Social Concerns
Open Shelter Ministry
• Everyday, 400+ people in Columbus are forced to sleep on the streets, on park benches, and under bushes. Shelters are full, so those left behind turn to The Open Shelter. The Shelter, opened in 1983, provides food, clothing, sleeping bags, etc. to help the homeless survive until they are able to access shelter or housing options. Additional Open Shelter services include use of a legal mailing address; telephone access; assistance with safety bank and payee services; referrals to detox/treatment and medical care; assistance with entitlement benefits; and assistance with securing housing. IC’s volunteers help with food preparation, donations, and serving the homeless individuals the first Monday of every month. If you are interested in this ministry, please contact:
Cheryl Costello cherylcostello@yahoo.com (614)-774-8879
Additional information about The Open Shelter: www.theopenshelter.org
Catholic Social Action Themes served: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable Call to Family, Community, and Participation Rights and Responsibilities
B.R.E.A.D (Building Responsibility, Equality, and Dignity)
B.R.E.A.D. stands for BUILDING RESPONSIBILITY, EQUALITY, AND DIGNITY. It is a LOCAL religious congregation-based organization and Immaculate Conception has been a member since 1997. B.R.E.A.D. was formed in 1996 as an inter-faith, ecumenical non-profit, non-partisan and non-political organization with a focus on social justice. For more information see: https://breadcolumbus.com/who-we-are/
The Catholic Diocese under the leadership of Bishop James Griffin offered important encouragement and strong support for the establishment of B.R.E.A.D. and Catholic clergy and laypersons were essential to B.R.E.A.D.’s growth. Bishop Griffin himself keynoted a city-wide “Re-thinking Justice” workshop in those early years here at Immaculate Conception to reach out and encourage more Catholic parishes to join. The organization currently includes six Catholic “member organizations,” including: Dominican Sisters of Peace; I.C.; St. Dominic; St. Josephine Bakhita; Sts. Peter and Joan of Arc; and St. Thomas. The Catholic congregations involved in B.R.E.A.D. have always viewed their participation as being in the mainstream of the tradition of Catholic Social Action and have organized around the Seven Key Themes of Catholic Social Teaching: https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching
B.R.E.A.D. has a long track record of addressing community problems and carrying out successful issue campaigns in Central Ohio including the creation of the Franklin County/City of Columbus Affordable Housing Trust Fund; reining in predatory lenders; violence reduction via proven programs; and most recently the creation of Columbus’s first ever Rental Registry program to protect renters. In all these campaigns our focus and attention has ALWAYS been on the poor and most vulnerable in our community.
Each year B.R.E.A.D. member congregations hold “listening meetings” in the Autumn to get a sense of the “problem areas” related to injustice and inequity that the organization might address. In the winter, each B.R.E.A.D. congregation holds a congregational Network Meeting to update all members on B.R.E.A.D.’s current action issues and prepare them for the big Nehemiah Action Meeting held each Spring at the fairgrounds. Watch parish publications or use the contacts below for dates, times and locations. All are invited to participate. For further information contact the I.C. B.R.E.A.D. Team at:
St Vincent de Paul Society
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is a Catholic lay service organization that has directed its attention to works of charity for the past 170 years. Members, known as Vincentians, are drawn from every ethnic and cultural background, age group, and economic level. Inspired by Gospel values, and in the tradition of its founder Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and patron St. Vincent de Paul, the Vincentian mission is to foster spiritual growth by performing corporeal works of mercy.
http://www.vincentianvoice.org
St. Vincent de Paul Society at Immaculate Conception serves thousands of persons each year by delivering food to home bound neighbors, preparing and serving
food at homeless shelters and community kitchens, collecting, organizing, and providing clothing to neighbors. As always, our mission is to serve the poor and marginalized in our area.
The conference gathers twice a month; first in an assigned room of the rectory basement following the 8:30 a.m. mass on the 2nd Monday of each month. Next at 6 p.m. on the 4th Monday of each month to assemble sandwiches in the Marian Hall Kitchen for delivery to a community kitchen. Immediately following the sandwich making session,
the second monthly meeting is held in an assigned room in the rectory basement.
- President: Jim Emley emleyj@msn.com 608-239-5280
- Parish Office: icoffice@iccols.org 614-267-9241
Catholic Social Action Theme served: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Knights of Columbus Council #14962
At a personal level, the Knights of Columbus allows all Catholic men of the parish an opportunity to give of their time, talent and treasury as they can to better the parish in their own way. As a parish based council, our focus is on the needs of Immaculate Conception Parish and the surrounding community. It is our Catholic faith that leads to good works informed by our four core principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. Members of the Immaculate Conception Knights of Columbus Council number over 70 Catholic men who perform many of the activities suggested by the Supreme Council under the general categories of Church, Community, Council, Culture of Life, Youth and Family. If you are interested in becoming a Knight see the K of C page here.
IHN/YWCA Homeless Ministry
The Columbus YWCA Family Center operates through the Interfaith Hospitality Network, with the goal of helping families find housing within 3 weeks of entering the program. The Center provides emergency shelter and critical services to stabilize homeless families in the form of healthy meals, warm beds, basic-need items, and transportation assistance. IC’s volunteers provide meals and host families at the Center during evening hours on the third Friday of each month. Parishioners are invited to donate food items using the sign-up board located in the Church gathering space. For more information about this ministry, please contact:
Team Leader: Layton McCallum laytonmccallum@gmail.com (614) 397-7877
Additional information about the YWCA Family Shelter: www.ywcacolumbus.org
Catholic Social Action Themes served: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable Call to Family, Community, and Participation Rights and Responsibilities