Category: Pantry Volunteers

I have been a volunteer at the pantry for about 10 years. I’m a member of St. Norbert College Parish. I sing in the choir and I am active in a number of parish ministries. I was born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and graduated from St. Norbert College and never left the area. I live in Ashwaubenon. I have one son. Brian and his wife, Candace, have two daughters: Madalyn, 14, finishing eighth grade and Alisha, 12, finishing sixth grade. They live in Kernersville, North Carolina.

Career in Accounting Education

My profession was accounting and income tax, but my career was 30 years of teaching in the Accounting Program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. I still work during the income tax season, even though I have been retired from teaching since 2010.

Embroidery, Biking & Traveling

I am a member of the Green Bay Area Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America and enjoy a variety of embroidery forms. I enjoy biking. I have an e-bike, and that helps keep me confident that I can go the distance! I enjoy traveling to North Carolina and just about anywhere. In October 2022, I spent two weeks in the Holy Land and just recently returned from Zambia, Africa.

Being a Pantry Volunteer is a Blessing

I look forward to my time at the Hope Center Pantry each month, and I loved working with all the volunteers organizing the food from the recent food drives. It’s a blessing to be a part of an organization that is making a difference in the lives of people in our community.

Schedule a Pantry Volunteer Visit Today

Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How You Can Help information to learn more. Volunteers provide an essential service to those in need in the Green Bay area. Thank you, Rita, and all of the volunteers at Hope Center Pantry.

Hope Center Pantry volunteers make a lasting impact by feeding the hungry in Brown County, Wisconsin. The pantry offers many different ways to volunteer. Here’s a good example. Cathy Harrison is not your typical volunteer at the Hope Center Pantry. She started about 10 years ago sorting, packing, and distributing food to the needy but now works behind the scenes. She spends her volunteer time on a computer.

Tracking Food & Monetary Donations

Cathy documents the client activity to track how many people Hope Center Pantry helps and the impact the pantry makes. This is critical to ensure that benefactors and organizations providing grants continue to contribute food, money, and time. As a result, Hope Center Pantry can assist more people.

Volunteering for Food Drives

Cathy and her husband, Tom, also pitch in when Hope Center Pantry needs extra help. For example, the annual Boy Scout food drive, Scouting for Food, brings in four pallets of food donations for Hope Center Pantry alone. Hope Center Pantry needs extra volunteers to process the nonperishable food donations from annual food drives.

“It’s a great feeling to help people in need and to do something worthwhile,” Cathy said. “Food is a basic necessity, and the need keeps growing, especially now that everything is getting more expensive. I chose to volunteer at Hope Center Pantry because it’s in my community, and I can see the immediate impact.”

Making Friends, Building Community

Cathy has met a lot of kind people by volunteering for Hope Center Pantry. Volunteers from seven Catholic parishes on the West Side of Green Bay support the pantry’s day-to-day operations. The seven parishes are the Quad Parishes of Annunciation, St. Joseph, and St. Jude, along with Nativity of Our Lord, St. Agnes, St. Patrick, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. However, volunteers are not required to be a member of one of these Catholic parishes.

Making a Lasting Impact

Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How You Help information to learn more. Volunteers provide an essential service to those in need in the Green Bay area. Thank you, Cathy, Tom, and all of the volunteers at Hope Center Pantry.

Originally published by Decided Excellence Catholic Media in Green Bay Parish Neighbors

Article by Joan Koehne | Photo by Timothy Mayer Artworks

Sixteen months is a long time to be unemployed, especially if you have a baby on the way. That’s the scary predicament that John and Lynne Tennie faced 35 years ago. Lynne, a teacher, resigned to stay at home with the baby at the same time that John quit his job, thinking the next job was just around the corner. Little did they know that a recession was going to hit at the same time. The experience taught them an important life lesson.

“Pray, pray, pray and trust, trust, trust in God and his mercy and graces,” Lynne said. John finally found work managing Walgreens stores, a career that took the family to several different cities in Wisconsin. 

“This experience taught us that a house is not a home, money does not sustain you, and miracles are everywhere,” Lynne said.

In every city where they lived, John and Lynne Tennie sought out a Catholic church to worship in. 

“The parishes offered us community as well as ways to deepen our faith,” Lynne said. The Tennies have been parishioners at Catholic churches in Combined Locks, Fond du lac, Medford, and Waupaca. 

“Whether hosting a RENEW group, teaching a preschool religious education class, or exploring God’s word through scripture studies, we would feel a calling to help, share and belong,” Lynne said.

The last four years, the Tennies have been members of Nativity of Our Lord Parish where they team-teach a Confirmation class of 14 spirit-filled youth.

“Nativity Parish is a vibrant parish with many activities and outreach opportunities to be a part of.  John and I really like the openness of the parish and the way they emulate Jesus’ mission of loving others,” Lynne said.

Married for 42 years, the Tennies met at UW-Oshkosh. They were both in the same Speech class, and even though they commuted to college from different communities, they kept bumping into each other.

“We both loved to dance, which drew us to each other. We kept showing up at the same dance clubs,” Lynne said.  

Lynne, a Menasha native, graduated with bachelor degrees in Art Education and Spanish Education. John, who attended Greenville and Hortonville schools, earned a Business Administration degree with an emphasis in marketing.

Lynne taught high school Spanish and Art in Wild Rose, elementary and middle school Spanish at Holy Family School, and recently retired after 11 years teaching Spanish at Chappell Elementary School. John worked for K Mart, Hartford Insurance, and Walgreens, retiring after 35 years with the company.

The Tennies have four grown children and five grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, biking, and spending time with their family. Lynne loves to paint, draw and do crafts, while John loves professional sports (especially the Packers) fishing, camping and yard work.

John and Lynne volunteer at the Hope Center Pantry, NEW Community Shelter, and Chappell Elementary School, where they help first-grade and second-grade students with reading and math. They serve on the Cystic Fibrosis Walk committee in Green Bay and volunteer for events like the Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack and Make a Difference Day.

The saint they try to emulate is Mother Teresa because they are inspired by her love for others and these simple words: “Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.”

In the Tennie household, mealtime always begins with prayer.

“We pray a mealtime prayer together at every meal to remind ourselves of the wonderful gifts God has given us. It seems like a simple thing to do, but it helps us sit down together as a family and treasure this time together,” Lynne said.

Gratefulness flows through their lives, and they encourage others to recognize God’s many blessings.

“Life is a journey,” Lynne said. “Do not spend it with a monetary goal in mind or cultural riches. Accumulate graces that will build you up and help you be the person God wants you to be. We were made for heaven – not for this earth”

Hope Center Pantry volunteers make a lasting impact by feeding the hungry in Brown County, Wisconsin. The pantry offers many different ways to volunteer. Here’s Chris Kalishek’s story of his life adventures that includes volunteering at our food pantry.

By Chris Kalishek, Hope Center Food Pantry Volunteer

I have been volunteering at the St. Patrick’s Food Pantry (now Hope Center Food Pantry) for about six years and really enjoy the nice people I work with. They are all great folks.

Early Years and Educational Pursuits

I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and we moved to Green Bay in 1963. I went to Jackson Elementary School, Franklin Middle School and then graduated from West High School. After high school, I attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and then transferred to their new campus in Prescott, Arizona, where I earned an Associate Degree in Aeronautical Science.

Adventures in Aviation and a Passion for Sailing

I went back to school at UW-Green Bay and was working on my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry while working full time at the airport. I worked at Green Bay Aviation on the flight line, refueling airplanes. One of the perks of the job was a great discount on renting airplanes. So, I was flying a lot and earned my Commercial/Instrument pilot license.

I also got involved with the university sailing team and was teaching sailing at the UW-Green Bay sailing center. I raced sailboats on the Great Lakes as a crew member of the Fancy Free, a 39 ft. racing boat. I had the opportunity to compete five times in the annual Chicago/Mackinac yacht race where we set a record one year having made the 300-mile trip in just 27 hours.

Working with Hazelton Laboratories and Hewlett-Packard

After I graduated from UW-Green Bay with a degree in Chemistry, I took my first job in Madison at Hazelton Laboratories where I specialized in Environmental Chemistry. My next job was with Hewlett-Packard as an Engineer for their Scientific Instrument division. There I received training in electronic repair as well as computer programming and repair. I travelled all over the world with Hewlett-Packard and enjoyed 27 years working for that great company.

Organizing Vintage Scooters Rallies

While employed with Hewlett-Packard, I started a vintage scooter club in Madison and held annual rallies that grew every year. The last one had over 100 vintage Vespa meter scooters. I wrote articles for the European Scootering magazine where my club was featured. I also got a free subscription to the magazine.

Taking Flight in an Antique Airplane

I bought my first airplane, a 1946 Luscombe model 8A, and had the adventure of a lifetime flying it home from Manitoba, Canada. That was a 1,500-mile trip in winter in my antique airplane with no radios and a compass that didn’t read correctly. At the private airport where I kept the Luscombe, the hangar next door had a Sonerai racing plane. Because there was no door on the building, I would see the little airplane every time I was at the airport but had never met the owner.

The next summer, I flew my airplane to the EAA air show and camped out for a week under the wing. While watching the daily air show, a man came up to me and introduced himself. It was the owner of the little racing airplane. We talked for a while and then he informed me that there was a Sonerai 1 race plane for sale but I only had a few days to make the deal happen.

Formula V Air Thrilling Racing Career

Anyway, that was how I got into Formula V Air Racing and started flying in air shows around the country. I had a short but successful racing career being the first “rookie” to get a first-place victory on my very first race. I’m also only the second person to survive a mid-air collision in an air race. The only other person to survive was Astronaut “Hoot” Gibson. I built another racer but was never successful in getting the racing going again. I still fly whenever possible and I’m always looking for my next airplane. But in the meantime, I bought and restored a 1978 Triumph Spitfire sports car and I drive it as much as I can to all the car shows in the Green Bay area.  

Join Chris as a Food Pantry Volunteer Today

Volunteers provide an essential community service by feeding the hungry in the Green Bay area of Northeast Wisconsin. Thank you, Carol, and all of the volunteers at Hope Center Pantry. Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How You Can Help information to learn more.

Originally published by Decided Excellence Catholic Media in Green Bay Parish Neighbors

Article by Joan Koehne | Photo by Timothy Mayer Artworks

Thirty-five years ago, Nancy and John Selinsky prayed for a miracle. Their son, Nick, was born prematurely at 30 weeks. His lungs hadn’t fully formed, so the doctors didn’t give the family much hope. So, Nancy sought help from the Lord by praying the St. Theresa Novena taught to her by her mother.

“St. Theresa is known for answering prayers with what I call ‘the sign of the rose.’ When St. Theresa intercedes for you, you will see a rose in an unusual place,” Nancy said. This is exactly what happened. As Nancy and John left the hospital and crossed the street, John noticed a small plastic rose with a little rosebud attached.

“There’s your rose,” he said to Nancy.

“I still have it and keep it with Nick’s baptismal gown,” Nancy said. “Within days his lungs improved, and he was out of the hospital in a month.”

Nancy and John belong to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish where they both sing in the adult choir. Their son, Nick, also sings in the choir, and daughter, Chelsea, sang in the choir until conflicts arose with her nursing schedule.

“Music at Mass is very important to me,” Nancy said. “At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, we’re blessed to have an awesome young lady, Maria Hinnendael, as our choir director, several wonderful pianists, cantors with amazing voices, and choirs that always do a marvelous job helping the congregation praise God.”

In fact, music is what brought the Selinskys into the parish. John’s brother, Ed, was leading the adult choir in 1994, and John and Nancy decided to attend Sunday Mass before a family get-together.

“The music was so awesome that we became members the following week. We’ve been members ever since,” Nancy said. “No matter what Mass you attend, the music is always amazing.”

In addition to participating in music ministry, Nancy volunteers at the Hope Center Food Pantry, collaboratively operated by several West Side parishes, including St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

“I’m glad we’re able to offer food to people in the area that don’t have the money to shop and buy things the way I wish everyone could,” Nancy said. “It’s eye opening to see the needy people in the Green Bay area.”

John grew up in Green Bay and graduated from Premontre High School, while Nancy grew up in Manitowoc, attended St. Andrew’s through eighth grade and graduated from Roncalli High School. John and Nancy met at a bar called Little Chicago Inn and were married in 1976 at St. Paul’s Church in Manitowoc. Both of their dads worked for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.

“From the beginning, it felt like we were meant to be together. And it still feels that way,” Nancy said.

Nancy attended Bellin Hospital School for Laboratory Technique and worked in various medical clinics, most recently a cancer clinic. She retired six years ago. John worked as a service rep for Paper Converting Machine Company in Ashwaubenon. He traveled the world setting up new paper converting machines or repairing old ones.

John and Nancy spend their mornings working out. They like to run, use the elliptical machine, lift weights at the YMCA, or participate in Nancy’s sister’s Zoom exercise class. Nancy also enjoys golfing, reading, attending concerts, cooking, and playing with their grandson, Eli, 3.

“And don’t let me fool you. I also like sitting with my feet up reading the paper and watching TV,” she said.

Nancy is a self-proclaimed cat person, so the family always has a cat. The family’s first and second cats each lived 14 years. They were orange tiger cats, and both were named Herbie.

“Our current cat is also an orange tiger, but female, so no Herbie. Her name is Candy Girl, named after the Four Seasons song,” Nancy said.

The Selinsky family motto is simple – the golden rule. Treat others as you would like them to treat you.

Like all families, the Selinskys have faced their share of challenges in life.

“My faith helps me through all the trials of daily life, from which no one is immune. Whenever I feel like I need help, I say a prayer for direction, and my prayers have never been ignored,” Nancy said.

Like that day 35 years ago, John and Nancy continue to place their trust in the Lord.

“I wonder how we’d make it without our faith in God,” Nancy said.

Originally published by Decided Excellence Catholic Media in Green Bay Parish Neighbors

Article by Joan Koehne | Photo by Timothy Mayer Artworks

A North Dakota blizzard brought them together in 1977, and Janice and Chris Clemens have been weathering life’s storms together ever since. Janice and Chris were students at North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton, ND when classes were cancelled due to a snowstorm. Chris and a buddy were visiting a friend in Janice’s dorm, and Chris accidentaly ran into Janice in the hallway. The rest is history! They married in 1980 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bismarck.

“Through the years we’ve had people tell us that we are so lucky or that we are perfect. We laugh and tell them this couldn’t be further from the truth. We’ve had our share of difficulties and challenges,” Janice said. “But in our marriage, communication is everything. We talk through the things that we’re facing and pray about it. This helps us turn it over to God and do our best to work towards a positive outcome.”

Janice and Chris, now in their 60s, grew up in North Dakota. Janice earned an associate degree in computer programming and made her career in Information Technology (IT). She retired from Humana three years ago. Chris earned an associate degree in mechanical drafting and worked for McMahon Associates of Neenah doing civil drafting and IT support. He semi-retired two years ago. The Clemens are spending their retirement years giving back to the community. As members of Nativity of our Lord Parish since 1988, the Clemens share their time and talents in a variety of ways.

“If there is something that we can do to help someone out, we don’t hesitate to act on it, no matter how big or small. We try to show by our actions what it means to be a Christian,” Janice said. “It’s easy for us to do this when we have faith that the Holy Spirit will guide us along the way.”

At Nativity of Our Lord, the Clemens are a FOCCUS couple for engaged couples and directors of the Hope Center Pantry. Janice was a Eucharistic minister and choir member, and Chris is a Knights of Columbus member and Grass Buster, doing lawn and grounds maintenance. They deliver Homebound Meals weekly, and Janice teaches card-making classes and Healthy Living with Diabetes workshops. She also volunteers for the Ashwaubenon Parent & Preschool Learning program, Cormier School, St. John’s Homeless Shelter, and Junior Achievement. Previously, the couple was active in the religious education and confirmation programs. Janice sang in the Humana Christmas choir and served on Nativity’s Youth Board and Freedom House homeless shelter board.

“There are always new things that we can challenge ourselves to be involved in. And every time we do, the people are so welcoming and willing to show us the ropes. We seem to always end up getting way more out of it than we anticipated,” Chris said.

When hockey season starts, the Clemens house Green Bay Gamblers hockey players and serve as amateur photographers at the team’s home games.

The Clemens have two daughters, Jessie (Tim) Brovold and Kristen (Greg) Frie and five grandchildren, ages 9-14. Early on, they taught their daughters the importance of giving back.

“We taught them that the world does not revolve around them. Starting at age 8, they were required to pick something at church that they could volunteer at,” Janice said. “Even as adults today, they don’t hesitate to get involved wherever their talents are needed both at church and in their community. We are so proud to see these values now being passed down to our grandchildren.”

The Clemens enjoy biking, walking, and hiking. In addition to their shared hobbies, each has a favorite interest. Janice is in her glory when she’s in the kitchen.

“I love to share the deliciousness that I create with as many as possible,” she said. Chris is a jack-of-all-trades who likes to landscape.

“My passion is working out in my yard, especially splitting daylilies to share with others,” Chris said.

Faith is the compass that keeps them on the right path. Their favorite prayer is the Prayer of Surrender which expresses trust in the Lord’s incredible plan.

“We try to minimize the amount of worrying we do so that we don’t get overwhelmed,” Janice said. “We know that God will be there to walk beside us through whatever He sends our way.”

Hope Center Pantry volunteers make a lasting impact by feeding the hungry in Brown County, Wisconsin. The pantry offers many different ways to volunteer. Here’s Allan Callahan’s story of volunteering at our food pantry.

By Alan Callahan, Hope Center Pantry Volunteer

My name is Allan Callahan. It is my responsibility, along with Chuck Jolly, to pick up meat and food products from Feeding America’s drop-off point and deliver it back to St Patrick’s Pantry (now Hope Center Pantry).

Childhood Memories of St. Patrick’s

I’d like to tell you how Chuck and I got involved with the food pantry in Green Bay. I was a student at St. Patrick’s from third grade through eighth grade and have many good memories of that time, especially the sweet roll Fridays! I was also a paper boy during my grade school years, and that’s where I met Bev and Ray Kocha who lived just a few blocks from our house.

Volunteering and Making Connections

I attended Premontre High School and after graduation, I joined the Air Force for four years. When I returned home, I joined the Legion of Mary at St. Pat’s, and we visited patients in the hospitals. It was there that I met a young teacher also doing volunteer work, Donna Kessler.

Retirement Leads to a Volunteer Opportunity

Later, after I retired in 2008, I was to run into Ray Kocha and Donna again. My home parish now is St. Norbert College Parish, and after I retired, I was looking for a volunteer opportunity. There was a notice in our church bulletin asking for help at the pantry. When I stopped by the pantry, there was Donna – the in-charge lady! And Ray was making the food run to Feeding America, at that time located near Omro, and bringing it back to the pantry. Ray had been making the food fun for years and was ready to retire. So, I took over his job. After a couple years, Feeding America started delivering to a drop-off spot in Green Bay, making our job easier.

Positive Transformations at the Food Pantry

Chuck Jolly was a member of St. Agnes Parish and after he retired, he too responded to a notice in the church bulletin. We have a great working relationship and always find enough to talk about! Both of us have seen many changes at the food pantry over the years, and they have all been positive ones.

Building Relationships with Fellow Volunteers

Probably the most important part of this experience for me has been getting to meet and know other volunteers, all from a variety of local Catholic parishes. And Chris and Janice, the new in-charge people, are great people to work with.

Become a Food Pantry Volunteer Today

Volunteers provide an essential community service by feeding the hungry in the Green Bay area of in Northeast Wisconsin. Thank you, Al, and all of the volunteers at Hope Center Pantry. Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How You Can Help information to learn more.

Hope Center Pantry volunteers make a lasting impact by feeding the hungry in Brown County, Wisconsin. The pantry offers many different ways to volunteer. Here’s Carol Ewing’s story of a friendship that led to over 20 years of food pantry volunteerism.

By Carol Ewing, Hope Center Food Pantry Volunteer
Donna Kessler (manager of St. Patrick’s Pantry and Hope Center Pantry from 2001-2021) and I were friends from church. We both decided to volunteer at the pantry that Sister Jean was running in the basement of the rectory at St. Patrick’s Parish 22 plus years ago. Through the years, there have been many changes at the pantry, but I always felt it was the right thing to do with my volunteer time. It still is!

Carol’s Journey: Family, Career, Retirement

My husband and I married young. We have four daughters. Sadly, I was a widow at age 54. Our daughters were all living on their own already. In my career, I worked for a trucking company as a customer service representative. I planned to retire from there, but the company went out of business. So, I went job hunting. I found a job working in customer service and accounting at a brick and tile company. I was able to retire at age 62. This allowed me and a companion to travel. I have been in all of the states except Maine and Hawaii.

A Life Well-Lived

I enjoy a healthy life. I am still able to do all the yard work including dealing with the snow in winter and keeping up a big yard in summer. I am very blessed! My daughters all live close by, so I see them all the time. I also have five grandchildren. Life is good!

Become a Food Pantry Volunteer Today

Volunteers provide an essential community service by feeding the hungry in the Green Bay area of Northeast Wisconsin. Thank you, Carol, and all of the volunteers at Hope Center Pantry. Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How You Can Help information to learn more.

Hope Center Pantry volunteers make a lasting impact by feeding the hungry in Brown County, Wisconsin. The pantry offers many different ways to volunteer. Here’s Barb and Bob Boyer’s story of volunteering at our food pantry.

By Barb Boyer, Hope Center Food Pantry Volunteer

I started working at St. Patrick’s Pantry in 1998. I feel it is so beneficial for teenagers to volunteer at the pantry. Not only is it necessary to give back, but it also helps them realize that just because a person (or family) is in need of help, it doesn’t make them any lesser. They are all such polite and good people. I am amazed that the pantry clients are always willing to help us pantry volunteers out if we are having trouble understanding what our client is trying to tell us.

I have now been at the pantry for 22 years, and it’s one of the best things I have ever done.

By Bob Boyer, Hope Center Food Pantry Volunteer

A Call to Action: Barb’s Exhaustion and My Decision to Volunteer

My wife, Barb, had been volunteering for a number of years at St. Patrick’s Food Pantry, even before she retired as a librarian at the downtown Brown County Library. One day, she came home from the pantry completely exhausted. She came into my office at home (I’m a retired English teacher from St. Norbert), dropped down on a chair and exclaimed, “We had 55 people at the pantry!” I was concerned at how tired she was and immediately said, “I’m going with you next time to see what’s what,” as though I would have some solution. Or maybe I could help to lighten her load.

How Speaking Spanish Became a Valuable Asset at the Pantry

I did go with Barb that next time, 15 or so years ago, and every time after that until now. What happened was my speaking Spanish. At that time, there were a considerable number of recent Hispanic immigrants coming to the pantry. I had a reasonable conversational ability in Spanish that came in handy that day, especially with new visitors to the pantry, signing them up and then getting their particular requests. At the end of the day, Pantry Manager Donna Kessler came up to me and said, in her memorable style, “You WILL come back next time, won’t you.” Not a question.

The Companionship and Dedication of Fellow Volunteers

I may have actually decided that I would become a regular before Donna spoke to me, and for a number of reasons: the other volunteers, like Greg, a medical doctor and fellow member of St. Norbert College Parish who spent his free days helping Donna “in the back” to sort out and organize what had been donated. And like the two elderly women volunteers I met that first time who helped with interviewing clients and packing boxes. When they told me they were 83 years old, I let escape a “wow.” I was probably 70 at the time. And, of course, like Margaret, our fellow “Third-Thursday volunteer,” whose sense of humor and fun still keeps us smiling.

Cultivating an Inclusive Environment at the Pantry

Most of all what persuaded me to “come back next time” were the people (‘our clients’) who came to the pantry in need of some help over a bump in the road. They impressed me in any number of ways. They were grateful. I recall the middle-aged Hispanic gentleman who looked at me quite startled and exclaimed, in Spanish, “You actually SPEAK Spanish.” They were cooperative and helpful with one another. They always knew and religiously respected “who was next in line,” especially when we lost track because of the considerable numbers. There was a steep set of stairs that clients had to navigate entering and leaving. Often, they helped each other carrying boxes up the steps. And when my Spanish faltered on occasions, other Hispanics helped out with translation. The same help ethic has prevailed with other newcomers to the pantry, with the arrival Hmong, and more recently, Somalis.

The Power of Community That Keeps Volunteers Coming Back

Clearly what has kept me coming “the next time” (I’m now a year older than the two ladies I met my first time at the pantry) is the extraordinary sense of community that prevails at the pantry.

Volunteers provide an essential community service by feeding the hungry in the Green Bay area of Northeast Wisconsin. Thank you, Barb and Bob, and all of the volunteers at Hope Center Pantry. Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How You Can Help information to learn more.

Originally published by Decided Excellence Catholic Media in Green Bay Parish Neighbors

Article by Joan Koehne | Photo by Timothy Mayer Artworks

The Mark and Kim Thiry family lives an ordinary life. Nothing unusual. Nothing fancy.

Mark does property management and is the owner of Handy Daddy, LLC. Kim works as a nurse practitioner at Prevea in Family Practice and Ideal Weigh. The couple has three children, Hannah, 18, Sam, 16, and Eli, 14. They have a 5-pound Yorkie named Jackson. 

“We do not have the perfect marriage, the perfect children, or the perfect family,” Kim said.

The Thirys, who belong to Nativity Parish, are so “ordinary” that they felt unworthy to be featured in Parish Neighbors. So why are you reading about this ordinary family? Because of their extraordinary faith.

“When we were asked to do so, we felt the Holy Spirit calling us to be an example to others,” Kim said.

What looks ordinary on the outside is beautiful and profound on the inside.

“We rely on God every moment of every day to help us grow in His virtues, love each other in the way that He loves us, forgive when we have been hurt, and learn how to be a servant to one another,” Kim said.’

The family thanks God for every blessing, even the little blessings that often go unnoticed.

“Our favorite prayer is about thanking God for everything ‘ordinary’ in our life, being content with the gifts that He has given us and allowing His light to shine through that ordinariness,” Kim said.  

Kim and Mark met in 2000 while participating in a young adult group at Nativity Parish. Kim was planning to join the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in Manitowoc. Mark was attending Silver Lake College with dreams of being a hospital chaplain. Neither of these vocations panned out; God led them in a different direction. They were married in 2002 at Nativity Parish, where Mark has been a member since 1987.

But a happy marriage isn’t as easy as it looks, and the Thirys struggled.

“God helped us in our unhappy marriage by blessing us with friends who encouraged us to go to a Retrouvaille weekend,” Kim said.

Catholic in origin, Retrouvaille is a marriage program that helps couples restore their marriages. The program helps couples reconnect with each other and rebuild loving relationships by improving communication. Mark and Kim are CORE coordinators for the Green Bay area and Upper Michigan.

They are also actively involved in Nativity parish. Mark and Hannah teach religious education. Hannah, Sam, and Eli are altar servers and volunteer at Camp Tekakwitha. Hannah is involved with the youth group at church and attended CYE (Catholic Youth Expedition) and the Steubenville Youth Conference. Sam and Eli sell Christmas trees at Nativity and enjoy playing soccer. Eli also loves skating. 

The family enjoys camping, hiking, and connecting with friends over homemade pizzas and campfires. They also enjoy attending Lifest, an annual Christian music festival held in Oshkosh. They hosted an exchange student from Spain for a summer and love to

travel as a family to visit friends that live far away. They also remain close to the friends they have made at Nativity.

“We value the relationships that have grown from being a part of the faith community at Nativity, such as finding holy godparents for our children,” Kim said.

The Thirys gained inspiration from Kim’s Grandpa George, who lived to be 99½ and Mark’s Grandma Viola, who lived to age 91.

Both of George’s parents were deaf, and George lost a son at age 9 to leukemia and a daughter at age 18 in a car accident. Viola was 11 when her mother died during childbirth, and Viola was14 when she got married. Besides having seven of her own children, including a 3-year-old who died of pneumonia, Viola took in other children in the poor community where they lived.

“In spite of all their hardships in life, they remained faithful until they passed from this life,” Kim said. It’s just another example of ordinary people living lives of extraordinary faith.