Mary Larsen is my next door neighbor and what a neighbor to have.

Mary Larsen is my next door neighbor and what a neighbor to have. Mary was my 2nd grade teacher many years ago. So when I moved to Morgan after being married in 1960 I was glad to know someone in town from my earlier years. I always knew she was a good person but after she came to Morgan she showed her true self to many others. This special service actually began when her son Joe brought home dented canned goods from his high school job at the grocery in Redwood Falls. She would give away what they couldn't use. The "food shelf" grew naturally as the couple learned of more people in need and as word spread about that kind family on Fergus Ave. providing help without prying or passing judgment. The program kicked into high gear in the 1980s especially when the program affiliated with the Twin Cities branch of Second Harvest, the national food bank that distributes surplus food to agencies for redistribution to the needy. "The WE CARE program, however, is much more than a food shelf," says Father Wyffels, pastor at St.Michaels Church, which provides the program with its insurance and tax exempt status. "Mary does a lot of listening." There is always a steady stream of telephone calls and knocks on the door, conveying tale after tale of need. Many agencies around the area send clients to We Care because they're tied up in red tape over how often a client can be served, and because they know that people get hungry more than three times a year. "We fill in the gaps that the other organizations can't fill" says Mary.
The program distributes an average of 13,000 pounds of food a month; serving as many as 200 families. There are many individual stories I could tell you, but will keep this brief and as short as possible. She says "I get tired sometimes, but who doesn't." She found a Chinese proverb that explains her mission better than I can. It says: "If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a yer, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody." This is Mary Larsen & her family of helpers for sure.

- Jerilyn Forbrook, Wayne's Inc.
Morgan, Minnesota