Staff and volunteers continue Fr. Carr’s mission to live out Matthew’s Gospel
By Rachel Kettner | For On Mission
OSHKOSH — This year, Father Carr’s Place 2B celebrates its 50th anniversary. Founded by Fr. Martin Carr back in 1974, the same year he was ordained a priest, this life enrichment center has now served over one million souls.
What started as a hangout location for teens gradually transitioned to a ministry serving those in need. Today, with the help of many volunteers, the center provides housing, food, health care and educational programming for people in Winnebago County and the five surrounding counties.
Amid all these services, volunteers are encouraged to share their faith and incorporate Jesus’ teachings into their daily interaction with clients, said Jim Boehm, executive director.
“We don’t push Jesus on anyone, but he is always part of the conversation,” he said. “We meet people where they are. Getting people right with the Lord and turning themselves over to the Lord is a big focus here.”
Mass is offered daily at the chapel located inside the Mother Teresa Center. There are options for regular confession and praying the rosary as well.
“Many who enter our doors are hungry, in peril, scared and weathered from the elements,” Boehm said. “You can see the fear in their eyes and sometimes they don’t even know how or if they should ask for help. The first thing they need is compassion, a smile, a warm greeting. Sometimes this alone will bring tears of relief.”
The mission set by Fr. Carr when he founded the Place 2B was based on the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus instructed his followers to feed the hungry, care for the sick and welcome the stranger.
To feed the hungry, Father Carr’s Place 2B runs a food pantry. Every Friday, around 250 people come to collect groceries for the week. They are invited to come an hour early to eat breakfast and socialize. During the remainder of the week, the pantry runs a program called “Our Daily Bread” which provides a meal for the day.
Another service, focusing on healing the sick, is the St. Francis Community Free Walk-in Clinic. With the help of doctors and practitioners, the clinic provides general medical care and some specialized medicine for the uninsured and underinsured. All services are completely free. Hours vary each day to help accommodate work schedules for those who are in need of medical services.
For those looking for transitional housing, Father Carr’s Place 2B runs Bethlehem Inn. Residents must have secured steady employment and work with volunteers at the Place 2B on their physical, mental, financial and spiritual health.
“We are not a shelter,” Boehm said. “People apply to stay. If you want to live here, you have to work a full-time job and we will help manage your money and pay off debt. The average stay is three to six months, but we’ve had people stay for a year.”
The goal is for residents to leave Bethlehem Inn debt free, financially sound and ready to be on their own, he added.
All these services are only possible thanks to the help of volunteers and donors. Father Carr’s Place 2B is run entirely on private donations as they do not receive any federal funding. The Knights of Columbus, local parishes and businesses, and family donations enable the organization to continue serving the community.
The biggest factor in the success and continued impact of Father Carr’s Place 2B is volunteers. There are only two paid staff members. The other 30 to 40 people helping each day are volunteers.
Paula and Jerry Stephens, a retired couple, have been volunteers at the Place 2B for the past six years.
“We initially volunteered there because it’s part of our call as Catholics to reach out to others,” Paula said. “It’s an opportunity to meet all kinds of people. Some people are coming in because they need help. Some are coming to give. The generosity is amazing.”
Paula volunteers regularly as a receptionist and greets people as they enter the center.
“It exposes you to people who are homeless, who are hungry, who can’t afford health care,” she said. “It broadens your view of the world. Our life would be really empty without (volunteering). It’s become part of our daily lives.”
Jerry first got involved because the Place 2B needed someone to help plow snow.
“It was a really fulfilling thing to be part of something that was supporting the community,” he said. “I felt really good about doing that.”
He has since found more opportunities to volunteer. The couple goes to Mass regularly at the chapel and said they have seen their own faith grow as they serve others.
“It’s grown our faith because it has exposed us to a wide range of people that we are dealing with, the kindness of people in the community from every walk of life,” Paula said. “It’s the volunteers and their giving of their time that makes it happen. Every day. The volunteers that are here are here because they love Jesus.”
“The volunteers who help Father Carr’s live Matthew’s Gospel,” Boehm said. “They have a ‘do what it takes’ attitude. Whether it’s in the St. Francis Free Clinic, our food pantry or the Mother Teresa Center, our volunteers are instruments of Jesus’ love.”
The goal for the next 50 years of service at Father Carr’s Place 2B is to continue serving the community and providing a safe space for people in need, said Boehm.
“We want to improve options for dentistry, babysitting and child care for our residents who have to work full time,” he said. “Otherwise, our mission is to continue building on what we have here.”
If an individual or group is interested in volunteering at Father Carr’s Place 2B, visit their website at Home – Father Carr’s Place 2B (fathercarrs.org), call (920) 231-2378 or email info@fathercarrs.org.