Charities, churches in La Crosse work together to help city's poor

Published: 2004-05-13

LA CROSSE, Wis. (CNS) -- Since the dramatic shrinkage in governmental safety nets, people in need across America haven't always known where to go for help. But in La Crosse Rodney Loging does know where he can go for the assistance he needs. "I've been coming here for different things since January of '98", he said about St. Clare Health Mission. A counselor recommended the clinic, and the Barre Mills farmer applied to be treated there and was added to the patient list. St. Clare is a free medical clinic staffed by volunteer doctors, nurses, receptionists, pharmacists, technicians and social workers. Most of them have paying jobs with local governmental agencies or with the city's two full-service hospitals/clinics, Gundersen-Lutheran Medical Center and Franciscan-Mayo Healthcare. Sister Leclare Beres started the clinic in June 1993. The nun is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who had previously directed La Crosse's Indo-Chinese screening clinic, begun in 1984 to treat the area's Hmong community.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .