With the hope of fulfilling her own personal mission statement “to build, strengthen and renew communities,” Sheila O’Gara found her niche nine years ago when she was called to Assisi House. At that time a new position—Program Director—was created, a position which consisted of overseeing both the volunteer and activity departments. Today, Sheila’s work for the retired members of the sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and her own personal mission have become one and the same.
Sheila describes her work at Assisi House as a two-pronged fork. The first prong is to serve each volunteer who comes to Assisi House to ensure that every volunteer’s skills, strengths, and abilities are matched with the needs of the facility. When she first came to Assisi House, one of her first tasks was to develop the volunteer program. In 1999 there was a core group of twenty volunteers. Within six months, Sheila implemented a volunteer application process, established an orientation program for new volunteers, and created a volunteer handbook. Today the volunteer community at Assisi House is thriving and expanding with more than sixty volunteers.
The second prong of Sheila’s work is to serve the activity staff—the “hands on” people who run the different programs, activities and trips for the sisters at Assisi House. Her main focus there is to make sure that her staff has everything they need to do their jobs well. Together, the staff and volunteers work to provide an excellent quality of life for the retired Sisters of St. Francis. The motto of the department is:
“Activity’s purpose is not to kill time, but to make time live;
Not to keep a person occupied, but to keep him/her refreshed;
Not to offer an escape from life, but to provide a discovery of life.”
Anonymous
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Sheila's daughters, Tara and Erin |
But Sheila’s greatest life accomplishment—and pride and joy of her heart—are her two beautiful daughters, Erin and Tara. Whether it’s shopping for prom dresses or having a “virtual” cup of coffee via phone, Sheila loves spending time with her daughters.
Erin, her oldest, studied abroad in Valencia, Spain, for six months and graduated with honors from Rutger’s University with a degree in foreign languages. Erin now lives and works in Manhattan. She is also a gifted artist, whose award-winning pencil sketching “Instruments of Art” was first displayed in the Pentagon. (An award she won during her senior year of high school.) Today “Instruments of Art” is hanging in Sheila’s office at Assisi House.
Tara, her youngest, has always enjoyed volunteering. From helping in the Physical Therapy Department at Assisi House for the past five years, to answering the call to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Tara has always enjoyed giving back to her community. She’s also a gifted singer and actress and has performed in many shows with Center Stage Productions at Neumann College. Tara graduated high school in the Spring of 2008, and attends Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.
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Sr. Elsa Vasquez and Sheila |
