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Celebrating 88 years of inspiring change through social services, collaboration and advocacy. 

 

May 2014

Dear Friends:

It seems I just wrote yesterday that we were halfway through our Lenten Journey and now here we are just a few weeks from Pentecost. I am reminded how quickly time seems to pass, how short and precious each life is and how important that we use the gift of life for the good of our world. As we approach Pentecost - the coming of the Spirit - the very breath of God living in each of us and among us - let us be open to what the Spirit may be calling us to in this time.
Again, please accept my deep gratitude, on behalf of the Community for your loving support.

Sincerely,

Rochelle Mitchell, SSS
General Director - Sisters of Social Service

"Voice to the Voiceless" shared at SSS Spring Assembly

Reflection by Sr. Anne Arabome, SSS
 
"The Samaritan woman" and  the "Woman at the well" - these are a couple of tags that  we and scripture writers use to describe the woman who encountered Jesus in today's gospel reading. I have wondered and still wonder: what was her name? Like many of her other sisters in the gospel stories - "the woman caught in adultery", "the woman suffering from hemorrhage", "the Syro-phoenician woman" - she has remained nameless through the centuries. In various forms of art she has been depicted - painted, sculpted, molded - this eternally nameless one!

Although she does not have name, every time I encounter her, as I do today, there is something that the weight of the centuries has never succeeded in suppressing: her voice! This woman may have been nameless... 
 

 

Our Golden Jubilarian - 

Sr. Simone Campbell,SSS

  

This Pentecost, we are delighted to honor Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS, for 50 years of dedication and service. Sr. Simone entered the SSS in 1964 with a passion to work on civil rights inspired by the Gospel, and her early work took her from Beverly Hills to Portland, Oregon where she also got involved in community organizing.  The problems of chronic poverty she encountered were complex and nuanced, and she wanted to be able to address the long-term, systemic issues that people faced. Sr. Simone went on to earn her law degree at the University of California, Davis in 1977.

  

In 1978, she began the Community Law Center in Oakland, and spent more than 18 years there as lead attorney representing clients in the family law and probate courts of Alameda County. From 1995 to 2000, Sr. Simone was the General Director of the SSS, overseeing our ministries in the U.S., Mexico, Taiwan, and the Philippines. She then served at the state level as Executive Director of JERICHOthe California interfaith public policy organization which protects the interests of people living in poverty.

NETWORK staff at a congressional briefing during the 2013 Nuns on the Bus tour.
 
Since 2004, Sr. Simone is best known for championing the stories and realities of thoseon the margins through her work as Executive Director of NETWORK - a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. 
In Washington D.C., she helps shape federal policy by advocating for the rights and needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. Whether the issue is one of peace- building, immigration reform, healthcare 
or economic justice, Sr. Simone educates our leaders and policy makers. With more informed views on such critical issues, the policies we enact can then create both immediate and long-lasting positive changes for those immersed in poverty. 
 

After courageously working on.....   

Please click here to read more!

 

The Nuns on the Bus outreach mission touched millions of people's hearts and minds conveying the critical realities of those living in poverty, and underscoring the imperative need for comprehensive immigration reform. 

Sr. Simone speaks during the Interfaith Service of Witness and Prayer for Health Care 
at Freedom Plaza in 
Washington, D.C. June, 2009.
Sr. Simone and other religious leaders at the Poverty Prayer in 
Washington D.C., 2012.
(Fr. Larry Snyder speaking, head of Catholic Charities) 

A warm welcome from other Sisters of Social Service before the 2013 Nuns on the Bus tour leaves Mercado La Paloma in Los Angeles.
You are invited...
 
The Sisters of Social Service 
invite you to a 
 
Book Signing Event
 
with author
 
Sister Simone Campbell, SSS
 
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
7:00 pm
 
Holy Spirit Retreat Center
4316 Lanai Rd, Encino, CA 91436
 
Wine and cheese will be served
 
 
R.S.V.P: [email protected] or 818-784-4515


The Grand Del Mar
5300 Grand Del Mar Court
San Diego, CA 92130
 
If you are in the San Diego area, we hope that you will join the Social Service Auxiliary of San Diego, Sunday, June 1, 2014, for a wonderful afternoon tasting delicious wines and eating foods from some of San Diego's best restaurants. 
We urge you to view the information regarding the wineries and restaurants which will be represented at Wine & Roses. All the wineries and restaurants at Wine & Roses graciously donate their time, their food, or their wine. We thank them for their generosity, and their willingness to help us support our charities, and we urge you to patronize their businesses.
 
 

Sr. Jeanne Felion, SSS nominated for 
Unsung Hero Award

Board President Michele Mercado and Sr. Jeanne Felion, SSS

 

On Friday, March 28, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, and Assembly member Roger Dickinson honored local women at the inaugural Women's Appreciation Awards ceremony in Sacramento. Executive Director Sister Jeanne Felion was one of the nominees for the Unsung Hero award!


The awards ceremony marked the end of Women's HERstory Month. Sr. Jeanne has been involved in numerous ministries but has dedicated much of her life's work to the city of Sacramento for nearly four decades at Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center. Over 70 nominations were received from local community members for the Leader of Tomorrow, Organization of the Year, and Unsung Hero awards. The event sought to raise awareness of the contributions local women are making to improve our region, California, and our nation. The event was generously sponsored by SMUD, Sierra Health Foundation, Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente, and PG&E.

Photo courtesy of Tia Gemmell Photography, www.phototia.com

 

 
Want to make our 
senior Sisters
lives 
                a little easier
 
A Mini-Van is on the horizon!
 
 
Our handicap accessible van is on its last legs. It's in the repair shop more and more these days, and has broken down at some very critical times. After nearly 15 years,  we just really need a new van. Most new mobility vans now come with greater access features built in - a ramp, secure wheelchair station, safety bars, maybe even one of those new "Swivel Seats" that comes out of the car to meet you.
 
 
Many of our Sisters who call the Villa home use some form of mobility support to ease their way - a cane, a walker, a scooter, a wheelchair...
We've found several vehicles that would be great - the Toyota Sienna even has the "Swivel Seat" to make transferring into the vehicle as easy as sitting in a chair.
 
 
Good news - we're already two thirds the way there!!! 
Just $11,312 left to go!
 
A very generous supporter - who was one of those teens the Sisters cared for at Stanford Home in Sacramento - gave us a $10,000 gift towards the $40,000 cost of a new vehicle.  Even as a young man Ray's commitment to volunteer and give back to others was remarkable.  Now a successful caterer and business owner of Chef Rob�rt's Motion Picture & Television Catering, Ray still has tremendous passion and dedication to the Sisters of Social Service and the greater L.A. community.  We are incredibly grateful for his help and ongoing presence in our lives. 

  

Can you join Ray in helping us with the mini-van? 
All gifts help us get closer!
 
 
Please be sure to say "Van Needs" on the online form.
 
Or feel free to send a check or money order to: 
SSS Development, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino, CA 91436
Pentecost 2014
 
Artwork created by 
Sister Donna Korba, IHM 
of Scranton PA. 
 
 
With Great Joy in the Spirit
The Sisters of Social Service
Invite You to Celebrate

  

50 Years Commitment
Sister Simone Campbell, SSS

  

In Memory of Her Classmate
Sister Natalia Duran, SSS

  

Pentecost Sunday June 8, 2014
Liturgy at 11:30 am

  

  

  

Social Service Auxiliary of Los Angeles

2014 Spiritus Award Honoring 

Celeste and Tom Von Der Ahe

 

Friends, family and colleagues gathered on April 12 to celebrate Celeste and Tom Von Der Ahe, this year's honorees. The Spiritus Award was presented to the Von Der Ahes in recognition of their continuing support of the Sisters of Social Service in their work to improve the lives of the most impoverished of God's people.
 

The Spiritus Award Benefit Committee, championed by Patricia (Mrs. Thomas) Dowling and Mrs. Phyllis Nugent, designed a beautiful evening at The California Club, complete with the much-loved Jersey Boys Quartet (with the West Coast Music All Stars). Incredible floral arrangements and scores of tantalizing silent auction items adorned the rooms, and delighted guests danced far into the night.

 

Click here to read more!

 

Celeste and Tom are shining examples of the mission of the Sisters of Social Service - "to be enlivened by the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out the social mission of the Church."

  

All present had a wonderful time honoring Celeste and Tom, and knowing that the proceeds would go to several of the Sisters' vibrant ministries: Camp Mariastella, House of Ruth, the Holy Spirit Retreat Center and to support the needs of the elder Sisters of the Villa Retirement Community

 

Many thanks to the all involved in making the evening such a beautiful one - especially Celeste and Tom, as well as the Spiritus Award Benefit Committee.

 

Written by Roseann (Mrs. Bruce) Anderson,

Member of the Social Service Auxiliary of Los Angeles

Stanford Settlement featured in Sacramento Press
Thanks to local writer Jeff Cassity, Stanford Settlement was recently featured in the Sacramento Press, a local online news website. See below.

 

Non-profit Improves Lives Through Youth 
and Senior Programs

By Jeffery Cassity for Sacramento Press   

  

The Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center quietly works its mission of aiding women, children and families in North Sacramento. Since moving to the Gardenland area in 1963, the organization has worked to improve the lives and hopes of the area residents.

 

Originally founded by the Sisters of Social Service (SSS) in 1936 and at that time housed in the Stanford Mansion located at 8th and N Streets in Downtown Sacramento, Stanford Settlement was a residential program for teens who were unable to live in their own homes and it provided a place for young people in that neighborhood as well.

 

The move to North Sacramento was at the invitation of area residents who were badly in need of innovative social service programs. With the aid of the United Way and the Sacramento Diocese, the Stanford Settlement started its ongoing relationship with the area. 

 

To read more click here

Healing Ministries

Eucharist Ministry with Seniors
By Connie Aguilar, SSS Associate 
 

I find most of my healing ministry is through the Eucharist Ministry. At first, they assigned me to volunteer during Mass, but it just did not fulfill my heart. I asked Fr. Charles Ramirez, our Pastor, if I could volunteer at the senior homes... 

  

To read more, click here 

  


Supporting and Connecting Families in Mexico

By Sr. Irma Gloria Murrieta, SSS 

 
It is impressive how each day Central American migrant people and families try to cross the Mexican territory in order to obtain their American dream. In Mexico, they encounter grave problems of violence from organized crime. Criminals sometimes take their money- often all the money they have...
  

The Presence of a Chaplain

By Sr. Martha Vega, SSS

 

My healing ministry is currently hospital chaplaincy at Providence Tarzana Medical Center. I was previously at L.A. County - USC Medical Center. In a few words chaplaincy is accompaniment, presence, and compassion. As a chaplain, I journey with individuals and their families...

"A Day In The Gardens" of Holy Spirit

 

Presenters: Michael O'Palko and Sr. Chris Machado, SSS

Saturday, May 24th from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

 

 To read more about this event and to view the flyer,click here 

Upcoming Retreats at Holy Spirit Retreat Center 

 

Woman to Woman
             
Click for Woman to Woman Program Flyer
 
 May 22

You may also view the Holy Spirit Retreat Center calendar by

Thank you for joining our Sisters  

in making a difference in thousands  

of people's lives every day!

 

For details, please click Donate on the left corner of our  home page at www.sistersofsocialservice.comIf you need more details or help signing up, feel free to contact Jamey at (818)285-3358 or  [email protected]

 

 

To DONATE NOW, click here:

 www.sistersofsocialservice.com/contributors.cfm   


To receive our Social Impact Newsletter 
in the mail or by email, 

please call (818) 285-3376 


Spring 2014 coming by early June!
 
A Potpourri of Cards: SSS All Occasion Greeting Cards

As many of you know,quite a few of our Sisters are visual artists or musicians, as
well as working with those living in poverty through their other ministry work.
Using some of their beautiful watercolors, pastels and pictures we have now printed
an array of greeting cards for almost any occasion. 

 

 
You can choose from blank cards, or those pre-printed with biblical passages or mass offerings. You can even call us if you would like to include a particular passage that you have in mind, and we can print up several of the cards with this greeting or just one for a special occasion. Individual cards are $1.50 a piece for a pre-printed card, and you can get sets of 4 for $5 or 12 for $15. The larger set comes inside a protective case, as well.


You can order the cards to be shipped in the mail, or stop by in person and pick them up.
 
To order cards please call Barbara at (818) 285-3376 or email [email protected]
 
Please click below to see what images are available on the cards.
 

Mass remembrances and celebrations are also available on the 
first Sunday of the month. Please let us know if you 
would like to honor or remember a loved one.
 
SSS Prayer Requests

As Sisters of Social Service our life is a balance of prayer and work. Deeply rooted in our Benedictine Spirit we join with people throughout the world asking God to answer prayer. In daily prayer, in our book of remembrances, at prayer in our Villa Senior Sister's Chapel, at Eucharist and in quiet times throughout the day, we join your request with our Community prayer. God has supplied each person with many tools, but no tool is more important than the ability to approach him in prayer. Prayer is essential in life and a limit to prayer does not exist. 

 

The Sisters of Social Service accept Prayer requests on the home page of our website www.sistersofsocialservice.com by clicking the prayer request button or by calling (818) 285-3376. Thank you for thinking of us in your time of need. You and your loved ones will be in our prayers.

 

'And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.'

-Mt. 21:22

 

Mass remembrances are also available on the

first Sunday of the month. Please let us know if you

would like to honor or remember a loved one.


For slide shows and pictures on our SSS ministries, please visit:



 

Compiled and shared by:

 

Jamey Fitzpatrick
Development Director, Sisters of Social Service

 [email protected]

 

Barbara Chavez, Development Associate, Sisters of Social Service
  

 Visit our website: www.sistersofsocialservice.com

Search and shop on-line: www.goodshop.com, www.goodsearch.com   

 

Each penny earned and friend found helps 

the SSS Community reach more people in need!