Grant Recipient event – Dr. Lyle F. Renodin Foundation

August 22, 2019August 22, 2019

Sneakers and Socks for Kids

The Dr. Lyle F. Renodin Foundation provided a $2,000 grant to Center Point Ministries in Action for their “Sneakers and Socks for Kids” program this past spring.

Volunteers from Center Point Ministry purchased and sorted over 150 new sneakers and socks into sizes and genders for the children to choose from and then were on hand to help kids find their perfect match. After the kids find their sneakers, the volunteers pray for them to have a good school year.

The “Sneakers and Socks for Kids” program is in collaboration with the City of Olean Housing Authority. They have provided backpacks and school supplies in the past and found there was a true need for new sneakers and socks for the kids and then reached out the Renodin Foundation for funding.

“The Renodin Foundation strives to improve the quality of life for our poor and marginalized neighbors and this is a perfect example of what our grant funding is all about,” stated Laura Whitford, Foundation President, at her recent visit with board member, Bob Weber, at the Alder and South Court housing area on Martha Avenue in Olean, NY.

Center Point Ministries do hot dog roasts throughout the summer to get to know the families living in public housing in Olean and then end the summer with a sneaker and sock distribution for the kids returning to school.

July 3, 2019July 10, 2019

Grant offers Hope to the Needy at local SBU Student-Run Soup Kitchen

The Warming House

A $2,104 Renodin Foundation grant awarded to St. Bonaventure University Franciscan Center for Social Concern has provided a more than a meal to the hungry.

Alice Miller Nation, director stated, “The continued generosity of the Lyle F. Renodin Foundation has been vital to the Warming House over the years. The generous support of the Renodin Foundation allows our student run soup kitchen to welcome each guest into a clean and friendly environment. We are able to live our mission (to “reaffirm the dignity of one another, gathering as community to nourish body, mind and spirit”) through the daily actions of providing a place where our guests can arrive at 2:30 p.m. and read the newspaper, knit, cut coupons or simply sit and rest with a cool beverage in the summer or a hot cup of coffee or cocoa in the winter. Our guests know they will have a clean bathroom to use each time they come into the Warming House. And lastly, a nutritious dinner, prepared by caring hands and hearts will be served Sunday through Friday afternoon at 4:10 p.m.”

Miller Nation continued, “In a world where hope sometimes feels elusive, the Warming House provides a community atmosphere for those who struggle to secure the basic needs of healthy food and a clean place to rest.”

Specifically, funds were used to purchase food, supplies and cleaning supplies for the Warming House. Supplementing shelf stable foods with fresh produce from Canticle Farm and baking supplies like oil and eggs allows the student volunteers to bake fresh desserts and serve fresh produce weekly. Keeping the Warming House clean and free from pests is a priority and funds were used for cleaning supplies throughout the grant cycle.

At the end of the spring semester, the Warming House hosted a “10-4 Thank You Dinner” for SBU volunteers who were preparing to graduate and guests of the Warming House. At this special dinner, they presented each graduate with a candle, reminding them that each time they came into the Warming House, they offered light and hope to the guests they met. They then gave the guests the opportunity to thank the graduates for making time to come to the Warming House while attending St. Bonaventure University. Many of the guests were interested in what was next for each of the SBU students.

One guest’s comments will be remembered for a very long time…

“Bill” stopped eating at his typical corner spot in the dining room and stood up. He hesitantly blurted out, “I don’t talk much when I come and I don’t come to the Warming House every day, but I do come every week. The days I come to the Warming House to eat are the days I don’t have a meal anywhere else. I am really glad you are here. If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t eat that day. Thank you for making the time to come here and cook for us.” “Bill” then sat down, picked up his fork and quietly finished his meal.

Shortly after the dinner, the Warming House program manager, a SBU grad student, reflected on her role at the Warming House. She thought she was taking a job to simply help pay for graduate school. As the year drew to a close, she admitted that working at the Warming House was both difficult and wonderful. The Warming House gave her purpose and direction as she leaves St. Bonaventure and returns to Toronto to pursue a career.

The Impact of the Renodin Foundation:

Alice Miller Nation noted that they recently began a ten week Farm to Table program on the SBU campus. Four students work mornings at Canticle Farm and afternoons at the Warming House.

This program provided her with the opportunity to speak with one of the guests of the Warming House about appropriate ways to talk to volunteers. Her conversation went as well as one could have hoped. At the end of the meal, the guest asked her if he could apologize to our Farm to Table student. She got the student and together they found a quiet place where they could talk.

After the apology, the guest looked at the student and said, “Will you forgive me?” “Of course, I already have” was her reply. At our weekly conversation and reflection the next day, they took the time to talk about the situation. The Farm to Table student said, “Our guest was so surprised that I forgave him so easily. I wonder if he has ever been forgiven without conditions.” They took a few minutes to let her comment soak in a bit. They realized they modeled for both the student volunteer and guest what it was like to enter into difficult conversations and then offer forgiveness. In a small way, this student and guest modeled the peace we’d like to see in our world and communities in an everyday kind of way.

Miller Nation continued, “We are so appreciative for the vital support the Lyle F. Renodin Foundation offers to the Warming House and other agencies. Because of the Renodin Foundation, we are able to offer a clean place for the poor and marginalized of Olean to come to each day. We are able to provide a healthy meal for those who can’t always provide for themselves and their family members. But just as important as offering a clean environment and healthy food, the Warming House offers hope. Hope that each one of us is enough and that together, we can make our way through the hard parts of living each day, truly believing that goodness can prevail.”

This is an example of the impact the Lyle F. Renodin Foundation has on the local community. Offering the hope that life can be better and less difficult will never be found in the number of meals served or the dollars spent on fresh vegetables or cleaning supplies.

“Thank you for allowing us to offer these opportunities to our students as they grow into the men and women our world needs them to be. And thank you on behalf of our guests for partnering with us as we serve our neighbors in the Olean community.” – Alice Miller Nation, Director, SBU Franciscan Center for Social Concern

Learn more about SBU Franciscan Center for Social Concern

Meals at the Warming House are served restaurant style each day.
A St. Bonaventure University student visits with Warming House guests during dinner.

Did you know?

From June 2019 through May 2019, 5,583 meals were served at The Warming House. The break down for these meals are as follows: 152 children (under the age of 18), 4,305 adults, and 1,126 seniors (over the age of 65 years old).

BACK TO GRANTS

June 18, 2019June 18, 2019

Renodin Foundation grants help homeless in dire situations

Renodin Foundation grant recipients (from left) Bill Beck of First Baptist Church of Cuba, Athena Godet-Calogeras of the Veggie Wheels Program, Angela Erway of the YWCA of Bradford,Pa., and Charles McCole of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Olean, spoke of how the Renodin grants helped their agencies. Erway is holding a backpack that contains supplies for the homeless that were purchased, in part, through a Renodin grant.

By KATE DAY SAGER
June 4, 2019 – Olean Times Herald and Bradford Era

ALLEGANY — Sharing the memory of a family with two small children who were forced to live in a tent last summer nearly brought Angela Erway of the YWCA of Bradford, Pa., to tears during the Dr. Lyle R. Renodin Foundation Grant Recipient Breakfast Monday.

Erway’s story of the family, however, had a happy ending thanks to a Renodin Foundation grant awarded to the agency which was, in turn, used to help homeless families assisted by the YWCA.

Erway and three other representatives of agencies that received Renodin grants spoke to a large group of people gathered at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse at 115 E. Main St.

Mary Jo Black, chairman of Renodin’s board of directors, said the foundation was started in 2000 by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany as a depository of the proceeds from the former St. Francis Hospital when it merged with Olean General Hospital.

The foundation, named for Dr. Lyle Renodin, a longtime friend and financial advisor to the Sisters, has provided 383 grants totaling $1,187,670 to 73 organizations in the area to improve the quality of life for poor and marginalized people. Last year alone, the Renodin Foundation provided $66,104 to 33 organizations, of which six were brand new agencies. She said the need in area communities continues to grow, which is why the Foundation began fundraising this year and garnered $16,000.

Erway said the Renodin funds not only have helped the YWCA hire two people who were formerly homeless, but also used the grant to help a family in a dire situation.

“Last summer we had a family who were living in couple of tents in the woods,” Erway recalled, her voice becoming shaky with emotion. “It was a father, mother and two little girls … he had worked in the oil and gas business for years and had done fairly well.”

Unfortunately, the man lost his job with a local drilling company, and as a result the family lost their home, vehicles and other possessions.

“They had no choice but to gather what they could and live in a couple of tents in the woods,” Erway continued. “They were eventually able to get into our shelter and he got a job with a local contractor and they’re doing fine now.”

As a result of the family’s plight, the YWCA wrote its grant to Renodin to purchase tents, backpacks, socks, hand warmers, sleeping bags and can openers to help people with no place else to turn until housing can be found.

Also providing testimonials on help provided by Renodin was Bill Beck of First Baptist Church of Cuba, Athena Godet-Calogeras of the Olean Housing Authority, and Charlie McCole of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Olean.

Godet-Calogeras said the Renodin grant has helped the Veggie Wheels program, formerly called Veggie Mobile, provide fresh vegetables and fruits to the needy in neighborhoods in Olean and Salamanca the past few years. The project will add Delevan to its route this summer.

Beck said the Renodin grant has helped First Baptist Church in Cuba purchase backpacks and supplies for 80 to 105 students in the Cuba-Rushford Central School District.

“This program has been very successful and helpful to families in our area who don’t have the extra funds to support their children’s needs when it comes to school,” Beck said, noting the Renodin grants also helped the church fully sponsor nine children to attend summer camp.

When sharing his thoughts on St. Vincent DePaul, a used clothing store, McCole said Renodin’s funds help the agency continue to assist needy people who have had eviction notices, utilities shut off, prescription costs and emergency food needs, among other issues.

“Given the rising costs of everything in this world … we could not do what we do without the assistance of the Renodin Foundation or other groups like it,” McCole remarked.

Other highlights of the meeting included special remembrances of late board member Gail Sweitzer and financial advisor Jim Alund Sr.

Linda Pepperdine, board member and sister-in-law of Sweitzer, spoke of the contributions of Sweitzer and Alund to the foundation. She also recognized Sweitzer’s children, Pat and Lynn Sweitzer; and Alund’s children, John and Jim Alund Jr., who were in attendance.

The program was wrapped up by Laura Whitford, president of the foundation, who thanked the large group for attending and reminded them of the opportunities to donate, or learn more about the Renodin Foundation online. She also encouraged agencies in need of help to reach out to the foundation.

“We welcome new grantees,” Whitford said, noting grants are awarded twice a year. “If you know somebody (in need of a grant) we can’t always guarantee anything, but we can guarantee that somebody will have a chance.”

The morning event was concluded by everyone joining together to recite the prayer for peace as the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany do every day. READ MORE

To view more photos from the event, click HERE.