We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Michelle, a CMC volunteer who will be taking on the role of writing our monthly Volunteer Spotlights going forward! Michelle has been involved at the Catherine McAuley Center for close to two years, primarily helping with the food pantry and the lengthy process of moving into our new building this past year.

“For the last year or so, I have mainly been transporting food from HACAP to the CMC building to stock the food pantry, but that was put on hold due to COVID earlier this year,” Michelle said. “I enjoy having a chance to interact with the staff, and I helped during the move to the new facility by power washing the building, washing windows and cleaning the kitchen.”

Michelle initially became familiar with the Catherine McAuley Center when she wrote an article about it around the time of its founding in 1989. “I first heard of CMC back in 1989, when they first opened,” Michelle explained, “I wrote an article about the Center for a local publication called Today’s Woman. Joyce Klimek was the Director at the time, and it made the front page of the paper.”  (You can view the original story here!)

Years later, when Michelle’s schedule had more flexibility for volunteering, and she was looking for a way to get involved in her community, the Catherine McAuley Center came to mind.

“I was drawn to CMC for several reasons – the first is because of their association with the Sisters of Mercy, and the fact that the organization is named after the Sisters’ founder, Catherine McAuley,” Michelle said, “I was also drawn to it because of my prior experience writing about the Center when it opened and because the mission of helping women resonates deeply with me.”

Michelle has developed a unique perspective after seeing CMC move from the original location on 10th St SE to our second location at 4th Ave SE, and now to our current location, which is the largest yet. She has witnessed the growth and the consistent dedication of CMC staff to their mission and vision of an inclusive community that serves those who need it most.

Michelle’s writing skills paired with her involvement with the Center and long-time understanding of CMC’s history, mission, and work in Eastern Iowa made her a natural fit to approach when staff were exploring a new volunteer need.

Through volunteering, Michelle enjoys meeting people who are like-minded and service-oriented, and it gives her a chance to focus on caring for others’ needs. In her new role, Michelle looks forward to getting to know more of CMC’s volunteer community. She says “taking on this new responsibility will certainly be a memorable highlight” of her service.