Love in Action
Discipleship Ministry Core Strategy: Deepen the baptismal call to discipleship of our members through service to those individuals, communities, and churches in need.
NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR FOOD PANTRY
Ed Mykytka ……… 937-272-2650 (emykytka1@udayton.edu)
The Neighbor-to-Neighbor food pantry, located next door at Greenmont Oak Park Community Church, serves food to anyone in need, provided they live in zip codes 45419, -20, -29, and -32 south of Linden Ave. Any registered member of Ascension or Greenmont church, regardless of zip code, will also be served. The pantry is assisted by volunteers from Ascension, Greenmont, and other groups. Food is donated by members of several churches and other organizations. Ascension members have been assisting in the pantry for over many years through monthly food collections, annual holiday basket distributions, and service to pantry clients during operating hours.
TWINNING WITH NUESTRA SENORA DE LA LUZ
Steve Mueller ………. 937-299-8035 (smueller1@udayton.edu)
Lois Keil ………. 937-299-0257 (lakeil67@aol.com)
Twinning activities have created relationships between Ascension, international parishes, as well as Dayton Catholic Hispanic community with mutual collaboration for events within each of our communities. The Latino Fiesta held each year is also an event sponsored by the group. Through the process of twinning, Ascension parishioners have gained a broader view and understanding of the cultural diversity in our Catholic Church. The date of the meeting varies according to the availability of the members.
RESPECT LIFE
Joe Ollier ………. 937-253-5171 x112 (jollier@ascensionkettering.org )
We believe that all life comes from God and we are dedicated to lovingly embracing all victims of anti-life practices. We promote and defend the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death, as well as support the sanctity of marriage and family, from which human life has its origins. Awareness activities include Mother’s Day flower sale to support of Dayton Right to Life, Elizabeth New Life Center's "Bottle for Babies" campaign to support area pregnancy help centers, erecting white crosses during the Sanctity of Life week each autumn, participation in the area’s Life Chain on Respect Life Sunday in October, and the 40 Days for Life in the spring and fall, as well as other parish educational opportunities throughout the year.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
Larry Simpson ………. 937-429-1469 (simpsonle@aol.com )
St. Vincent de Paul is part of an international Christian community founded in Paris in 1833. Our members serve in hope to those in need. Our conference is one of over 35 in the Dayton District Council. Our conference members are called Vincentians and we meet on Monday evenings twice a month. We meet in friendship to help each other grow in spirituality by helping those in need. “No work of charity is foreign to the Society.” We emphasize assisting others with dignity and promoting self-sufficiency whenever possible. Our funding is supported by the generosity of our parish members. Volunteers are asked to be consistent in meeting attendance, attend a one-time Ozanam training session and make themselves available for ongoing training and prayer services throughout the year.
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
Joe Ollier . . . . . 937-253-5171 x112 (jollier@ascensionkettering.org)
Our Ascension Refugee Resettlement Team assists Catholic Social Services in welcoming refugees who have been driven from their homeland by violence and persecution. Early in July we display a “Freedom Tree”, decorated with stars, requesting donations of needed household goods which we then transport to Catholic Social Services. Help is needed sorting donations and transporting them to Catholic Social Services.