ABOUT US
Mission: Why do we do this?
Staying true to the words of our founders, “You can’t have charity without justice”, the Ozanam Center for Service Learning provides a safe space to build community through service, education, and reflection in the Vincentian tradition. Our programs seek to provide meaningful service experiences, engage participants in reflection and education on poverty and justice issues, and grow a commitment to action
Vision: What is our goal?
Our goal is to provide a safe and inclusive space to both create new community and build upon existing communities where participants can engage in conversations around faith and social justice.
Purpose: What do we do?
By exploring social justice issues through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, we seek to:
Connect: Connect service experiences to faith and issues of social justice.
Engage: Provide service to the community in collaboration with community partners.
Grow: Help participants articulate their experience, discover their social justice compass, and seek further opportunities for advocacy and service.
About our participants: Who do we host?
We welcome groups ranging from students to professional adults who seek to serve their neighbors and learn about social justice. As a Catholic-rooted organization, we welcome groups and individuals from any spiritual background.
About our facility: How do we host?
We are located on the third floor of the Liz Carter Center at 1125 Bank Street. We have a large meeting space and separate gender restrooms. For overnight immersions, we have eight bunk rooms: six two-person rooms, one 12-person room and one eight-person room. There are four private showers and a fully equipped kitchen. The space has been made accessible with elevator access and ADA compliant restroom and shower stalls.
About our facility: How do we host?
We are located on the third floor of the Liz Carter Center at 1125 Bank Street. We have a large meeting space and separate gender restrooms. For overnight immersions, we have eight bunk rooms: six two-person rooms, one 12-person room and one eight-person room. There are four private showers and a fully equipped kitchen. The space has been made accessible with elevator access and ADA compliant restroom and shower stalls.
OUR HISTORY
In 2009, the Ozanam Center for Service Learning was developed in response to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s call to address the needs of our community through both charity and justice, as well as to address the desire in our local community for greater understanding of the realities facing neighbors in need.
The Center seeks to add depth and context to the encounters people have with our neighbors in need through workshops and immersion experiences that go beyond charity or volunteerism to encourage participants to ask the hard questions, search for real solutions and reflect on the larger social issues behind the human needs to which they are responding.
Following the Rule of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, our goal is to promote “understanding, cooperation, and mutual love among people of different cultures, religions, ethnic origins and social groups, and so contribute to the peace and unity of all peoples.” (Rule 7.7)
We do our work in the spirit of our founder(esses) and patron(esses); Bl. Frederic Ozanam, Bl. Rosalie Rendu, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Louise de Marillac.
OUR STAFF
Mo Kelly
Mo (short for Maureen) is the Ozanam Center Program Manager. Originally from Cleveland, she has lived in Cincinnati for the past 5 years. Mo has her bachelor’s degree in High School Education from the University of Dayton and is passionate about educating people about social justice and Catholic Social Teaching. Ask her about gentrification, food insecurity, poverty, mental health, or implicit bias.
Maggie Sheehan
Maggie is the Youth & Young Adult Program Manager. She’s a Cincinnati native and has her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Dayton. Maggie completed three year of service programs and now oversees our Vincentian Volunteers of Cincinnati program and our Youth and Young Adult Conferences. You may see her in the Ozanam Center from time to time!
Chris Kelley
Chris is the Formation & Service Learning Director. He was born in Connecticut and has moved around the East Coast for his education before landing in Cincinnati in 2021. He has his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Western New England University, Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Haven, and his Master’s of Divinity from the Catholic University of America. Chris spearheads the Cincinnati Council formation efforts for over 1,000 Vincentians and oversees Service Learning.
Summer Employees
Each summer, the Ozanam Center offers a series of urban immersion-style retreats that invite youth to experience first-hand the realities of communities in need. The retreats draw on Catholic School Teaching and seek to help students grow in their faith and their commitment to service and social justice. We are seeking talented individuals to help lead our retreats. Responsibilities include driving participants to service sites in a 15-passenger van, leading prayer and reflection, and facilitating educational modules.
If you are interested in being a summer staff member, please email Ozanam@SVDPcincinnati.org with your resume.