2001 Lenten Wish List
Salvatorian Mission Warehouse
For nearly 40 years, Br. Regis Fust, SDS, and his hundreds of
volunteers have been shipping tons of aid to missionaries around
the globe. While most items are donated by companies across the
country, shipping costs run into the thousands of dollars. A
container that arrived in El Salvador on Feb. 26, with 225,220
pounds of food and health supplies, cost $4,000 to ship.
In February alone, the Mission Warehouse sent supplies to
Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Bolivia,
Panama and Paraguay. In the aftermath of earthquakes in El
Salvador, the Mission Warehouse has been sending weekly
shipments.
Most of the supplies are food and medicine, but Br. Regis says it
depends on needs. One shipment to El Salvador contained
sweatshirts. "When somebody has no home to live in," says Br.
Regis, "that's nice, warm nighttime cover."
When asked what the Mission Warehouse most needs, Br. Regis
succintly answers: "Money."
There is no government aid for shipping costs. Sometimes supplies
shipped through New Holstein are the only supplies missionaries
receive. Br. Regis just received a photograph from a Guatemalan
missionary of a couple - both HIV positive - holding a case of
Similac for their baby, standing by two more cases of Ensure for
themselves. "It won't save their lives," Br. Regis says of the
couple, "but it'll keep them going until that baby is a bit older
and stronger."
Call Br. Regis at (920)898-5898 or mail donations to Salvatorian
Mission Warehouse, New Holstein, 53601. Fax: (920)898-4736
AVAIL, Antigo
AVAIL (Advocates for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Abuse in
Langlade County), Inc. offers free services and shelter to
victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Services include
counseling, support groups, emergency shelter and a 24-hour
crisis line for women and children. They provide direct services
to 1,000 adults and 100 children a year, as well as additional
education activities. Many of their clients are women and
children fleeing abusive situations who need immediate safety.
The shelter needs to purchase an alarm system which would link
the shelter directly to local law enforcement, but the system
costs thousands of dollars. For information, call Carrie Kubacki
at at (715)623-5177.
Horizon Adult Day Care, Antigo
This day care facility provides activities and companionship in a
safe, structured environment designed for seniors in the Langlade
County area. "We serve adults with memory loss, learning
disablities and those who have physical limitations," said
director Jenny Renfro. The center needs a lift chair so
participants can move around with more independence. They would
also appreciate a sewing machine, since some of the seniors like
to do handcrafts. Call Jenny Renfro at (715)627-0657.
Pioneer Village, Appleton
Want to help veterans? Pioneer Haven provides assisted living and
vocational rehabilitation for veterans of all ages. They have 24
residents. Their big wish is a Christmas tree with decorations.
They would also like weight sets, a dart board, a foosball table
and board games for recreation. They also need microwave-safe
dishes, resealable plastic containers, socks and t-shirts. Call
Mark Giacomin at (920)734-3609.
Villa Phoenix, Appleton
This transitional living facility provides a home for people with
mental illness, developmental disabilities or chemical
dependency. Up to 17 residents can live there at a time. Villa
Phoenix also provides support services, information and referral
for others. An average of 40 people find temporary shelter here
each year while they learn to return to independent living.
Director Steve Hinton says that they need a new computer to help
them with record-keeping and a variety of reports, including
monthly progress reports on residents. Call him at (920)731-1316.
Bridge-Between, Denmark
This rural retreat ministry of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
serves 4,900 people each year, an increase of nearly 50% in less
than two years. People of all religious faiths are welcome to
study, pray and share meals at this converted farm. The retreat
center helps fund its services through an organic farm and the
sale of homemade goods such as jams and bread. They need new
carpeting for the chapel where guests gather for twice-daily
prayer. Also they need a copy machine for brochures and
newsletters. Currently, they travel 40 miles to get copies made.
They also need a replacement lawn mower/snowblower to keep the
long farm driveway and yards clear. Call Diane Eparvier at
(920)864-7230.
Fox Valley Jail Ministries
This ecumenical effort provides religious ministry and counseling
to over 500 jail inmates and jail staff each year. Those
imprisoned in local jails are often the most forgotten of
prisoners serving in temporary facilities with few resources.
Many are young, first-time offenders, who may be held in the jail
for up to a year. Chaplain Fred Sowatzka said they need a
portable CD player for their music ministry. Call Sowatzka at
(920)832-4747.
House of Hope, Green Bay
This cooperative project of the Salvation Army and the St.
Vincent de Paul Society in Green Bay provides housing for
pregnant teens and single mothers, ages 18-21, and their babies.
They can live at the House of Hope for as long as they need.
While there, staff teaches young women the basic social skills
needed to live independently as a single parent.
They need a new electric stove and washer and dryer to replace
current aged and unreliable appliances. They do a lot of cooking
and laundry with their current nine residents. To help, contact
Monica Zindler, director, at (920)884-0233.
Wellspring, Green Bay
This "ministry of presence" to women is a cooperative effort by
the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross at Bay Settlement,
the Salvation Army and the Fort Howard/Jefferson Neighborhood
Family Resource Center. This house of hospitality and
spirituality located in downtown Green Bay offers support to
about 140 women a month. These women are lonely, of various
faiths and ethnic backgrounds "who lack spiritual, financial or
strong support services," said Sr. Fran Bangert. They need a
small CD/tape player stereo. They'd also like to replace their
"old unpredictable microwave" and upright vacuum with
attachments. Also they could use donations for bus tokens, craft
supplies and paper products. Call Sr. Bangert at (920)497-8734.
Elizabeth Ministries
Elizabeth Ministries, started at St. Bernard Parish in Appleton
to help new parents, has spread worldwide with an array of
information, activities and support networks. Local parish
chapters provide volunteer mentors and resources to women and
families during the joys, challenges and sorrows of bringing new
life into the world," says founder Jeannie Hannemann. She says
they want to develop a website and need someone to help them with
it. They also need financial backing to fund free distribution of
booklets, such as the recent "Mourning a Miscarriage" for women.
Monetary donations may be sent to Catholic Social Services -
Elizabeth Ministries Fund, P.O. Box 1506, Green Bay, WI 54305. To
help with the website or for more information, call Jeannie
Hannemann at (920)766-9380.
Holiday House, Manitowoc
Help others learn to help themselves. For over 40 years, Holiday
House has provided employment and housing for persons with
disabilities through work services, community employment services
and residential services. They work with 224 individuals. Thomas
Keil says the program could use two 25-inch televisions with VCRs
and wall mounts to provide educational programs and training
tapes for the clients and staff. Call Keil at (920)682-4663.
Clothes Closet, Menasha
Community Clothes Closet provides clothing and household items to
needy families in the Fox Valley. "We are really a local
'mission', providing a service to poor families," said executive
director Jennifer Wanke. "We help thousands of people each
month."
Needy families, many of whom work at low-income jobs, are
referred by service agencies. These include local clergy and
domestic abuse shelters. Since its founding in 1980, the Clothes
Closet has distributed over 2 million items. Wanke said they
always need clothing for infants and toddlers, as well as
blankets, bedding and towels. Most of all, though, they need
donations of cash, which is their only source of income.
"Without financial support," Wanke said, "we would be unable to
continue our vital programs." Contact her at (920)731-7834.
Mount Tabor, Menasha
Mt. Tabor offers retreats to everyone, but their focus is youth.
Over 2,000 young people have had retreats here. The majority of
retreats focus on confirmation candidates.
Mount Tabor is conducting an "adopt a bedroom" program to update
their 32 bedrooms. They need new rugs, curtains, mattresses,
towels, bedding and paint. "To have all our rooms updated and
comfortable is at the top of our list," says director Sr. Mary Jo
Kirt. "People can be very impressionable, especially our youth.
We don't want them to have a great retreat, but leave talking
about the gloomy rooms." Groups or individuals wanting to adopt
one or more rooms should call Theresa Collier at (920)722-8918.
St. Anthony Community Center, Neopit
The community center at St. Anthony's is a joint venture of the
parish and the Menominee Tribe. It serves as a site for religious
education programs to 60 students, for wedding and funeral
dinners and for parish wake services. The center is paid for, but
funds ran out before a parking lot could be black-topped. Sr.
Stephanie Spence, pastoral associate, is worried about spring.
"It'll be mud, mud, mud, since it's located at the bottom of the
hill." The parish, located in the northwest corner of the
Menominee reservation, has 300 members, most of whom are Native
American. Sr. Spence says the parish is located in the more
economically depressed area of the reservation. To make donations
to the blacktop fund, call Sr. Spence at (715)756-2361.
Oshkosh Prison Chaplain
Sr. Susan Clark, SSND, is a chaplain at Oshkosh's medium security
correctional institution, serving about 1,900 men. She provides a
variety of spiritual programs and materials for religious groups
in the prison, including Bible study. Sr. Clark requests cassette
players with headphones (not recorders) and "value-based,
Christian oriented videos" and Christian music tapes. She would
also like to have large print Bibles and concordances and recent,
updated Catholic reading materials.
"We try to provide the men with whatever means may be helpful to
them in transforming their lives," Sr. Clark said. "The old
saying, 'We are what we eat' is the focus. So we focus on
improving the quality of what is taken in (eaten) to feed the
greater potential within." Call her at (920)231-4010, ext. 2171.
Fr. Carr's Place 2B, Oshkosh
For nearly 27 years, Fr. Marty Carr has woven a web of services
for the less fortunate of Oshkosh. The threads of that web
include a soup kitchen, food pantry, domestic violence shelter,
and a Christian coffee house.
Now he is building the 82-room Bethlehem Inn for anyone in need.
He hopes to find 82 groups or churches to each paint and furnish
a room. That includes carpet, bedding, lamps and bookcase.
Fr. Carr would also like live-in volunteers at the inn, as well
as "people praying for us."
Besides Bethlehem Inn, Fr. Carr runs the Place 2B, a youth
drop-in center and gym, and St. Francis Free Walk-In Clinic for
the uninsured and underinsured. Call Fr. Carr at (920)231-2378.
Labor of Love, Oshkosh
This maternity home for women in crisis pregnancies opened five
years ago. They have room for four residents at a time, about 10
per year. Additionally, they serve about 100 women on an
out-patient basis. Director Burdean Schultz says that, because
they have only one staff person in the house at a time, they
could use a cordless phone with a built-in answering machine. The
donated phone they have now doesn't have much range or volume.
"If we had a newer cordless phone," said Schultz, "we would not
miss or have to return so many calls."s
They would also enjoy canned fruit. "We received lots of
vegetables for Christmas, but no fruit," Schultz said. "The
residents (young pregnant women) love it!"
Call Schultz at (920)231-6006.
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