Rendu Services to close in Fayette County
After nearly 20 years of serving the poor in Fayette County, Rendu Services Inc. will end its ministry by the end of 2018, the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill announced.
Rendu Services is a collaborative ministry between three provinces of Catholic Sisters — the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul of the Northeast Province in 2000, which founded the ministry in 2000, the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill of the United States Province and Sisters of Charity of Nazareth of the Western Province, which helped expand services when they joined the ministry in 2007.
While Rendu Services primarily serves Fayette County, the loss will be felt all over the four-county area the Diocese of Greensburg services, said Sister Barbara Einloth, SC. Sisters from the organization traveled all over that area in the mobile health van speaking on the services they provide and raising funds to continue the ministry. Donations and support came in from all corners of the Diocese.
Named for Daughter of Charity Sister Rosalie Rendu, who spent her life in service to the poor during the 19th century, the ministry serves primarily as an entry point to an existing network of social services available to people living in poverty in Fayette County. The organization also provides non-invasive health screenings and referrals throughout the county, along with health education through a mobile health van, operates a food pantry that serves nearly 100 families through Fayette County Community Action Agency, and holds a variety of youth and family activities in various housing projects in the county.
Their mission is to empower those living in poverty by connecting and collaborating with many agencies and organizations without replicating services.
To say a void will be felt by the county’s most disadvantaged and needy citizens when Rendu Services closes its doors is an understatement, but the sisters are working hard to make the transition a smooth one for their clients.
“The staff has worked out a timeline, but at some point in the summer, we will stop taking new clients and will be wrapping up things,” said Einloth, who chairs the Rendu Services’ Member Board, which is comprised of sisters from all three provinces. She said some of those provinces have been there 15 years out of the organization’s 18-year history.
Fayette County is one of the poorest counties in the entire United States, the sisters said in a release. With highest amount of respect and care for the people they serve who will be affected by the closure, Bishop Edward Malesic of the Diocese Greensburg, along with staff and board members have developed a timeline for the transition.
One idea from the staff includes producing a durable laminated card which will provide information to people on where to go for services.
“In lieu of coming into the office and have people tell them where to go, we decided to develop this resource,” said Einloth.
As part of the closure plan, the organization is hoping to identify and locate another agency or board to take over the ministry, but it isn’t clear if that will happen. Einloth said the staff has looked for an agency or nursing volunteers interested in continuing the work of the mobile health van, but thus far, no one has expressed any interest.
In addition, the organization has assets it will need to liquidate, including property in Dunbar that includes a house that serves as the office, a building where the food pantry is located and a parking lot. They also plan on selling the van, which Rendu Services just purchased approximately two years ago.
In October the plan is to start donating material, cleaning out the buildings and relocating files in the proper manner. The planned day to cease operations is Nov. 1, but Einloth said that could change.
A celebration is being planned to honor the ministry and all it has accomplished during the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Sept. 29 at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Uniontown, which the Bishop will attend. Past and present board members, staff and friends from the organization’s 18-year history will be invited back to share in the celebration. According to Einloth, some are coming back to Uniontown from as far away as New York, Kentucky and Mississippi for the celebration.
However, ultimately it wasn’t funding that caused the closure. The sisters, who have become well-known and respected for the valuable ministry, do not have the personnel to replace the current staff in the future. Further research by the board and staff concluded it just wasn’t possible to continue the ministry without the presence and passion of the sisters. Closure was inevitable.
“The struggle has been going on…for a couple of years,” said Einloth. “We want it to continue. All of us feel really bad that it has to close. It makes me sad. It makes me really sad.”
Einloth said the experience of working with Rendu Services has been “life-changing.”
“The experience of working on behalf of the people of Fayette County has been a really significant life experience for (all of) the sisters who have been on staff and connected with Rendu.”