St. Benedict's Foundation offers hope for many

Intermountain Catholic

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Benedictine Prioress Sr. Danile Knight (left) addresses St. Benedict's Foundation board members to thank them for their hard work and for allowing the Benedictine Sisters in Ogden to continue their ministry of helping people spiritually and physically. IC photo by Christine Young

OGDEN — "Every day you make a positive difference in the live of others, and we appreciate your hard work," read the invitation to St. Benedict’s Foundation board members.

A board retreat was held May 23, at the Timbermine Restaurant to thank board members and to provide an opportunity for board members, sisters, human service providers, and educators to meet and share their information.

"Lord, you have called us to be your instruments in building a world of justice and peace," prayed Benedictine Sister Stephanie Mongeon in the opening prayer. "Knowing that we are loved, our work will always be an extension of your love in all we do."

"The St. Benedict’s Foundation was founded by the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ogden in 1976, as part of St. Benedict’s Hospital," said Benedictine Prioress Danile Knight. "It is now Ogden Regional Medical Center. "When the hospital was sold in 1994, the foundation was not part of the sale, so it became the arm of the sisters. Even though there were sisters in health, education, and pastoral work, in a sense we lost our main ministry, when the hospital was sold.

"In 1946, three sisters came to Ogden to oversee the building of St. Benedict’s Hospital," said Sr. Danile. "The sisters came to take care of the spiritual and physical needs of the people in the area.

"After the sale of the hospital, through the foundation, additional concerns have been addressed," Sr. Danile said. "The purpose of the foundation is to solicit gifts, grants, bequeaths, contributions, and other financial sources from the general public for the support and maintenance of charitable, religious, and educational activities."

The partners of the foundation include the Assistance Fund for low-income and homeless individuals, the Boys and Girls Club, a mentoring program; Catholic Community Services’ St. Martha’s Baby Project, which provides layettes; the Center for Grieving Children; Family Counseling Services for women, children, and families in crisis; the Family Support Center, a prevention and early intervention program for families at risk; the Midtown Clinic for uninsured children; the Ogden Rescue Mission Clinic for the homeless or those without financial means; the Ogden School District Foundation, a mentoring program for at-risk children; Prevent Child Abuse of Utah; tuition assistance for St. Joseph Catholic Schools; and the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind.

"Thanks to the 2007 funding partners, the foundation was able to grant $208,081 to the listed programs," said Sr. Danile. "The partners of the foundation have bought into the vision of the sisters. Under the direction of Yvonne Coiner, the foundation executive director, the sisters will be able to continue their mission for many more years to come.

St. Benedict Foundation Treasurer, Dr. Michael Janeway, said, "We could support only one or two programs and give away a lot more money, or we can have 30 programs and give a lot less money. We have to figure out what is going to be best for the community. We want to be able to support more programs and give away more money. We want to be able to stay pretty stable and still grow."

Michael Joseph, committee chairman of social entrepreneurial capabilities, determined from those present that they have more challenges and less money with which to work. He said the concept of the foundation is to bring together several experienced professionals from the Ogden area who have tremendous backgrounds in planning, strategic development, engineering, and business planning.

"We are a resource to you," said Joseph. "If you need a resource plan for the future of your organization, financial modeling in different scenarios, or organizational skills come and talk to us. These are resources you probably do not have available to you, but through this foundation they are available. As nonprofit organizations, you work so hard on what you care about, that sometimes you do not have time to think about what your future is going to look like."

As a result of the St. Benedict Foundation, Nancy Phillip’s future looks bright. She was the recipient of the Dr. Joseph Watson Scholarship, in partnership with Weber State University for college seniors.

Four years ago Phillip became a single mother with two children. She had been a stay-at-home mom, and realized she needed an education to support her children. Living in Sacramento at the time, she received an associate’s degree in radiation technology. But she felt there was something more she wanted to do. She wanted to be more involved with the care of people. She found a program in radiation therapy at Weber State University, which offers a bachelor’s degree once a student has certified in radiation technology. Phillips will graduate this summer.

"Without the scholarship I would have had to work and spend time away from my children," she said. "The scholarship was a tremendous help in many ways."