St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky Launches $12 Million “Hands of Hope” Campaign

Laura Keener

Editor

St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky (SVdP NKY) has announced its first-ever Hands of Hope Capital Campaign, a $12 million effort to build a new headquarters that will help meet the growing needs of families in Northern Kentucky. The campaign officially kicked off with a launch event on Jan. 21 at the current Erlanger location.

For more than 100 years, SVdP NKY has provided food, housing and emergency assistance to neighbors in need. Today, the organization operates four thrift stores and 14 assistance programs, serving tens of thousands of people each year. But demand has grown so much that the current headquarters — a warehouse built in 1969 — is stretched to its limits.

“Our mission calls us to see Christ in those we serve and to respond with love, dignity, and action,” said Karen Zengel, executive director of SVdP NKY. “Hands of Hope is about creating a space that allows us to serve our neighbors today and for years to come.”

The new headquarters will be a 40,000+ square-foot facility designed to make services easier to access and more effective. Key features include:

— A larger food pantry, doubling current capacity.

— Expanded guest services and call center for better privacy and coordination.

— Dedicated space for community partners to provide wraparound care.

— A chapel for quiet reflection and prayer.

— A multi-purpose room with a teaching kitchen for nutrition classes and community events.

— A climate-controlled warehouse to improve donation management and increase revenue.

— Enhanced retail space projected to generate $150,000 annually for programs.

The new address will be 2064 Crescent Springs Road, Erlanger, less than a mile south of the current location. A former employee of St. Vincent de Paul learned that the owners of the land were interested in selling and helped connect the two. “Being right there, off of I-75, in the middle of Kenton County, was something we were hopeful for,” said Mrs. Zengel.

Cincinnati architectural firm GBBN was tapped to design the new headquarters. In 2019, GBBN architects designed St. Vincent de Paul’s Cincinnati Don & Phyllis Neyer Outreach Center.

“They understood the Vincentian model and how all the elements of the organization come together,” said Mrs. Zengel. “They really did have an understanding of the way that we operate and the importance of having space for us to meet with our guests and neighbors in a more dignified and discrete way than what we’re able to do in our building right now. They understood the thrift store not only as a way to support the outreach, but also as a program and the need for significant warehouse space.”

Before leading the opening prayer, Deacon Jim Fortner, chief operating officer for the Diocese of Covington, spoke fondly of the current warehouse and the St. Vincent de Paul ministry, saying, “I feel like we’re on holy ground.”

“I know how many times we’ve (he and his family) come here as a family to drop things off and what it means to shoppers,” said Deacon Fortner. “St. Vincent would be really proud. I’m so excited about the new place and I know we’re going to reach our goal and exceed our goal.”

Martin (Marty) Butler, chair of the Butler Foundation and the St. Vincent de Paul Hands of Hope steering committee, spoke on how the Foundation and St. Vincent de Paul share a common mission: “to provide help to those in need by the most direct means possible.”

“No other organization meets people where they are quite like St. Vincent de Paul,” said Mr. Butler. “Through thousands of home visits each year, their volunteers build real relationships — listening, praying, and restoring dignity in moments of greatest need. This campaign isn’t just about bricks and mortar; it’s about ensuring that kind of personal, compassionate care continues for generations to come.”

SVdP NKY has already raised $9.1 million of its $12 million goal, thanks to strong community support. The organization is now inviting the public to help reach the finish line by donating at bit.ly/svdpnky_handsofhope. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with the new headquarters opening in early 2028.

The need for help in Northern Kentucky is growing. Rising costs for housing, utilities, and food have made it harder for families to make ends meet. SVdP NKY’s programs provide emergency assistance, food and hope to thousands of people each year, and the new headquarters will make sure no one faces hardship alone.

“The Hands of Hope Campaign is a powerful witness to what can be accomplished when faith, love, and a deep reverence for human dignity converge,” said Bishop John Iffert. “St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky has, for more than a century, embodied the Church’s unchanging mission to see Christ in those who are poor, vulnerable or forgotten. This new endeavor reflects not only strategic vision but a profound theological truth: that every act of service is an extension of God’s own mercy at work in the world. I am deeply grateful to all who are giving of their resources, hands and hearts to make this dream a reality. May this new headquarters become a place that Pope Leo XIV envisions, where, ‘the poor will come to realize that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them: I have loved you.’ (Dilexi Te §121)”