"Mary Jo Copeland loves the poor unconditionally and nonjudgementally. She doesn't ask why the people are poor-she feeds them. She doesn't ask what happened to their clothes-she gives them clean clothes to wear. She soaks sore feet and puts new shoes on them. She ministers to the poor and homeless in a manner that gives dignity and restores self-esteem." Donald Fraser, mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota, used these words to describe Copeland, founder of Sharing and Caring Hands, an organization whose goal is aiding the poor and the homeless. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Copeland worked for Catholic Charities to help the poor and underprivileged. Frustrated by what she saw as red tape and bureaucracy, she opened a shelter of her own in 1985-Sharing and Caring Hands. The center is run by volunteers; there are no paid staff. Copeland will not accept funds from government or third-party payors because of the paperwork attached to the money. She states, "I wanted all the money to go to the people. Paperwork dehumanizes the poor." The center offers a vast array of services including hot lunches; groceries; showers; foot care, hair cuts, and personal hygiene; clothing; gloves and shoes; shelter; emergency relief; travel expenses; legal services; advocacy and referrals; telephone and communication services; a medical clinic; and respite care. Copeland, mother of 12 children and advocate for thousands of needy people, believes that in the end, "we will be judged on only one thing, the extent of our love for others."
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