Connie Sommer volunteers at SAM’s House, a shelter for the homeless in Shawano.
She was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but grew up in Appleton, graduating from high school there. She worked at AAL, now Thrivent, in Appleton for a year, then part time at JC Penney and the Community Blood Center.
Connie and her husband, Harland, were married for 50 years before his death in 2002. They have four children, 17 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. After her husband’s death she did mission work three months at a time in orphanages in Haiti, Africa, South America, Mexico and the Philippines.
Sommer lives in Shawano.
Q What do you do at SAM’s House?
A “I help mostly in the kitchen helping people get breakfast and help them get ready to leave and check them out at 7:30 a.m. Once in a while I come in at 4:30 p.m. We open at 5 p.m. and people bring a meal in and I help them set up and serve. We eat with our guests. We’ve had meals brought in so much but not many have signed up for February and March. Our shift is 4:30 to 10 p.m., but I don’t stay that long.”
Q How many people are using the shelter?
A “It hasn’t been a lot of people and that’s good because there is so much for us to learn. It’s been about five to 10 people.”
Q What do you need?
A “People have been so generous. Our stockrooms are full. We can’t take any more things in for now. People don’t think we have homeless people here, but we do.”
Q How long can they stay?
A “They have to look for employment and try to better themselves. We have two paid people here, and one will help them find different agencies.”
Q Where else do you volunteer?
A “I help with the children in the nursery at Hope Community Church with dinner, clean up and organize their stock room. I help with office work every Friday putting inserts in the bulletin. I volunteer in the room with the 2-year-olds maybe three times a week in the morning.”
Q Why do you volunteer?
A “I have volunteered in different places for a long time. I’m a follower of Christ. I know He gives gifts to His children. I enjoy when I am serving people or helping people.”
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