Caring Center finds a new home at St. Paul’s

As one of several local organizations serving individuals and families in need, the Caring Center has played an important role in the Marshalltown community since its inception in 1988. Recently, it has moved to a bigger space inside of St. Paul's Episcopal Church at 201 E. Church St. with the entrance on the Second Avenue side.

The Caring Center had previously been housed out of the First Presbyterian Church at 8 W. Church St., but according to the volunteers who run it, the new home will provide much more space to show off the clothing, household items, games, books and movies they offer to families in need free of charge. One of the two co-coordinators, Karen Weltzin, said the idea originally sprung from the hard economic times of the 1980s and a desire to help those who were struggling.

Today, there is still plenty of need within Marshalltown, and the mission continues.

"We've continued to be, through the two disasters, helping the community get their bedding back and things for the emergency times, and there's many cultures arriving and we've helped them set up housing and getting supplies like pots and pans," she said.

The Caring Center runs entirely on donations and contributed items, so the new home will provide more room to showcase everything they have to offer -- the volunteers estimate they'll have three times as much space.

"It's all free. The community supports us with donations, and we turn around and give them what they need," Weltzin said.

Fellow volunteers Joan Tough and Lisa Villegas agreed that meeting the people they serve and interacting with them has been their favorite part of their involvement with The Caring Center.

"They come in here with ragged coats. The shoes are worn out, and you know you're blessing them with what free stuff we have," Tough said.

Stories of men and women who have faced great hardship and even homelessness -- they've been sleeping by the river, in semi trucks or under front porches -- have touched the volunteers and kept them steadfast in their mission to help however they can. They even have a crockpot and electric skillets to assist with cooking.

The Caring Center is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. To learn more, call Weltzin at (641) 752-7112 or Donna Patton at (641) 753-8280.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.