Socks for Seniors

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Socks for Seniors

Socks for Seniors (S4S) is the Life Essentials program‘s annual donation drive to provide new socks, slippers, and pajamas to nursing homes and senior shut-ins in time for the holidays.

Donations can be dropped off at our administrative office, 922 W. Riverview Avenue in Dayton. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; if you need to drop off earlier or later in the day, please call Linda Spanel at 937.223.7217 ext.2100 to make arrangements.

We’re also doing an online donation campaign again this year. To participate in the online S4S campaign, visit our Donate Now page and select Socks for Seniors in the drop-down menu under “designation.”

We ask that socks, slippers, pajamas, and online donations be provided by Wednesday, November 24 so we’ll have time to organize the items in time for holiday delivery.

THANK YOU!



Print the Flyer

If you’d like to print our Socks for Seniors flyer to share at your office or other location, just click the flyer on this page to open a PDF file that you can print or save.

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Donate Needed Items

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Donate Needed Items

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley accepts donations of certain items needed by our various programs throughout the year. Because we have limited storage space, we do ask that you refer to the lists of items we’re currently accepting as well as following the instructions for where and when to drop off your donations.

If you have other items that you think might be of use to us, please contact our parish & community relations coordinator at (937) 223-7217 ext. 1141 to see if we can accept them.

We appreciate your support!

OUR CURRENT NEEDS


Donations can be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at Catholic Social Services’ Center for Families, 1046 Brown Street in Dayton.

  • Individually wrapped snacks such as microwave popcorn, goldfish crackers, cookies, raisins, fruit snacks, pretzels and chips
  • Juice boxes
  • Craft supplies such as play-doh, paint, dry erase markers, drawing paper, coloring books, markers, crayons, glue sticks and poster board
  • Board games
  • Card games
  • Puzzles
  • Holiday-themed children’s books
  • Paper towels
  • Clorox wipes
  • Liquid hand soap

If your group or organization would like to host a food drive for our pantry, donations are always welcome. We do encourage you to contact us in advance to find out if there are specific types of items that would be particularly helpful. You can contact our Parish & Community Relations Coordinator, Mike Hoendorf, at (937) 223-7217 ext. 1141 or at hoendorfm@cssmv.org.

We also ask that donations not be dropped off during the hours our pantry is in operation, as this diverts the pantry staff from their focus on the clients being served. The pantry is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Please contact our Pantry Coordinator, Ash Cummings, at (937) 223-7217 ext. 1144 to coordinate drop-off.

Catholic Social Services has a special partnership with St. Vincent de Paul in Dayton. If you have furniture you no longer need and are willing to donate, you can take it to their community store (or have them pick it up), and as long as you let them know that you would like your donation to be credited to Catholic Social Services, our refugee resettlement program will receive store credit to use when we’re setting up new housing for arriving refugees!

You can drop off furniture donations at the St. Vincent de Paul Community Store at 945 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd. in Dayton Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The donation dock is located on the south side of the building, on the side facing the Job Center. Please ask for a carbonless receipt that shows the donation as being for Catholic Social Services. This is the only way to be sure your donation is credited to us.

Furniture can also be scheduled for pick up by calling (937) 425-0592. Any items to be picked up should be clean of pet hair and dander, stains, and heavy damage or tears, and must be on the ground floor. (The pickup crew won’t carry furniture up or down stairs.) Be sure to tell them when scheduling a pickup that your donation is for Catholic Social Services, and make sure you get a receipt showing Catholic Social Services as the recipient of your donation.

Our refugee resettlement team is not requesting any donations at this time, other than financial gifts. When we begin seeking items again, information will be posted here and on our Facebook page.

Donate Funds

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Donate Funds


We invite you to view a short video to see the positive impact that comes from your support.



Join the 1921 Society

The 1921 Society was established to honor the generations of leadership supporters who have helped Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley serve our most vulnerable neighbors each year. Named for the year CSSMV was founded, the society recognizes annual contributors who support our work with gifts of $1,000 or more each year.

Most gifts at this level are designated toward our Annual Fund. As the primary source of operating funds for agency programs, services and direct client support, the dollars raised by the Annual Fund significantly impact the agency’s capacity to serve more than 20,000 people each year.

For more information, please contact Mike Lehner, director of marketing & development, at (937) 223-7217 ext.1142.

Support our 2021 Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is the most convenient and impactful way you can support Catholic Social Services each year. As the primary source of operating funding for programs, services and direct client support, the dollars raised by the Annual Fund allow CSSMV to perform its mission each year.

Thanks to broad community support for the Annual Fund, we were able to serve more than 21,000 of our most vulnerable neighbors last year. With your support, 2021 will be no different.

There are several ways you can make your gift:


Cash, check or credit card gifts can be made easily through the mail or in person. Our administrative office is located at 922 W. Riverview Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45402. Our normal office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

We also encourage you to visit our secure online giving portal HERE, where you can make a one-time gift or set up monthly or recurring gifts with a credit card or EFT.

Many employers offer the opportunity to make gifts to CSSMV through payroll or matching gift opportunities. We invite you to ask your employer if there are opportunities for you to support CSSMV in this way.

Are you over 70 1/2 years young? If so, did you know that you can avoid having your IRA distribution count as taxable income by donating it directly to CSSMV? We invite you to consult your financial advisor to learn more about this great opportunity.

In addition to IRA opportunities, CSSMV also accepts gifts of securities, bequests, trusts, retirement plans and life insurance policies.

Donors may make contributions in honor of or in memory of special people in their lives. Gifts will be recognized in writing to both the donor and the recipient or family of the honoree or memorialized individual.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW

Join the Good Shepherd Legacy Society

This society recognizes individuals who have included a gift to Catholic Social Services in their estate plan. You can impact future generations and inspire others in our community by leaving your own legacy gift. Good Shepherd Legacy Society members are invited to an exclusive dinner each year, where they learn about the agency’s recent challenges and successes, as well as our plans for the future.

For more information, please contact Mike Lehner, director of marketing & development, at (937) 223-7217 ext.1142.

Apply for an Internship

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Apply for an Internship

Volunteer

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Volunteer

Looking for a way to put your faith into practice by serving our clients or assisting our staff? Recently retired and have skills to offer? Are you in high school or college and looking for ways to enhance your skills and experience?

We have one-time and group volunteer opportunities, roles that need volunteers on an ongoing basis, and even programs that need volunteers who can commit to helping out every week.


Questions about our volunteer program and opportunities? Call Ashley Clark at (937) 223-7217 ext.1130.


There are so many people in this community who need help, and when you see the variety of challenges that people are faced with it can be a little overwhelming. But it’s also rewarding to know that you can welcome them in, and you know that they are going to get the help they need.


Prospective volunteers are asked to complete our online application form.

CLICK HERE for the application.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, group orientation sessions are TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. Please contact Ashley Clark at (937) 223-7217 ext.1130 for more information.

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To learn more about how you can help, we invite you to attend one of our upcoming volunteer orientation sessions:

2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month • 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Center for Families
1046 Brown Street
Dayton, Ohio 45409

1st Monday of each month • 2:00-3:00 p.m.
3rd Friday of each month • 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Eckerle Administration Center
922 West Riverview Ave.
Dayton, Ohio 45402

RSVPs are requested, but not required, at (937) 223-7217 ext.1130.

If you are interested in volunteering with our Refugee Resettlement program, please bring your driver’s license and a copy of your auto insurance to orientation.

These materials are part of the orientation process, but you’re welcome to review them in advance. Just click the name of the document to view it as a PDF.



Our Most Urgent Needs


Catholic Social Services has launched a volunteer driving program to expand transportation options in Auglaize, Logan, Mercer, Shelby, Darke and Champaign Counties. One of the goals of this pilot program is to eliminate gaps in transportation that exist because of the lack of cross-county and region-to-region transport.

This program is focused on transporting individuals to medical and non-medical appointments and to employment. The highest-priority populations will be older adults, individuals with disabilities, and low-income populations who don’t have access to other options. The program is meant to allow access for those who need transportation outside of traditional transit hours and who cannot afford the high cost of private providers.

We are currently working to recruit and train approximately 10 volunteer drivers. The training includes eight hours of ODOT Drive training, CPR and First Aid, VIRTUS (Child Protection) training, and Defensive Driving training. Volunteers will provide curb-to-curb transportation, using their personal vehicles to transport within their county and adjoining counties.

If you are interested in helping your neighbors by becoming a volunteer driver, please contact Michelle Caserta-Bixler for more information at (937) 575-7115 or mcaserta@cssmv-sidney.org.

Help serve elderly home-bound seniors throughout Miami County by delivering food boxes to those in need as part of our FoodSource program.

Volunteers are asked to commit 3-4 hours on the second Friday of every month delivering food boxes to 5-10 homes. Each box contains 40 lbs. of food, which can be divided into grocery bags and carried in multiple trips to the residence if you aren’t comfortable carrying the whole box at once.

Minimum requirements for this volunteer position are:

  • Ability to work independently, with limited supervision
  • Access to a reliable vehicle, a valid driver’s license, and current insurance
  • Ability to lift and carry several pounds of food
  • Must submit volunteer application, attend orientation, complete Virtus training, and pass a background check

 All interested candidates should complete our Online Volunteer Application. Mark “Northern Counties” as your area of interest.

Questions? Contact agency volunteer coordinator Ashley Clark at (937) 223-7217 ext.1130.

Our Senior Outreach program needs volunteer Respite Aides in Montgomery County to provide relief for spouses and family members who care for dependent elderly adults at home. Volunteers receive training and are asked to commit to giving the full-time caregiver a 3-4 hour break one day a week. Hours are flexible based on the needs of the client and volunteer. Must be at least 18 years old.

Our Senior Outreach program needs volunteer Senior Visitors. The Senior Visiting program is designed to keep isolated seniors safe in their homes and reduce social isolation. Volunteers provide a friendly visit to a senior for about two hours each week. Volunteers are needed in several geographic areas, including Montgomery, Miami, Darke and Shelby Counties. For more information call Ashley Clark at (937) 223-7217 ext. 1130.



Other Volunteer Opportunities


Erma’s House Family Visitation Center in Dayton offers a supervised, safe, and neutral environment for children to visit with their non-custodial parents. Monitors are needed to supervise these visits. Visitations generally last 1 to 2.5 hours, one day a week in the evenings and on Sunday afternoons. Must be at least 18 years old. Training provided. Call Ashley Clark at (937) 223-7217 ext.1130 for more info.

We need volunteers to staff the front desk at our administrative office at 922 W. Riverview Avenue in Dayton. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and volunteers are asked to commit to at least two hours, one day per week. The front desk volunteer greets and directs visitors in a professional and courteous manner; provides visitors with information about external resources when needed; and provides light administrative support. Visitors include board members and donors as well as clients accessing services. For more information, please contact Linda Spanel at (937) 223-7217 ext.2100.

You or your group can help with unloading and restocking food, serving as a personal shopper, or providing curbside service.

If you’re willing to make a longer-term commitment, we also use trained volunteers to assist with the client intake process.

Depending on your interests and skills, you might serve as a mentor to a teen or young adult; become a tutor to help refugees learn and practice English; serve as an interpreter; become a volunteer employment coach; or even help set up a home for a newly arriving refugee family.

If you are a family, group or individual looking for a service project to support our agency, the following are suggestions for short-term, seasonal, or one-time activities. If you have other ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Contact our Parish & Community Relations Coordinator at (937) 223-7217 ext.1141.

  • Work in the Choice Food Pantry
  • Help set up an apartment for refugee arrivals
  • Disinfect toys at Erma’s House and match game pieces
  • Assist with fundraising events
  • Landscaping – rake leaves, pick up trash, plant flowers and help make our buildings attractive and inviting
  • Hold a donation drive for items needed by one or more of our programs; visit our Donate Needed Items page for wish lists and other information