FARRELL Prince of Peace retains community-focused mission

The service agency has a core group of 200 community volunteers.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
FARRELL, Pa. -- Sister Benita Repasky wrote that a rainbow appeared as she drove up to the St. Paul Multi-Service Center on April 1, 1983, to launch what is today known as the Prince of Peace Center.
It appeared to be a divine sign that the calling the 68-year-old Sister of St. Joseph had heard nearly a decade before to minister in the Farrell/Sharon area was her true destiny.
Sister Benita's first ministry was to a woman with three children in need of food and clothing. Shortly thereafter, she opened a food pantry and a clothing store in the center.
Prince of Peace has come a long way since then, but remains true to its mission to strengthen the family, build community and reduce poverty, said Sister Clare Marie Beichner, director since 1993. She had been recruited by Sister Benita to work at the center two years earlier, and Sister Benita retired in 1995 and died in 1999.
"Prince of Peace has evolved," Sister Clare Marie said, noting that, although the staff has grown, the center has always relied on "community folks" to make its programs work.
Sister Benita would share her vision and mission with everyone she met, and people always responded, Sister Clare Marie said.
Family support
Much of the early focus was on emergency needs, but there has always been an emphasis on helping the whole person as well, and that led to development of family support service programs, she said.
Sister Benita started out alone, working with a couple of volunteers. Today, the center, located in its own two-story building at 502 Darr Ave., has a staff of 17 full- and part-time employees and a regular group of 200 volunteers, said Joe Flecher, who handles development, volunteers and outreach.
Prince of Peace is a United Way agency and an arm of Catholic Charities, but its volunteers represent "a real diverse ecumenical group," Flecher said, noting the number swells when help is needed for special projects.
The center runs a thrift store, although it gives away 70 percent of what it takes in. Store revenue is channeled into emergency services, Flecher said.
It runs an emergency assistance counseling service that can provide help with budget and income management and even assistance in paying utilities.
It's also an advocacy group, serving as a voice and support group for low-income people.
Special programs
The Prince of Peace Soup Kitchen Ministry, assisted by more than a dozen church and community groups working on a rotating basis, serves meals every Monday and Wednesday, providing more than 12,000 meals a year.
The center also runs a food pantry, providing food bags twice a month to more than 1,100 income-eligible families in 2002.
The Hope Advocacy program was added in 1995 as a way to help low-income families become more self-sufficient. It's a case management program targeting 30 families at a time, focusing on advocacy, life-skills education and parenting skills.
Project Ruth, transitional housing for homeless women with or without children, was launched in 1999 and can serve eight clients at a time, offering housing, life-skills education and supportive case management.
The center runs special seasonal programs as well, distributing thousands of donated toys at Christmas, toys and stuffed animals at Easter and Valentine's Day, blankets, hats and gloves through its Warmth Project, school supplies in its Back To School program, and new and used books for children visiting the soup kitchen and food programs.
It even runs a Community Garden project, providing 10 plots for families to use.
Expanding vision
The late Otis Whitman, a key volunteer in the center's early days, died in 1994, but his daughter, Carolyn Harris of Sharon, carries on his legacy.
He was one of the reasons she took a job at the center eight years ago. She is the thrift store coordinator today.
"It's grown very much," Harris said. "I watched it grow from the beginning with Sister Benita and my father."
The vision keeps growing and expanding as demand for service increases, said Lisa McCoy of Hermitage, family case manager for the Hope Advocacy program.
Working with people is a Christ-filled mission, McCoy said, adding she had no idea of the scope of Prince of Peace work until she joined the agency five years ago.
"I feel that I was placed here," said Phyllis Gallant of Sharpsville, Hope Advocacy coordinator and an employee for eight years. She said she responded to an obscure ad in the newspaper without knowing anything about the center.
"What keeps me here is the mission," Gallant said.
Vera Green of Farrell isn't a paid employee but has worked at Prince of Peace as a volunteer for 18 years. She runs the cash register in the thrift store.
Green said she first came to the center to get a food bag, and Sister Benita told her that someone was needed to work for a couple of hours.
"It turned into 18 years," Green said, adding, "I enjoy every minute of it. We're just like one big family. I've made a lot of friends."