Kick off the New Year With a Vow to Volunteer
December 19, 2022
Janice Megel’s biggest fear was to be homeless.
Her father left her and her mother when she was 15. Her mother worked low-paying jobs.
They struggled.
Later in life, she said she married and worked. Now a widow without children, the Holy Trinity parishioner is still haunted by the thought that one day, she might not have a roof over her head. She knows there are people who do find themselves homeless.
And that’s why she volunteers at a unique homeless shelter called Family Promise.
“When I meet with someone at Family Promise, I just talk to them,” she said. “It’s easy for me to talk to people from all walks of life.”
Family Promise Greater Des Moines provides emergency shelter to homeless families with the help of area faith institutions. Volunteers from over a dozen congregations including Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Des Moines, Ss. John & Paul in Altoona and Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart in Ankeny provide and serve evening meals and help provide safe overnight shelter to guest families.
The organization gets results, said board member Jim McWeeny. Sixty-eight percent of the families moved into permanent or transitional housing after leaving the program last year. Sixty eight percent of the families have at least one parent employed when they leave the program.
Coming out of the pandemic, the organization is facing a dilemma. Church participation is down, a situation exacerbated by the coronavirus, McWeeny said. The organization’s volunteer pool has dwindled and longtime helpers are getting older and wearing out. Meanwhile the number of families becoming homeless and needing shelter remains large.
“The rewards (of volunteering) are that you’re helping families. You’re providing shelter for folks who are in dire straits,” said Family Promise board member David Morse. “We help people who, for the most part, are down on their luck for whatever reason. You’d be surprised how many people are a paycheck away from problems.”
Family Promise takes in up to three families at a time, provides them with care and meets their needs so they can get back on their feet. The group is looking for volunteers to help with meal preparation, transportation, staying overnight with the families and providing for some of their needs.
“I can’t give them money and I can’t cook. But my mother taught me to work. I said I could stay overnight with them,” said Megel.
She first learned of a need for Family Promise volunteers through her parish bulletin. Anyone interested in becoming involved with Family Promise can contact McWeeny at 515-223-0044 or jgmcwny@gmail.com.
“I think Family Promisse has got God watching over it,” Megel said.
Volunteering is important, she added: “I think it makes a big difference. When we die, God is going to say, ‘Did you love me and did you love your neighbor?’ “