The Franciscan Connection 2903 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 773-8485 franciscanconnection@juno.com

Volunteer Spotlight

Ask any non-profit agency who keeps them going, and you'll get the same answer: VOLUNTEERS! At the Franciscan Connection, we are no different. We rely heavily on the generosity of others to keep us running. Three dedicated ladies have helped us every week by answering phones, working on the computer, greeting clients and getting their basic information. Their help enables us to help many more people, and for that we are truly grateful. So take a look at the three ladies that keep us in business . . . Tuesdays are a busy volunteer day for us at the Connection because we get two volunteers that day. The first is MARY JANE KUBIK, whom you'll often find at our front desk. Mary Jane responded to an announcement made at her parish, St.Wenceslaus over ten years ago and has been volunteering for us ever since. Besides answering phones and greeting clients, Mary Jane also completes the bank balance and keeps the books for the Connection. She learned her skills at Famous Barr, where she worked in an office completing the budget and performing other management duties. She keeps volunteering to help other people, and because "it gives me something to do," she says with a laugh. Back to Directory

If you stop by the office on Tuesday afternoon, you'll be sure to catch our second volunteer of the day. NELDA DEVINE began volunteering 10 years ago, after Co-Founder Fr. Tom Shaughnessy invited her to join the team in 1991. She often completed home visits with Fr. Tom, going to clients' houses to meet with the families and deliver shoes. Most Tuesday afternoons you'll find her sitting at the computer, entering client histories and updates. She also handles client intakes, answers the phone (and keeps an eye on the friars so they don't make any mistakes!) She loves working at the Connection because of the interaction she is able to have with the clients and their families. Playing with children and talking with their parents is what motivates her to stay. A parishioner of St. Bernadette's, Nelda also keeps busy volunteering for the local Meals-on-Wheels program. "When I was born, God gave me a stick and told me to go out and stir it!" Famous words from MARIE MERGEL, who has been volunteering for the Franciscan Connection for nearly as long as it's been open. Co-Founder Fr. Tom Shauhnessy invited her to stop by, and she's been here ever since. Marie comes in every Thursday to answer the phone, file, set up appointments, get initial intakes (and to hassle the friars!) What keeps her here is the feeling she gets when she is able to help someone who really deserves to be helped. She tells us about a single mother of two who had no health insurance even though she was working in a local hospital. The woman got sick, fell behind on payments, and had no one to turn to for help. We were able to assist her with her utility bills and she was able to get back on her feet. Before coming to us, Marie worked 14 years at the food pantry at St. Anthony's, where she is a parishioner. She also volunteers at the Nazareth Living Center, a nursing home run by the Sisters of St. Joseph and designed for both retired sisters and lay people.