St. Vincent de Paul NKY breaks ground on more than a building, preparing to serve the community in a new way

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Set against the backdrop of construction and the sounds of a roaring highway, the community of St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky broke ground on its new headquarters — a product of the Hands of Hope Capital Campaign — just one mile from their current Crescent Springs store location.

The new building will feature 40,000 square feet of intentionally designed and purposeful spaces to better meet the growing needs of those served by St. Vincent de Paul NKY. With an expanded food pantry, teaching kitchen, community spaces, retail and warehouse expansion and a chapel, the “impact is going to be something we can see and feel every day,” said Dawn Groneck, chair of the St. Vincent de Paul NKY board.

Notable community leaders and members of the St. Vincent de Paul NKY leadership attended the ceremonial groundbreaking. Jessica Fette, mayor of the city of Erlanger; Marty Butler, chair of the Hands of Hope Steering Committee; Dawn Groneck; Beth Sewell, Kenton County commissioner – First District; Adam Kuehne, chief operating officer of the Huseman Group; Karen Zengel, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul NKY; and Deacon Jim Fortner, chief operating officer, Diocese of Covington.

Together — joined by donors and Vincentians — the group turned over the ceremonial dirt with shovels which shone bright in the afternoon sun. The building will be completed by HCG Construction of the Huseman Group and was designed by GBBN architects.

Mr. Kuehne told the crowd gathered, “site work is nearly complete, building pads are ready and we will begin foundations later this month. By late fall, we’re going to see the building come out of the ground. Through the winter, the structure will take shape. By early spring we should be under roof and enclosed, and then by this time next year, we should be standing here cutting a ribbon.”

While the specifications of the building, and its soon to be impressive edifice, is the cause of much excitement — it is the lives which will be touched by the work completed in the building that is truly meaningful.

“It’s giving us the ability to serve our neighbors with more dignity, to serve more efficiently and to prepare for the needs of Northern Kentucky well into the future,” said Mrs. Groneck. “The most important impact cannot be measured by dollars. It will be felt by the neighbor who walks through our doors during one of the hardest moments of their life.”

While the current St. Vincent de Paul NKY Crescent Springs building has served the community steadfastly, its operations have been stretched beyond capacity.

“What once served us well, no longer supports the scale of the mission ahead. Every day we see more families seeking help, more individuals struggling to make ends meet and more opportunities to connect people with the resources they need to thrive. That is why we launched the Hands of Hope Capital Campaign,” said Mr. Butler. “It is about creating the infrastructure necessary to serve our community for the next 100 years and beyond.”

The Hands of Hope Capital Campaign was launched in January of 2026 and has raised over $12,000,000 for the construction of the new headquarters.

“When I think about the impact of the Hands of Hope campaign, I don’t first think about the size of the building or the dollars raise. I think about the neighbor walking through our doors during a crisis and being welcomed with dignity,” said Mrs. Groneck.