St. Francis Seraph Ministries is always a buzz of activity, responding to the needs of our neighbors in the community by serving meals, providing safe shelter, giving out cold bottles of water on hot days and helping the homeless and working poor stay warm when temperatures plummet. Here are just a few of our stories about how we innovate to nourish and nurture those in need.
In the biblical story of the fishes and the loaves (Mt. 14:13–21), Jesus fed 5,000 men, as well as women and children, with just two fish and five loaves of bread. That’s the inspiration behi...
Read more
Sarah Center Director Adina Wofford thinks back to one of her favorite days at work. It was a Wednesday, and seemingly everyone at the center had good news. Goals were being realized and obstacle...
Read more
It doesn’t really matter now how much Ronda Bennit earned when she sold the first pair of earrings she made at the Sarah Center more than 20 years ago. That bit of extra cash is long gone. What...
Read more
When Lanesia Berney was facing one of the toughest challenges of her life, she found a strong support system in The Sarah Center at St. Francis Seraph Ministries to help her stay on track and bec...
Read more
Melanie Ruggles knows what the alternative is. She could spend her days staring at the TV, dwelling on her stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis. She could feel sorry for herself for losing her home la...
Read more
For more than a decade, members of the Isaac M. Wise Temple community have volunteered to serve Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the guests at St. Francis Seraph Ministries (SFSM). This yea...
Read more
St. Francis Seraph Ministries Chef Gina Dye is such a fabulous cook, her meals have earned her a few bouquets of flowers and at least one impromptu marriage proposal....
Read more
When a student from DePaul Cristo Rey joins the St. Francis Seraph Ministries (SFSM) team through the school’s Corporate Work Study Program, they learn real-world skills and gain hands-on exper...
Read more
You’re far more likely to find Brother David Crank, OFM, wearing his habit than a tuxedo, but his job as one of St. Francis Seraph Ministries’ Client Services Coordinators could call for the ...
Read more
Conversation flows easily and laughter comes quickly in the Sarah Center. Perhaps the only thing that flows more rapidly than the comments is the whir of the new industrial sewing machine....
Read more
Kelly Houston is the first face a guest sees when they come through the doors of St. Francis Seraph Ministries (SFSM) in the morning. That’s a responsibility — and a privilege — Kelly doesn...
Read more
Joe Zielinski and Mark Jones spent their careers as probation and parole officers, which would seem to be a stressful way to make a living. But Zielinski never saw it that way....
Read more
St. Francis Seraph Ministries (SFSM) has received a grant from the Charles H. Dater Foundation to expand and enhance sewing and jewelry-making classes offered through the Sarah Center, which in t...
Read more
Part of La Salle High School’s motto is: We are called to serve....
Read more
Food Service Director Jay Olzak has worked in kitchens and food service management his whole career. He says there’s something truly special about St. Francis Seraph Ministries....
Read more
CINCINNATI, OH — Scott Priestle is the new development manager at St. Francis Seraph Ministries, where he will pursue fundraising and marketing opportunities for the Over-the-Rhine nonprofit....
Read more
Erin Alexander lays a dozen pieces of jewelry across a table in the Sarah Center and carefully sets them up on display boards, one piece at a time. She stops and smiles when she gets to a stack o...
Read more
We got to know Gregory last year when he regularly joined us for breakfast and dinner in the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Dining Room. As we spoke with him, we learned Gregory faced challenges that ...
Read more
Beverly Clayton might never walk a mile in her guests’ shoes. But through Foot Care for the Souls, she makes that walk a little easier for each person she serves....
Read more