Taking a Hands-On Approach to Service

When Dan Berus isn’t serving guests at St. Francis Seraph Ministries (SFSM), you’re likely to find him tinkering on projects around his home. A self-described “DIY guy,” Dan loves the satisfaction that comes from choosing the right tools to create something great.

As a Client Services Coordinator at SFSM, he hopes to empower guests with that same “do it yourself” spirit as they work to improve their lives.

“When I’m in the middle of a DIY project, I have to do it myself — I have to make things happen to get the result I want,” he says. “I can go get the tools and supplies I need, but I have to put in the hours and put in the effort. It’s the same thing here when I’m trying to make an impact for the clients I serve.”

Dan is the first person guests see when they come to dinner. He greets them with a smile and learns their names as he checks them in. He also enjoys helping guests with research into job openings, community resources and contact information they can use to stabilize their lives.

“I hope when they come in here, they feel like they’re being treated like somebody special and that there’s somebody in the world who cares about what they’re going through,” Dan says. “If we can have an impact for them, that’s even better.”

Dan has always been drawn to service. He grew up in Dayton and became a firefighter and emergency medical technician after high school. He moved to Cincinnati to work as a Certified Surgical Technician and eventually earned his MBA from Xavier University. As a business analyst for Clinton Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, he helped open the Foster J. Boyd, MD Cancer Center.

When he lost his job during the pandemic, Dan took the opportunity to join his wife, Lisa, and daughter Rebecca as SFSM volunteers. It was a natural fit. His career path soon took him back to the corporate world, but his passion for helping others ultimately led him to join the SFSM staff in September 2025.

Now, every afternoon, he looks forward to chatting with dinner guests and lifting their spirits after a long day often spent without a place to go.

“Having those interactions and having a sense that I’m making an impact,” Dan says, “that means a lot to me.”

Whether he’s helping someone make positive choices or just making them laugh so they can feel relaxed, Dan does whatever it takes to make a difference.