Since 2023, committee has distributed over $30K to people in situations where money is tight and help is needed
DETROIT ─ Once a month, a dedicated group of volunteers at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament goes over various cases where people need just a little extra cash to cover a particular expense.
That might include a security deposit for an apartment, a car repair, or an emergency payment to DTE Energy to avoid having the lights turned off ─ various one-time expenses where people need cash quickly.
That’s where the SON (Serving Our Neighbor) Fund comes in.
It all started when an anonymous benefactor worked with cathedral rector Fr. J.J. Mech to establish a fund for the cathedral staff to distribute to people in need.
“Fr. J.J. saw a need in our community, and he reached out to a friend who was a donor,” Jacqueline Beltowski, outreach coordinator at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, told Detroit Catholic. “The donor got us started, creating the S Fund (the donor’s last name begins with ‘S’) and from there it just grew. We got more people to form a committee, and we worked to get more donations, with different people to do case management of the requests we receive.”
Beltowski and her team process the requests, particularly prioritizing one-off expenditures for people in need, often via referral from family or friends.
“We cover DTE utilities, rental assistance in terms of security deposits or the first month’s rent,” Beltowski said. “In one case, we helped someone get into a hotel for the night. We’re not meant to be continuous help, but for those expenses that pop up.”
The cathedral reaches out to other nonprofits and church organizations in cases where a person needs continuous support, working with organizations such as Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan’s Center for the Work of Mercy, located across Woodward Avenue from the cathedral.
A potential recipient reaches out to the cathedral, which in turn meets with Beltowski to discuss their situation.
“I meet one-on-one with the client, and we start our meeting with a prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help us to help them,” Beltowski said. “We have this person-to-person discussion, and we praise the Holy Spirit. Then we collaborate with each other in the committee, in order to see what we think the Lord is asking us to do for this person.”
Over the past two years, the SON Fund has dispersed $32,865 to 43 clients.
Since the initial $5,000 seed donation, the cathedral has continued to raise money for the fund, making it a key ministry for the cathedral parish.
“Through prayer and divine providence, we’ve received what we’ve needed to keep the fund going,” Beltowski said.
Beltowski said the parish has received many words of gratitude from those who have shared how even small assistance from the cathedral community has made a big difference in their lives.
“The best is when we can say ‘yes’ to a request, and then we receive a note about just how much paying off their overdue utility bill has helped them in a big way,” Beltowski said. “We can’t help every single person in the world, but to know we’re helping individuals, it’s just a great joy.”
Beltowski recalled examples, such as a woman who needed a train ticket to see her family in California for the first time in years, or a man who needed money for a security deposit for an apartment to avoid being homeless.
These are the reasons the SON Fund exists, Beltowski said, an outward sign of the works of mercy.
Parishioners and visitors to the cathedral continue to support the fund, Beltowski said ─ which makes the twin towers of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament a true beacon of faith for people in need.
“We trust in God's providence, and we just ask that anyone who hears about the SON Fund prayerfully consider giving us a donation so that we can radically change someone's life,” Beltowski said.
Those interested in supporting the fund can visit cathedral.aod.org.
