As Maria Gavaria’s career in human resources centers on global diversity and inclusion, her work for the church focuses on World Youth Day and Mission Youth — global opportunities for youth worldwide. She has become a leader in workplace spirituality where employees are not expected to leave their religion at …

Two key seconds bracket everyone’s life. They are the alpha and the omega of an individual’s existence. When hospice nurse and administrator Kim Vesey addresses groups about impending death, she ties it to the defining seconds of our being. “The title of my presentation is ‘First Breath — Final Breath.’ …

Once Dave Beitz began learning the names of the people who frequent Mary Magdalene House in Over-the-Rhine, his volunteer service became much more meaningful. “Once you put a name to the face of homelessness, it becomes different. You start seeing these people routinely. You start knowing them. After you’re there …

Tom Dao unravels red tape. Dao, a Vietnamese who arrived in the United States and Cincinnati in 1985, has become involved in  social service advocacy for the elderly and others in need in the Vietnamese community. “Some of what I do is help elderly people fill out applications for things …

Through volunteering, Sabrina Burton Simonson has discovered people in situations she did not know existed and a means to help them. “I’m blessed because I do not know what it’s like to be in the position these people are in. I have no idea,” said Simonson, executive assistant to the …

By Walt Schaefer For The Catholic Telegraph Since September, 2014, when Barb and George Freudenberg led the effort to establish a St. Vincent de Paul Conference to serve Norwood, 281 families have been visited and assisted by the 16 member group — all parishioners at Holy Trinity Parish. “We do …

By Walt Schaefer For The Catholic Telegraph About a decade ago, Bradley Duncan was in church with his family when his infant son, Gabriel, started crying. “I was out in the lobby of the church during Mass that day trying to quiet him down and I saw a poster on …

By Melinda Zemper For The Catholic Telegraph  Some Catholics live out their faiths by quietly giving to others. Tom Lienhart, a St. Boniface Church parishioner and president of Century Mechanical Solutions in Cincinnati’s Northside, carries on a family tradition. He and his father, the late Frank Lienhart, have donated engineering …

By Walt Scaefer For The Catholic Telegraph  Dr. Marc Alexander learned his philosophy for life from his days at Elder High School. A big part of what is instilled in Elder students is to share one’s talents and blessings with others. Many people think he goes far beyond the call. …

By Walt Schaefer For The Catholic Telegraph From a parish of 700 families, Linda Schaefer found 176 people willing to work for the well-being of unborn infants through the Community Pregnancy Center in downtown Middletown. Schaefer has become the liaison between the center and Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in …