Isse puts on his new socks after having his feet washed by Mary Jo. |
Of all the services offered at Sharing and Caring Hands,
foot washing is the most unique. Washing others’ feet is
directly related to Mary Jo’s faith. It is her most tangible
way to care for the poor. Twice a day four people are
chosen to have their feet soak for 30-minutes in warm
soapy water before Mary Jo comes to wash them. Today
is Isse’s turn. Mary Jo comes up to him, gets down on
her hands and knees and takes his feet out of the tub
where they have been soaking. She dries them off and
tenderly rubs them with ointment.
She leans about six inches away from his foot and says,
"Your feet are bad. You must have done a lot of walking
on those. I'm sorry." Despite the commotion in the
room, the moment feels very personal and private. Once
finished, Mary Jo gives him a new pair of white socks
and bus fare. He thanks her and slowly puts on his worn
shoes. Mary Jo then moves on to the next feet, those of a
young woman, seven months pregnant and crying. Mary
Jo tells her not to worry, "I will take care of you once the
baby is born." |
Leroy Henry is cleaning up the kitchen after preparing the morning meal. |
Many of the staff members and volunteers are former
recipients of Sharing and Caring Hands’ services. Leroy
Henry used to be homeless, but 20 years ago Mary Jo
helped him get back on track. Now he runs the kitchen.
He speaks with first-hand knowledge about life on the
streets, “If it wasn’t for [Mary Jo], this city would be in
serious trouble.”
Sharing and Caring Hands has over 1,000 dedicated
volunteers including Gene Arend who is on her 21st year
with the organization. Volunteer Beverly Van Lith says,
“You can’t find a place where you go home and feel so
good about what you’ve done during the day.”
Bob Meyers drives 120 miles from northern Minnesota
every Wednesday and Thursday to volunteer. After
volunteering for 20 years Carol Halloran states,
“[I can] serve the poor in a way that [I] see counts. We’re
cooking, we’re serving food and we’re listening to people.
Hopefully we’re making a difference in a small way.” |
There are three Sharing and Caring Hands buildings within a one block radius. The shoe room in the main building is
full of donated shoes of every size. |
The second building is called Mary's place. The laundry
facilities accommodate the tenants' needs. |
In the evenings, Rob Wills, a manager at the teen center, enjoys playing pool with the teenagers. "It is a safe place for them,"
he says. "You try to plant good seeds in these kids. If one can make it, it is all worth it." The teen center, which is the third
Sharing and Caring Hands building, is open every day after school. |
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