Spring 2009 - Glenmary Challenge

‘…I must say that most of us would be happy to see a Glenmarian in every county in Mississippi.’Collaborative outreach: Ecumenical or mission-based outreachprograms like thrift stores, food pantries or food programs,like this one that served the hungry in Ripley, Miss., have alwaysbeen part of Glenmary’s missionary presence. Sister Kate Reganis the pastoral coordinator of the Glenmary mission in Ripley thathelped support the Good Samaritan Cafe. poor and unfortunate.” AllGlenmary outreach programshave two things in common:they are designed to be collaborativeand the ultimate goal isfor the outreach programs toeventually be taken over by thelocal communities.Glenmary resources—bothfinancial and personnel—havealways been invested in effortslike setting up food pantries andthrift shop, endeavors which requirelittle overhead. But moremultifaceted, larger social outreachprograms—ones that addressissues related to housing,health care, child care, servicesto people with disabilities andthe elderly—require largeramounts of financial support.In the early 1970s, Glenmary’soutreach efforts receiveda financial shot in the arm fromthe sale of the original Headquartersbuilding and relatedproperty in Glendale, Ohio, asuburb of Cincinnati.The Apostolic Project Fundwas created with a portion ofthe proceeds from the sale. Themoney in the fund was designated“for aiding the poor and furtheringthe work of the Churchin areas where Glenmary missionersare working.” And therewas no shortage of places wherethe funds could be used.Father Pete saw many problemsin Dahlonega in 1973besides the substandardhousing. “I learned a lot ofpeople in the county weremissing medical appointmentsbecause they didn’t have transportation,”Father Pete says. “Sowe came up with the idea for‘Dial-A-Bus.’”A $10,000 grant from theApostolic Project Fund wasmatched with cash and in-kinddonations to buy a van to transportpeople in Lumpkin County.10 Glenmary Challenge Spring 2009 www.glenmary.orgphoto / glenmary archivesDial-A-Bus is still among thepublic transportation listings inGeorgia today.During that same time period,Father John Garvey was servingas pastor of Glenmary’s Jesus OurSavior mission in Morehead, Ky.,and, like Father Pete, saw manyneeds in his six-county EasternKentucky mission area, especiallydecent housing.Tom Carew, working in thearea as a Glenmary volunteer,also saw the need and introducedthe idea of a home-buildingministry to Father John as asolution.Their efforts led to the foundingof Frontier Housing, an ecumenicallysponsored ventureunder Tom’s direction. FrontierHousing’s initial budget includedover $20,000 from Glenmaryand small grants from two Presbyteriangroups.Today, Frontier Housingserves low- and moderate-incomefolks in nine northeasternKentucky counties. It is one ofthe largest home builders in thearea, has assisted over 1,000families with housing solutionsand has built over 800 homes.Tom worked with FrontierHousing for many years and isnow the membership director ofthe Federation of AppalachianHousing Enterprises, of whichFrontier Housing is a member.He’s not the only former Glenmaryvolunteer who connectedwith a community service programbecause of a Glenmary relationship.Tom Carew’s “goodfriend, Tommy O’Brien,” has asimilar story.As a Glenmary volunteer inAndrews, N.C., in 1974, TomO’Brien was introduced to theMarble Sheltered Activity Centerby Father T.J. Meehan, a Glenmarymissioner at that time.Tom O’Brien worked two daysa week for the community-basedworkshop that provided work