Janice Roche and Susan Poole, parishioners at St. Barnabas, whose volunteer work has supported recent arrivals to the Chicago region.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta famously said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.” For Janice Roche and Susan Poole, the “small” person-to-person work they have done during the migrant crisis has welcomed, with great love and acceptance, hundreds of people starting their lives in America.

Responding to the needs of neighbors

In June 2023, Janice, a retired Chicago police officer, Vincentian, and long-time Catholic Charities volunteer, and her husband, Bill Flamm, a deacon at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago, were asked to provide Holy Communion to migrants staying at the 7th District Police Station in Englewood. Both are trained Eucharistic Ministers.

“We were asked to pray with them and lead Communion services, but we could see that so many of them didn’t even have shoes,” Janice said.

Fellow Vincentian and St. Barnabas parishioner, Susan Poole, accompanied the couple that day and was also shocked and moved by the situation. From that day on, the two women responded to the call to address the multitude of needs of recent arrivals.

“Seeing the children is the hardest,” said Susan. “There have been so many children without shoes or clean diapers or proper clothing. But none of the adults have anything either. Literally, nothing. The needs are so great.”

Working as partners in mission

Janice and Susan spread the word within their parish and local community about the needs of recent arrivals, prompting an influx of donations into their homes: air beds, blankets, clothing, shoes, personal care items, coats, and more. “It’s quite a task sorting through it all,” Susan said,“but every item finds its purpose.”

When they started running out of space for sorting, organizing, and storage, they turned to Catholic Charities and secured much-needed additional space as a hub for their operations at a local Catholic Charities office. A natural partnership formed.

For six months, from June 2023 until December 2023, when the last migrants were moved out of the police station, Janice and Susan kept up a furious pace, receiving constant donations and making trips to the police station multiple times per week.

“We’d get a call that a new busload of people had arrived, and my first question would always be, ‘Do they have shoes?’ and the answer was usually, ‘No’,” Susan said. “Shoes have been a huge need. In addition to many generous donors, Brother Rice High School collected an entire classroom full of athletic shoes for us and we distributed every usable pair!”

Brittany McGhee, Senior Director of Mission Engagement for Catholic Charities, said she is constantly inspired by our parish partners and volunteers who embody joyful generosity in the face of need across communities served by Catholic Charities.

“Living out our mission at Catholic Charities is not possible without partners. We are all called, together, to give freely of our time and talents, and to exchange symbols of hope — we all need it,” she said. “Our partners know firsthand, that in these exchanges, healing transpires.”

Welcome, prayer, accompaniment

While ministering to the recent arrivals’ material needs, Susan, Janice, and Janice’s husband, Bill, also pray for and with them. They continue to lead Communion services for those who desire them.

Janice and Susan said it wasn’t necessarily their intention to become so involved with this ministry, but they both felt compelled by the Holy Spirit.

“We just keep following the needs and letting the Holy Spirit lead us,” Janice said. “We are just the hands.”

Since the migrants have been moved out of police stations and into shelters, Janice and Susan’s ministry has evolved to assisting individual families, working in tandem with our Catholic Charities team. They have helped families furnish apartments, provided seasonal clothing, and gathered basic essentials such as diapers and formula as the families get settled and seek employment opportunities.

“Janice and Susan and volunteer ground ministries like theirs are so important,” said Christopher Torres, Director, Catholic Charities. “Not only are they providing crucial assistance, but the one-on-one touches make an enormous difference in people’s lives. They are welcoming people, not processing people. Being welcomed by a fellow human being affirms one’s worth and gives that person great dignity.”

Contact [email protected] for information on volunteer opportunities with Catholic Charities.