Stay up to date with events, news, and opportunities by signing up for the Ministry of Caring's quarterly newsletter.
February 1, 2022. By Ken Mammarella
“In 1976, Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap., was sent by his Capuchin Franciscan Order to Delaware. After ascertaining community needs, he obtained funds for the Delmarva Peninsula’s first emergency shelter for homeless women. Mary Mother of Hope House opened Oct. 7, 1977. His mission since: Assure that “the poor should never be treated poorly.” The Ministry of Caring budget now tops $10 million, with 19 programs, including childcare, dining rooms, shelters, and housing options. Brother Ronald also oversees several housing operations in Wilmington, with a $7 million budget, and one near his childhood home in the Bronx.” Reproduced courtesy of Today Media and The Delaware Valley Italian-American Herald.
Read the full story here: https://www.italianamericanherald.com/i-did-the-maximum-good-i-could-do-on-earth/
I-95 Construction Workers Contribute $10,300 to The Ministry of Caring’s Emmanuel Dining Room
Friday, May 7, 2021 saw the culmination of Safety Week for the staff of Kiewit Infrastructure Co., the Omaha, NE.-based company spearheading DelDOT’s $200-million “Restore the Corridor” I-95 project through Wilmington.
As early preparatory contracts progressed last fall, the lines of people collecting food at Emmanuel Dining Room West at 121 North Jackson Street caught the attention of several of the project’s construction workers.
A Google search by Kiewit Project Manager Luke Silvus led him to The Ministry of Caring.
At the start of Kiewit’s participation in Construction Safety Week, 2021, May 3 – 7, an annual event in which the construction industry recognizes that safety is the foundation of everything they do, ReeNee LaFate, Emmanuel Dining Room’s Program Director, and Nicole Majeski, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation each thanked Kiewit for everything they do. The week culminated on Friday May 7, 2021 with a celebratory barbecue for Kiewit’s staff (catered by Limestone BBQ and Bourbon, Wilmington), and a raffle, the proceeds of which generated $10,300 for The Ministry’s Emmanuel Dining Room program.
“The generosity of Kiewit’s team is incredibly moving; we’re thrilled by their support!” said Cindy Gamble, The Ministry of Caring’s Director for Planned Giving and Donor Relations.
Kiewit’s craft workers from the day and night shifts, along with DelDOT and Aecom Project personnel, contributed $3,650 in raffle donations to enter to win thousands of dollars’ worth of hand tools generously donated by Kiewit.
With Kiewit matching ticket sales dollar-for-dollar, and with related gifts of $2,000 from Delaware’s Building Trades, and $1,000 from the Local Operating Engineers Union (Local 542), the afternoon’s events totaled $10,300 in generous support for Emmanuel Dining Room.
About Kiewit Infrastructure
Established in 1884, Kiewit Corporation is a privately held construction company based in Omaha, Nebraska. Ranked 307th place in Fortune 500 for United States, Kiewit is privately held and is one of the largest construction and engineering organizations in North America. https://www.kiewit.com/
About The Ministry of Caring, Inc.
The Ministry of Caring is a leader in the fight against poverty in Wilmington DE. The Ministry of Caring provides a full continuum of social service programming for the poor and homeless, touching the lives of 20,000 individuals each year. The Ministry of Caring’s Job Placement Center offers a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program as a pathway to self-sufficiency for low income and/or homeless individuals.
On March 11, 2021, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware announced a transformative contribution of $1 million to help build Villa Maria, The Ministry of Caring’s newest senior housing project in Wilmington’s historic Brandywine Village neighborhood.
Once completed, Villa Maria will provide 72 affordable one-bedroom apartments for qualifying
low- and moderate-income seniors over the age of 62. The new residences replace vacant and dilapidated buildings on the 1900 – 2000 block of N. Market Street, with the project extending through the block to Hutton and Race Streets to the north.
“This incredibly generous gift from Highmark Delaware helps The Ministry of Caring provide 72
to 100 individual seniors with safe, secure, affordable housing in an enriching environment in their golden years and helps further the renaissance of the historically important Brandywine Village neighborhood.” said Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap., The Ministry of Caring’s Founder and Executive Director.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania project the number of seniors ages 62+ in need of housing assistance will triple by 2030, with other studies connecting stable housing with significant improvement in health outcomes for seniors, while significantly reducing the associated costs of elder care.
Studies from 2012 indicate older adults living in safe, secure, affordable housing are mentally sharper
and more mobile physically than those seniors experiencing homelessness or who live in substandard, insecure housing. Absent new housing solutions, substantial numbers of Wilmington’s seniors will suffer unnecessarily without more affordable housing options, while driving health care costs ever upward.
“The data tells us that we need healthy and affordable housing for aging populations as they may become more restricted both physically and financially. The Ministry of Caring is delivering a comprehensive approach that will enable our seniors to age with dignity by engaging them with the community and providing access to the health and wellness services they need most. We are thrilled to be a partner in supporting this effort,” said Rita Landgraf, chair of the Blueprints for the Community Advisory Council.
With its strong track record of building high-quality, affordable housing for 160 seniors in three Wilmington locations—Village of St. John, Sacred Heart Village I, and Sacred Heart Village II—The Ministry of Caring is a proven leader in the field. Assuming an award of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits by the State of Delaware in July 2021, the Villa Maria project is set to break ground in 2022, with the first residents moving in by the end of 2023.
The Ministry, a leading provider of human services in Wilmington, owns 39 properties and operates 20 high-quality programs that provide food for the hungry; emergency and transitional housing for the homeless; long-term and permanent housing for those with special needs; job training/placement for the unemployed; child care for the children of low-income and homeless parents; and housing for low-income seniors.
Highmark Delaware has made this leadership gift to Villa Maria as part of a bold strategy to invest in community initiatives that reduce health inequities while dramatically improving the health of residents in the markets it serves.
Knowing that health is impacted by a broad range of social determinants, including housing, Highmark Delaware has made a commitment to driving major positive change through these kinds of community investments.
“Now more than ever we are seeing that safe and affordable housing is a major need in our state and is a social determinant of health that requires our full attention,” said Nick Moriello, president of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware. “Villa Maria is an outstanding project that will revitalize an underserved area, support a vulnerable population, and create opportunity for continued collaboration among business and community partners to improve health outcomes.”
By partnering with The Ministry of Caring, Highmark Delaware aligns collective resources to address social and environmental barriers to health that truly make a positive difference in the health of local communities, especially for vulnerable seniors.
Highmark Delaware’s $1,000,000 commitment from BluePrints for the Community to Villa Maria and the Brandywine Village neighborhood bolsters the nascent revitalization of the area that began two years ago with Ministry of Caring’s repurposing of the Cathedral of St. John to create affordable senior housing across the street.
About Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware serves approximately 441,000 members through the company’s health care benefits business. It is an influential company in the market generating an economic impact of $135 million and supporting more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmarkbcbsde.com.
About BluePrints for the Community
BluePrints for the Community is the donor-advised fund of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware, housed at the Delaware Community Foundation. BluePrints has contributed over $19 million to the community since its inception in 2007. It was established to serve Delawareans, with emphasis on, but not limited to, the needs of the uninsured and underserved, and to reduce health care disparities in minority population and address social determinants of health. Learn more at www.highmark.com/blueprints.
About The Ministry of Caring, Inc.
The Ministry of Caring is a leader in the fight against poverty in Wilmington DE. The Ministry of Caring provides a full continuum of social service programming for the poor and homeless, touching the lives of 20,000 individuals each year. The Ministry of Caring’s Job Placement Center offers a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program as a pathway to self-sufficiency for low income and/or homeless individuals. For more information, visit www.ministryofcaring.org.
###
For further details, please contact:
Chaz Enerio – Deputy Director of Administration & Legal Counsel
cenerio@ministryofcaring.org
302-516-1078
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 15, 2021, WILMINGTON, DE.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware is pleased to award The Ministry of Caring with a $20,000 grant from BluePrints for the Community. BluePrints for the Community, housed by the Delaware Community Foundation, has contributed over $19 million to the community since its inception in 2007. It was established to serve Delawareans, with emphasis on, but not limited to, the needs of the uninsured and underserved, and to reduce health care disparities in minority population and address social determinants of health.
Describing the impact of the grant, The Ministry of Caring’s Deputy Director of Programs, John Bates said: “The Job Placement Center offers a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program as a pathway to self-sufficiency for low income and homeless individuals. This program drives economic development by supporting the local healthcare economy and boosting individual participants in employment and income growth. The program supports newly skilled workers as they enter the market to meet the increasing demand for Certified Nursing Assistants. The Job Placement Center has been providing service for 33 years, including CNA training through a targeted grant for six years.”
The training is offered through The Ministry of Caring’s partnership with the Dawn Career Institute.
“With the need growing for qualified health care professionals, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware is pleased to support the Ministry of Caring’s CNA training program with a BluePrints for the Community grant,” said Nick Moriello, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware president. “Not only does this program support Delawareans by ensuring access to care, it also creates opportunity for individuals to pursue financial stability and a strong career path.”
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware serves approximately 441,000 members through the company’s health care benefits business. It is an influential company in the market generating an economic impact of $135 million and supporting more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmarkbcbsde.com.
About The Ministry of Caring, Inc.
The Ministry of Caring is a leader in the fight against poverty in Wilmington DE. The Ministry of Caring provides a full continuum of social service programming for the poor and homeless, touching the lives of 20,000 individuals each year. The Ministry of Caring’s Job Placement Center offers a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program as a pathway to self-sufficiency for low income and/or homeless individuals.
WILMINGTON, DE,. March 4, 2021.
The Ministry of Caring Receives $125,000 to Support Homelessness Diversion
The TD Charitable Foundation awards Housing For Everyone Grant to The Ministry of Caring, Inc.
The Ministry of Caring, Inc., has been named one of 32 recipients of the 15th Annual Housing For Everyone grant program from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank.
Founded in 1977 by Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap., The Ministry of Caring is committed to serving the ongoing needs of the poor. Over 43 years it has evolved into a comprehensive social service agency guided by the philosophy that the poor should never be treated poorly, but with love, dignity, and respect.
“The Ministry of Caring has developed an initiative to help COVID-19 -impacted families and individuals avoid eviction and remain in safe, affordable housing.” Said Terry Kenny, Market President, TD Bank. “Being awarded the 15th Annual Housing For Everyone grant is an acknowledgement of The Ministry of Caring’s dedication to ensuring an inclusive recovery from the pandemic.”
The Housing For Everyone grant competition supports TD’s longstanding commitment to community enrichment through TD’s corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment. The TD Ready Commitment seeks to help people feel more confident, not just about their finances, but about their future. It is driven by a central belief that together we can help build inclusive futures where everyone has the opportunity to succeed in a changing world.
As part of the TD Ready Commitment, TD targets US $775 million in total by 2030 towards community giving in four critical areas: Financial Security, a more Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Visit: https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had an immense and disproportionate impact on those most vulnerable, including renters and that’s why the 2020 Housing For Everyone program focused on organizations working to keep families and individuals who rent in their homes.
Speaking about the scope of the project and its impact on the people The Ministry of Caring serves, Anthea T. Piscarik, Senior Grant Writer for The Ministry of Caring said: “The Homelessness Diversion program started as a pilot project to meet an unmet need in the community. The goal is to assist individuals and families with case management and resources to prevent homelessness. And it’s working!”
In total, TD Charitable Foundation awarded $4.9 million for the 2020 Housing For Everyone program, as part of the more than $20 million that TD has allocated to help strengthen community resilience and COVID-19 recovery through the TD Community Resilience Initiative.
A full list of the Housing For Everyone recipients can be found at https://stories.td.com/us/en/article/td-charitable-foundation-awards-grants-to-32-non-profits-helping-covid-impacted-renters-in-local-communities
About The Ministry of Caring, Inc.
The Ministry of Caring is a leader in the fight against poverty in Wilmington DE. The Ministry of Caring provides a full continuum of social service programming for the poor and homeless, touching the lives of 20,000 individuals each year. The Homelessness Diversion Program operates from Emmanuel Dining Room, a hunger relief program that serves over 160,000 free meals each year.
Ministry of Caring contact information:
Anthea T. Piscarik
Senior Grant Writer
302-888-1420, ext. 25 (M, T, W)
apiscarik@ministryofcaring.org
Chaz Enerio, Esq.
Deputy Director, In-House Counsel
302-516-1078
cenerio@ministryofcaring.org
About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $254 million through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/
TD Contact Information
Lisa Martucci-Thibault
Social Impact – Communications Manager
Lisa.Martucci-Thibault@td.com
In August, one of our Lutheran Volunteer Corps members started serving at the Child Care Center. Over time, she developed a beautiful relationship with one of the families there, and when tragedy struck, she stepped in to see how she could help. See The News Journal’s recent story on Morgan and the Drews.
MOC Executive Guild member Janet Killian was recently featured by the NCC Chamber of Commerce for her involvement in multiple organizations that serve our community. Janet serves on the MOC Guild, where she helps co-chair fundraisers like Eleganza 2017, raising over $55,000 for our emergency shelters and Job Placement Center. In addition, Janet also actively supports the Mental Health Association of Delaware, the Delaware College of Art and Design, the Delaware Association of Police, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, the Delaware Contractors Association, the National Association of Women in Construction, and the Better Business Bureau. Thank you, Janet, for all you do for the Ministry!
Out & About magazine recently highlighted the Ministry’s work on the Village of St. John, MOC’s soon-to-be newest residence for low and moderate-income seniors. The 53-unit apartment complex is being constructed on the grounds of the old Cathedral Church of St. John in Wilmington’s historic Brandywine Village neighborhood, and had its groundbreaking on December 15, 2017.
You can view the story on Out & About here.
“We’ve been doing this, it seems like forever,” Chet Norstrom said as he sliced into a pan of lasagna.
For almost 20 years, on the 10th of each month, he leads a group from his church, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, in preparing lasagna at Emmanuel Dining Room. It all started with the church’s former pastor and his wife.
“She had a special recipe for making lasagna that didn’t require cooking the noodles,” he said, and that made preparing big batches of lasagna much easier.
That pastor has moved on, but Chet continues to bring 12 pans, holding 21 servings apiece, to the dining room each month. He gives credit to the staff who make help him in his efforts, meeting him at his car and carrying the heavy pans — about 20 pounds each—into the kitchen.
“After I retired, I felt I had time to do something for the Lord. I remembered in the Bible, it says, ‘Feed my people,’” Chet, a retired engineer, said. “It just broke my heart to see all these people standing in line, trying to get food. It’s tough. There’s a lot of poverty around this area.
“We’ve gotten good reports back from our diners,” he said. “They love the lasagna and we love to make it for them.”
Howard Burch, a combat veteran, spent two nights in the woods before finding shelter at House of Joseph I.
Shortly before he came to the Ministry of Caring, Howard Burch spent two nights sleeping outdoors.
A 56-year-old Marine combat veteran who served in Beirut, Lebanon, Burch had post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his service, compounded by strife in his family.
“I was caught between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “I just wanted peace. I wanted to practice peace.”
Burch was recently divorced and had been living with an Iraq War veteran, but she became caught up in drug addiction. He knew he had to move out, but he had nowhere to go. While he was looking for a place to live, he learned his niece had been sexually assaulted, and he began feeling anger he couldn’t control. He went to the urgent care center at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.
“They told me they didn’t have no beds,” he said. “I slept in the woods for two days.”
A counselor at the VA told him about the House of Joseph I (HOJI), the Ministry of Caring’s emergency shelter for men. Burch made an appointment to meet the shelter director, Tony Attaway, but he thought it would be another dead end. He admits to having trust issues with men. He had grown up with an alcoholic father, who showed up drunk to his high-school track meets, if he showed up at all.
“I came in here, sat down here, and as soon as I saw Tony… there was something about him,” Burch said, sitting on a couch in the HOJI living room. “I heard him out, we did the interview, and I stayed. Since I’ve been here, everyone’s been a blessing.”
Attaway said he saw a courageousness in Burch.
“He was quick to stand up and speak out for what he felt was right,” Attaway said. “Being in the military, he came home with that same attitude, ‘I will stand up and defend you.'”
Burch said, “I’m one of the ones who survived the Beirut experience. I just got tired of surviving, feeling as though every day was about surviving instead of just living. [House of Joseph I] gave me an opportunity to practice the small things—cleaning up in the morning, setting the table, breaking the table down, praying over the food, being thankful for the little things.”
Burch began volunteering at Emmanuel Dining Room, and found comfort in serving those who were even less fortunate than himself.
Everywhere he went, he brought his backpack, filled with a notepad and a first-place ribbon he won in a singing contest. He discovered he was eligible for significant financial support due to his combat-related medical condition. After about a month at HOJI, he added a new item to his backpack—a key to his new apartment. There’s one HOJI staff member he was eager to show it to—his case worker, Jeremiah Thaara.
“Mr. Jeremiah, I can’t wait to see him tomorrow. He challenged me. He wanted to see the keys to my apartment. He wanted to see the lease agreement,” Burch said. “I like to be a man of my word.”