The Warming House
A $2,104 Renodin Foundation grant awarded to St. Bonaventure University Franciscan Center for Social Concern has provided a more than a meal to the hungry.
Alice Miller Nation, director stated, “The continued generosity of the Lyle F. Renodin Foundation has been vital to the Warming House over the years. The generous support of the Renodin Foundation allows our student run soup kitchen to welcome each guest into a clean and friendly environment. We are able to live our mission (to “reaffirm the dignity of one another, gathering as community to nourish body, mind and spirit”) through the daily actions of providing a place where our guests can arrive at 2:30 p.m. and read the newspaper, knit, cut coupons or simply sit and rest with a cool beverage in the summer or a hot cup of coffee or cocoa in the winter. Our guests know they will have a clean bathroom to use each time they come into the Warming House. And lastly, a nutritious dinner, prepared by caring hands and hearts will be served Sunday through Friday afternoon at 4:10 p.m.”
Miller Nation continued, “In a world where hope sometimes feels elusive, the Warming House provides a community atmosphere for those who struggle to secure the basic needs of healthy food and a clean place to rest.”
Specifically, funds were used to purchase food, supplies and cleaning supplies for the Warming House. Supplementing shelf stable foods with fresh produce from Canticle Farm and baking supplies like oil and eggs allows the student volunteers to bake fresh desserts and serve fresh produce weekly. Keeping the Warming House clean and free from pests is a priority and funds were used for cleaning supplies throughout the grant cycle.
At the end of the spring semester, the Warming House hosted a “10-4 Thank You Dinner” for SBU volunteers who were preparing to graduate and guests of the Warming House. At this special dinner, they presented each graduate with a candle, reminding them that each time they came into the Warming House, they offered light and hope to the guests they met. They then gave the guests the opportunity to thank the graduates for making time to come to the Warming House while attending St. Bonaventure University. Many of the guests were interested in what was next for each of the SBU students.
One guest’s comments will be remembered for a very long time…
“Bill” stopped eating at his typical corner spot in the dining room and stood up. He hesitantly blurted out, “I don’t talk much when I come and I don’t come to the Warming House every day, but I do come every week. The days I come to the Warming House to eat are the days I don’t have a meal anywhere else. I am really glad you are here. If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t eat that day. Thank you for making the time to come here and cook for us.” “Bill” then sat down, picked up his fork and quietly finished his meal.
Shortly after the dinner, the Warming House program manager, a SBU grad student, reflected on her role at the Warming House. She thought she was taking a job to simply help pay for graduate school. As the year drew to a close, she admitted that working at the Warming House was both difficult and wonderful. The Warming House gave her purpose and direction as she leaves St. Bonaventure and returns to Toronto to pursue a career.
The Impact of the Renodin Foundation:
Alice Miller Nation noted that they recently began a ten week Farm to Table program on the SBU campus. Four students work mornings at Canticle Farm and afternoons at the Warming House.
This program provided her with the opportunity to speak with one of the guests of the Warming House about appropriate ways to talk to volunteers. Her conversation went as well as one could have hoped. At the end of the meal, the guest asked her if he could apologize to our Farm to Table student. She got the student and together they found a quiet place where they could talk.
After the apology, the guest looked at the student and said, “Will you forgive me?” “Of course, I already have” was her reply. At our weekly conversation and reflection the next day, they took the time to talk about the situation. The Farm to Table student said, “Our guest was so surprised that I forgave him so easily. I wonder if he has ever been forgiven without conditions.” They took a few minutes to let her comment soak in a bit. They realized they modeled for both the student volunteer and guest what it was like to enter into difficult conversations and then offer forgiveness. In a small way, this student and guest modeled the peace we’d like to see in our world and communities in an everyday kind of way.
Miller Nation continued, “We are so appreciative for the vital support the Lyle F. Renodin Foundation offers to the Warming House and other agencies. Because of the Renodin Foundation, we are able to offer a clean place for the poor and marginalized of Olean to come to each day. We are able to provide a healthy meal for those who can’t always provide for themselves and their family members. But just as important as offering a clean environment and healthy food, the Warming House offers hope. Hope that each one of us is enough and that together, we can make our way through the hard parts of living each day, truly believing that goodness can prevail.”
This is an example of the impact the Lyle F. Renodin Foundation has on the local community. Offering the hope that life can be better and less difficult will never be found in the number of meals served or the dollars spent on fresh vegetables or cleaning supplies.
“Thank you for allowing us to offer these opportunities to our students as they grow into the men and women our world needs them to be. And thank you on behalf of our guests for partnering with us as we serve our neighbors in the Olean community.” – Alice Miller Nation, Director, SBU Franciscan Center for Social Concern
Learn more about SBU Franciscan Center for Social Concern
Meals at the Warming House are served restaurant style each day. 
A St. Bonaventure University student visits with Warming House guests during dinner.
Did you know?
From June 2019 through May 2019, 5,583 meals were served at The Warming House. The break down for these meals are as follows: 152 children (under the age of 18), 4,305 adults, and 1,126 seniors (over the age of 65 years old).
