By Pope Leo recently released his first Apostolic Exortation, “I have Loved You,” about God’s special love for the marginalized. You can read the full letter here. Since reading it may be a lot, I’ve written a shorter synopsis. Merry Christmas! Love Mary Ellen Here’s a synopsis of the letter:The Pope writes this letter as “a call to recognize Christ in the poor and the suffering.” “The love of the Lord is one with love of the poor.” He argues that giving a preferential option to the weak, the sick, the migrant, the prisoner, the poor and suffering should serve as
Children deserve to live in buildings
Over the last 2 weeks several media outlets have reported that Cincinnati Public Schools will be opening a homeless car lot for families to live in cars with children. Here’s the article reporting on this plan in WVXU and in the Cincinnati Enquirer. In response, our co-director Mary Ellen wrote an op-ed which was published in the paper edition of the Enquirer on 10/26/25. Here is a copy of what went to print: Children deserve to live in buildings Cincinnati Public Schools’ opening of car lot is proof city has failed to find solutions for family homelessness Cincinnati Public Schools
Reflection of a Current Volunteer– Theresa
Doing a gap year after high school was something I had dreamed about for a very long time. That’s probably why it felt so unreal sitting on a plane to Cincinnati, OH, to volunteer at Lydia‘s House for one year. Now, one month later, I still can’t decide what my favorite memory has been. I love the little moments at the shelter: sitting together for dinner, helping to cook and set up the table so it feels like a festive event every evening. The satisfaction after finishing a house duty shift, when the shelter looks clean again—knowing it will be
The Cheap Seats
on saying no to plastic surgery and yes to the b team By Mary Ellen Mitchell, Lydia’s House co-director The night before my partial mastectomy we went to my son Sam’s middle school soccer game. He’s playing for our neighborhood, Norwood, instead of his club team because, with the addition of my mid summer breast cancer diagnosis, we just couldn’t manage the transportation and weekend demands of select athletics. Our neighborhood, while rapidly gentrifying, shows few signs of that in its school sports program, so it’s been a bit challenging for Sam to lose and lose again. When we pulled
A Reflection from an Outgoing Volunteer
As our Bruderhof volunteer Marion Zumpe heads to New York this late May weekend, we’d like to share a recent reflection she wrote about her time with Lydia’s House: Growing up on an intentional community, I always believed that God had called me to that way of life. Although I still feel that to be true, stepping outside the community to work at Lydia’s House has helped me grow in my faith. I have put faces and names to the people Jesus referred to as the least of these. I have learned that some of them are the strongest people
