The Ministry of Caring is a vibrant community of staff, volunteers, donors and diverse supporters united by a passion to serve the poor. Together, we gladly give of ourselves to fulfill the vision of our founder and executive director, Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap., the poor should never be treated poorly.

We live this vision in myriad ways. Through the nutritious meals for the hungry at Emmanuel Dining Room. Through the cheerful rooms for residents of our shelters, transitional residences and long-term housing. Through the helping hands we lend to the jobless. Through the child care and education for offspring of the poor and homeless. And through our outreach services to anyone in need.

The Ministry of Caring is a 501(c)(3) organization (tax exemption #928; EIN 51-0209843). The organization exists for the sole purpose of providing for the needs of the poor through its various programs.

The story of the Ministry of Caring begins in 1976, when Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap., a young Capuchin Franciscan friar, was sent by his order to Wilmington, Delaware. It took little time for Brother Ronald to notice the absence of services for the citys poor and homeless. The lack of emergency shelters for homeless and destitute women deeply disturbed him. The loneliness and hunger of the poorest of the poor in a country of plenty appalled him. As his indignation rose, so did his passion to alleviate poverty in his new city. His lifes work now identified, he promptly set out on his mission to assure that in Wilmington, the poor should never be treated poorly.

With no formal skills in business, Brother Ronald managed nevertheless, in a remarkably short period of time, to obtain funds for the first emergency shelter for homeless women in Wilmington. Next, he enlisted the help of committed religious orders and volunteers and on October 7, 1977, he opened the shelter which he named Mary Mother of Hope House.

Named for the humble Nobel Peace Prize-winning missionary whom Ministry of Caring founder and executive director Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap. had the privilege of meeting, opened in 2011 to bring affordable independent housing with supportive services to low-income men and women disabled by HIV/AIDS. Mother Teresa House Inc., a separate corporation, expands the service to persons living with AIDS by creating an independent housing component for those who do not require medical care. This program will work side-by-side with House of Joseph II.

Brother Ronald Giannone is a Capuchin Franciscan friar, whose religious order has worked for over eight centuries among the poorest of the worlds poor in imitation of its founder, St. Francis of Assisi.

In 1976, after serving poor senior citizens in New York, feeding the hungry at a monastery in Indiana and helping the rural poor in Sussex County, New Jersey, Brother Ronald was assigned to the St. Francis Renewal Center in Wilmington, Delaware. In his new city, the absence of services for the poor, especially for homeless women, deeply troubled him. Soon, he found his true vocation on the streets of Wilmington. Hence, the Ministry of Caring was born. Since 1977, he has served as the executive director.

Brother Ronald began his work by opening an emergency shelter for homeless women. Next came a dining room for the hungry. A second dining room was followed by a transitional residence for single women and a job placement centerall for the poor of Wilmington. Today, the Ministry of Caring consists of a network of 19 programs that form a continuum of care for the poor and homeless throughout the city. Besides providing the poor with needed shelter, the Ministry of Caring, under Brother Ronalds guidance, helps them to become self-sufficient with support services.

Still, Brother Ronalds work is not finished. He continues to galvanize support from staff, corporations, government, foundations, churches, synagogues, volunteers, donors and other groups and individuals. Together with him, these supporters help ensure that the Ministry of Caring continues to live by Brother Ronalds inspired conviction, the poor should never be treated poorly.

Brother Ronald has a BA in theology from St. Josephs University, a MA in theology from Villanova University, a paralegal certificate from the University of Delaware and a Doctorate in Humanities from Goldey-Beacom College.

John Bates is no stranger to caring for the vulnerable and neglected. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his passions for juvenile justice, the foster care system, alternative education for adults, and crime prevention in cities.

After graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan College with a BA in Psychology and Social Services, John began as a Program Administrator working with students with behavioral problems in Philadelphia. He worked for the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families for seventeen years, supervising and managing foster care programs, and served on the board of State Foster Care Managers. John has also served as the director of Bancroft Vocational Day Program for Autistic Adults in Mullica, New Jersey. He founded a nonprofit called We are One to serve boys from single-mother households and provide them with adult male role models.

[Coming to MOC was] a great opportunity. says John. It is right in line with what I do, serving those not often thought of: the vulnerable in society. Im excited to move the mission forward. I think my entire career has prepared me for right here, right now.

Chaz has his roots right here in Wilmington as a Salesianum graduate. He attended Villanova as an Economy major in their Business school, and a History major in their liberal arts school. During his undergrad years, Chaz served as an Intern to the Executive Director at the Ministrys old Church Street location, where he learned the ins and outs of how MOC works. Chaz shadowed Brother Ronald everywhere from construction sites to management team meetings. He got to review grants, write pieces for Yo Wazzup, send out emails, and much more, which gave him his first taste of the nonprofit world.

After attending Notre Dames law school, Chaz returned to Wilmington to join Prickett, Jones, & Elliott Law Firm where he served as a corporate litigator. He worked in the Court of Chancery for two years before Brother Ronald offered him the Deputy Director of Administration position in early 2018. Chaz jumped at the chance. According to him, he saw this job as an opportunity to combine his background, tools, and skills to pursue his passion: working to alleviate poverty. Chaz has always been interested in combating the systemic challenges that people from low-income backgrounds face in the city of Wilmington.

Day to day, Chaz sees his role as the hinge between administration and programs. Along with Deputy Director of Programs John Bates, Chaz handles the behind-the-scenes work of supporting MOCs programs and staff. He works with grants, contract and finance compliance, and does some of the legal work required to keep the Ministry running. So far, his favorite part of his work is the diverse human interaction he has every day. He meets with clients, staff, people from the mayors office, and so many more, which has given him a broad picture of how the city of Wilmington works. He admits that the biggest challenge to the job is being agile, able to move and address issues quickly in this fast-paced, people-oriented environment. But according to him, that makes his days interesting and fun.