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| Retired Nurse Finds Good Fit in Volunteer PositionIrene O’Ryan answered the call for volunteers in her parish bulletin one Sunday, and she continues to serve 10 years later.
The announcement at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church asked for volunteers at a new emergency shelter for families opening in Maplewood.
“I thought, ‘Hey, that looks like a good fit for me,’ and it was,” Irene says. “I was a Public Health Nurse before I retired. I worked a lot with homeless and emergency shelters. I was one of two nurses who set up the clinic at the first Dorothy Day Center. I’ve had an interest in this issue for quite a while.”
Irene used her background and her interest to help families experiencing homelessness at the Family Service Center, a Catholic Charities shelter run through a contract with Ramsey County.
Now, she volunteers every Friday morning, helping at the front desk and the computer lab.
“I like seeing the residents being able to access housing and looking for jobs in the computer lab. My favorite part is being with people, and I like the babies.” Irene, a grandmother of 22 and great-grandmother of three, says she doesn’t like to be idle. Her parish sewing group knits, sews and donates baby clothes to Birthright and Catholic Charities. She also delivers Meals on Wheels.
For ten years, she’s shown real commitment to the families she meets at the Family Service Center.
“I love hearing afterward of people who’ve gone on to find housing and are successful,” she says. “It’s a great feeling.”Have you considered volunteering? View opportunities with Catholic Charities. |
