2021 Honorees: Becky Catino & Bart Kohler
St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati (SVDP) honored Becky Catino and Bart Kohler during its sixth annual Celebration of Service event, held on Thursday, September 16th at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Two hundred fifty guests gathered on the zoo’s outdoor Africa Deck & Patio to honor Catino and Kohler, two visionary leaders who recently co-chaired SVDP’s $12 million Upward Spiral Comprehensive Campaign. Under Catino and Kohler’s leadership, the campaign drastically expanded access to resources for local neighbors across Hamilton County and concluded with the opening of SVDP’s Neyer Outreach Center in the West End in November 2019.
Among their countless acts of compassion, Catino and Kohler have both served neighbors in need through home visits with families, during meal distributions, and through annual holiday programming. Three speakers were invited to deliver remarks about Catino and Kohler’s impact on the Cincinnati community:
· Liz Carter, President & CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation and former Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul, spoke on the transformational impact of Catino and Kohler’s leadership on St. Vincent de Paul and its capacity to assist neighbors struggling to make ends meet.
· Ted Catino, husband to Becky Catino and co-founder of GigSmart, spoke about what drives Catino to be a servant leader and her determination to improve the lives of Cincinnati families in need.
· Tamara Thrasher, Program Associate at GreenLight Cincinnati and former Program Manager for St. Vincent de Paul’s Ozanam Center for Service Learning, spoke about the impact of the mentorship of Kohler on her professional and personal development.
Both Catino and Kohler also spoke about the impact of St. Vincent de Paul on their lives and their continued commitment to the organization.
The evening included a fundraising component to support SVDP’s Homelessness Prevention Program, which provides rent and utility assistance to families in need. Through gifts made during the fund appeal, sponsorships and pre-event donations, guests helped raise more than $400,000 in Catino and Kohler’s honor, one of the largest totals in the event’s history. Last year, St. Vincent de Paul provided over $2.1 million in rent and utilities assistance to help thousands of families stay in their homes.