Growth Ministry

All Saints GROWTH Summary

August 21, 2024
GROWTH along with partners Aurora, Southwestern Behavioral Health Care, Kendall Eye Ministries and Living Word Christian Church of Newburgh, William Krowl of Yocum Law Office and the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library collectively have met 312 times with 215 individual neighbors since the justice ministry started April 17, 2024, on Wednesday mornings during the Community Meal.

This is reflected in the following number of individuals who have been served: 11 met with William Krowl, 33 with EVPL, 64 with Kendall Eye Ministries, 71 met with Aurora staff, and 133 with GROWTH volunteers.
This small ministry with very committed volunteers has started with no resources except a few old computers and office supplies from the parish, their knowledge, a desire to help someone improve their life and a belief that we all have problems that have beaten us down, and we need encouragement to get up and take the next step. AND, taking that next step often starts many positive changes. Also, I have learned that today’s world is very complicated and that you can’t get things done if you don’t have a phone, email and home address. If you lose one of these, then getting anything accomplished becomes exceedingly difficult if not impossible.
Some people meet multiple times with a variety of us as they are working through barriers. GROWTH and our partners have worked to help our neighbors to replace lost birth certificates/ID and Social Security cards (19), find jobs including writing resumes and filling out applications (31), housing needs (16) , mental health and addiction needs (10) transportation (4), communication (no phone or email access 4), financial stability including handling unpaid CenterPoint bills, health problems and insurance problems (2) and a variety of legal (expungement, applying for SSD, other legal problems 17), childcare
and education issues (childcare 3 and Ivy Tech 1). There were 16 referrals to community agencies to address specific needs.
Oak Street Health, HR Connect, JOS job services, Vanderburgh County Health Department mobile van and insurance navigators representing MD Wise, Familia Dental, Smoke Free Evansville, the Tulip Tree and St. Vincent/Ascension have been on site and provided information and services to individuals as well.

GROWTH volunteers have informally interacted with many more individuals. Many of these contacts are offering support and encouragement. Recently a small group of volunteers and neighbors who attend the Community Meal go around the neighborhood and pick up trash, so the area looks better.
We thank Janie Allen, Chris Schapker, Roger Rogge, Kathy Reitz, Emma Jean Couture, Kristi Wagner, Lee Ann Hudson, Bob Stephens, Jim Schroeder, Jahara Tapal, Will Krowl, Katie Glover, Nancy Joyce, Mark Mitsdarffer, Sharon Vogler and Frank Casuso for their time and talent toward forming this ministry or delivering assistance on Wednesday mornings.
If you are interested in learning more about our GROWTH ministry, feel free to contact me or Kristi Wagner at the parish office.

~ Brenda Meyer, Justice Minister