diversifi cation; and Organizational Effectiveness Successes include the new Hospital to Housing pilot program; expanded landlord engagement; increased monthly donors; and new monthly management reports.

The primary focus of Year Two will be Revenue Growth and Diversifi cation. Key Initiatives include increasing unrestricted contributions through major gifts and monthly giving; securing new grant opportunities; and optimizing/monetizing the use of our building.

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We were the lucky recipients of 2,750 pairs of new Bombas socks. For every pair of socks bought, Bombas donates a pair to a homeless services provider for their clients.

Andy, Megan and Matt Vogelweid accepted their father’s Cardinal Rigali Service Award in Sept. Greg passed away in May after 26 years of service, most notably as Chief Operating Offi cer.

Fox 2 News and The Thread STL’s Tim Ezell recently visited with some casserole teams and will highlight the 35-year old casserole program on a future show (see cover story).

“The agency accomplished a great deal under Laurie’s leadership... We thank her for her nearly fi ve years of tireless dedication to St. Patrick Center.” – Bob Olwig

St. Patrick Center directly assisted 3,500 clients and their families who were homeless or at risk last year, according to our newly released annual report.

To these people, we provided 59,000 services, including case management, group and individual counseling, housing support, employment and fi nancial stability.

Each clinical staff member provided an average of 500 services to clients throughout the year.

Agency wide, we provided rental assistance and case management services to 900 clients and their families. Of these, 364 were NEWhousing placements!

We’re proud to report these additional outcomes:

• We completed 3,200 intakesof new or returning clients to determine their barriers to housing.

• 1,400 clients took the next step and held further discussions about programs with clinical staff.

• We prevented homelessness for 450 clients and their families, distributing all of our homelessness prevention funding resources.

• We provided 139,000 hot meals.

• We helped 180 clients fi nd jobs.

• We provided behavioral health services to clients in nearly all of our programs.

To view our annual report online, visit the About page of our website at stpatrickcenter.org.

ANNUAL REPORTFiscal Year 2019 Outcomes

“This was a good year... We’re proud of the outcomes in this report. We grew stronger administratively and improved how we collect and analyze data.” – Bob Olwig

What We Did

As a Housing First model, we directly assisted

3,500 clients and their families who were

homeless or at risk.

To these clients and their families, we provided 59,000 services, including case management, group and individual counseling, housing support, employment and financial stability.

As St. Louis’ lead agency for Coordinated Entry, we completed 3,200 intakes of new or returning clients to determine barriers to housing. In addition, 1,400 clients took the next step and held further discussions about programs with clinical staff.

We provided 139,000 hot meals through the Shamrock Club; Women’s Night Program; Rosati Group Home and Biddle Housing Opportunities Center.

What We Need

A $150 donation could feed a household for one week.

A $375 donation could provide a household move-in kit.

What We Learned

Based on data and the size of our team, each

clinical staff member provided an average of

500 services to clients throughout the year.

We are grateful to our data management team and clinical staff for their focused efforts in Fiscal Year 2019 to improve client data quality. The year-long project allowed us to update client records, streamline our support service identification structure and enhance reporting.

59,000 services

3,200 intakes

139,000 hot meals

$150donation

$375donation

5

Agency Wide

The first thing you may think about when it comes to assisting people experiencing homelessness is housing, but we have learned that it is actually more than housing.

The numbers in this annual report connect to the lives of individuals and families, and the outcomes show how we affected their lives for the better.

This report also demonstrates that we still have a great need for resources from donors and funders. For example, we ran out of homelessness prevention resources in Fiscal Year 2019 and were unable to help many people who came to us facing eviction.

The Care We Give

“St. Patrick Center won’t do it all for you, but they’ll guide you to what you want to do, and you’ll flourish from there.”

– KEVIN

4

Agency Wide

The first thing you may think about when it comes to assisting people experiencing homelessness is but we have learned that it is actually

The numbers in this annual report connect to the lives of individuals and families, and the outcomes show how we affected their lives for the better.

This report also demonstrates that we still have a need for resources from donors and funders. For example, we ran out of homelessness prevention resources in Fiscal Year 2019 and were unable to help many people who came to us facing eviction.

The Care We Give

“St. Patrick Center won’t do it all for you, but they’ll guide you to what you want to do, and you’ll flourish from there.”

– KEVIN

MORE THANHOUSING

Annual Report | Fiscal Year 2

019

450Homelessness

Prevented

900Housing

Support

364NEW Housing

Placements59,000

Services

Provided

3,500Directly

Assisted

CHRONICLES | NOVEMBER | 2019

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800 N. Tucker Blvd.St. Louis, MO 63101

stpatrickcenter.org314.802.0700

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Trevisano Teddy Bear Christmas Land: An ideal opportunity for two friends or a small group. We need volunteers to distribute candy canes and fact cards while collecting donations at the Trevisano family light display in Crestwood, Thursdays through Sundays from Thanksgiving until Christmas.

St. Patrick Center Trivia Party: We need volunteers to assist with set-up, sales, scoring and more at St. Patrick Center Trivia Party on Friday, February 7, 2020 at St. Louis Union Station.

Donation Center: We need volunteers to receive donations as they arrive at the back of our building, weekdays between 8am and 4pm.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit the Volunteer page at stpatrickcenter.org or contact Sarah Webb at 314.802.0681 or SPCvolunteers@stpatrickcenter.org.

Give Thanks Thanksgiving Program: November 25, 2019

Trevisano Teddy Bear Christmas Land: November 29 – December 31, 2019

Christmas Wishes Family Sponsorship Program:December 18 & 19, 2019

St. Patrick Center Trivia Party: February 7, 2020

Pot O’ Gold Campaign: March 2020

Irish Party: March 6, 2020

St. Patrick Center Irish Open Gala and Golf Tournament:May 30 and June 1, 2020

Solving Homelessness It’s a Complex Issue

NonProfi t Org.US Postage

PAIDSt. Louis, MO

Permit No. 5501

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Missouri State Senator Jamilah Nasheed visited St. Patrick Center in September. We look forward to working with her further on issues affecting homelessness.

Archdiocese of St. Louis Bishop Mark Rivituso blessed our new chapel in September.

More than 100 women attended our Rise. Shine. Give. Empower. breakfast in September to benefi t our Women’s Night Program. Together, we raised more than $23,000.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

4Editorial cartoon reprinted with permission from Joe Heller, Heller Syndication, hellertoon.com.