(US and Canada) Dr. Rob and Julia Heidt have been loyal supporters and advocates of the local chapter of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) in Cincinnati for over a decade. The Heidts will be recognized for their service and impact at SVDP’s annual Celebration of Service on May 18, 2023.
“Giving helps us to fulfill the responsibility that we all have, to lift up the lives of those who need it,” says Julia Heidt. “When we are investing in others, we all benefit.”
Dr. Rob Heidt agrees. “I see service as lifting people to a higher station in life — physically, spiritually and emotionally.”
At this year’s annual Celebration of Service, all eyes will be on Dr. Rob and Julia Heidt’s contributions to SVDP.
Although SVDP is a well-known international organization, many in the local community still aren’t aware of the full breadth of its resources to those in need.
Supporting Neighbors
“So many people hear ‘St. Vincent de Paul’ and only think of our thrift stores,” says Brad McMonigle, CEO for St. Vincent de Paul. “And while our thrift stores are a great resource for local families, providing over half a million dollars’ worth of free clothing, furniture and home goods to neighbors in need each year, many don’t know about our other programs to meet the needs of the lonely, struggling and forgotten in the community.”
A great example is SVDP’s Charitable Pharmacy. Since its launch in 2006, it has distributed over $100 million worth of medications to people who otherwise could not afford life-saving prescriptions. “In the past year alone, we filled over 70,000 prescriptions for free,” McMonigle says. “It’s a hidden gem in our community.”
That’s where benefactors like the Heidts come in.
“Their generosity and support were instrumental to the success of SVDP’s Upward Spiral Comprehensive Campaign,” McMonigle says.
The $12 million Upward Spiral Comprehensive Campaign supported the construction of the Don & Phyllis Neyer Outreach Center in Cincinnati’s West End, allowing SVDP to offer all its core services simultaneously, six days a week. The Heidt Family Foundation Health Services wing in the facility – named after its benefactors – houses an array of innovative services, including onsite primary care through a nurse practitioner, eye exams with the Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation, heart clinics through The Christ Hospital and health insurance navigation services.
The Heidts’ have generously supported many of SVDP’s events and efforts over the years, including SVDP’s Fan and A/C Drive and Homelessness Prevention Program, an initiative that is especially close to Julia’s heart. “Their involvement helps improve our city and the lives of its most vulnerable residents,” McMonigle says.
SVDP is currently in its fifth year of a five-year strategic plan and also in a $5 million fundraising campaign for its Charitable Pharmacy. The Prescribing Hope Campaign was created to directly address the challenges many face with access to prescription medications. Proceeds from the Celebration of Service event in May will benefit its Charitable Pharmacy campaign. Even small amounts can go a long way. A $1 donation can provide $11 worth of prescriptions for someone who needs them.
Thanks to generous donors like the Heidt family, SVDP can better serve its mission of providing care to those in need in Cincinnati.
Can you support the mission of St. Vincent de Paul? Visit svdpcincinnati.org to learn more. Tickets to Celebration of Service are available at svdpcincinnati.org/cos. Sponsorships are available.