News

On Sunday February 8th we hosted a volunteer appreciation brunch at board member Rick Boydston’s home to enjoy a spread of delicious food and honor the 30+ guests who have volunteered with Lydia’s House in 2014.  Over the past year and beyond, we have been blown away by the disposition of compassion of our volunteers and therefore made our theme for this year’s volunteer appreciation gathering “Compassionate Hands and Hearts”. We acknowledged Henri Nouwen’s statement, “Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish…Compassion means full immersion in

Laura Menze is one of our dedicated volunteers who has been involved since the beginning of Lydia’s House. She serves in a wide array of unique ways, and is one of our most thoughtful, intentional supporters. With a full plate as an occupational therapist, we are grateful that Laura is able to take the time to help us stay organized and do the important work of processing donations! She is also a wonderful resource for orienting staff and volunteers on appropriate and meaningful ways of communicating with individuals who have experienced trauma, like some of the guests who come through

February e-Newsletter 2015

On Sunday January 26 our community celebrated our 3rd annual Feast of St. Lydia with an Episcopal Mass. This was the first year we celebrated this feast at Lydia’s House, choosing a more intimate gathering of around 40 beloved friends and supporters. The Mass included songs lead by Lydia’s House Pastoral Associate Grace Marshall and Floral House member Brianna Kelly and we were excited to welcome Dean Gail Greenwell from Christ Cathedral of Cincinnati to preside over the Mass. Dean Greenwell offered a homily reflecting on the hospitality of St. Lydia. She recognized that though not much is recounted on St. Lydia

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lydia’s House was lucky to be able to attend a telling of “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story: A Struggle for Human Dignity and Freedom” at Bellarmine Chapel on Xavier University’s campus. A riveting performance by Mzuri Aimbaye was the highlight of the evening. Touchingly emotional, Aimbaye presented the humanity of Hamer through stories of struggle, injustice, and love. She brought to life the activist’s favorite gospel songs and engaged the audience, encouraging us to join in. Most impressively, she tied the injustices of Hamer’s life to the issues plaguing the black community today, and