Marcus parishioner to serve two years in South America

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
June 28, 2007

MARCUS - A parishioner from Holy Name Church in Marcus will be leaving home at the end of the summer for two years of service work.

Katie Wilberding, a recent graduate of Creighton University, is currently preparing to volunteer in Georgetown, Guyana, South America through the Mercy Volunteer Corp International program. She will be there for two years without trips home.

"They have various volunteer opportunities within the United States and internationally," said Wilberding. "Georgetown is the capitol of Guyana in northern South America. It is mostly rainforest, but I will be working in the city."

She added that there are Sisters of Mercy convents within the city as well as different sites that the sisters help with including a hospital, orphanage and vocational school.

While there, Wilberding will be a counselor at the vocational school where adolescents are trained in a trade such as cooking, carpentry or construction.

"They want to place me there because my degree is in psychology," said Wilberding. "The school is for teenagers 15 to 19 who have basically failed out of the public school system."

She mentioned that as needs change, she is open to working wherever else they need her.

"All the volunteers that are there also help at the orphanage, which is the sisters' main focus, I think," said Wilberding.

She will be living with other volunteers in a flat in the city of Georgetown.

While in college, Wilberding spent a semester abroad in the Dominican Republic through a program at Creighton. This program was a mixture of taking classes, doing service and immersion experiences.

"Through this experience along with all the various issues that I am passionate about, I have decided to pursue my service career," said Wilberding. "I don't have the mentality that I am going in to go and help people and change their situation. I really am going to do my part and touch some lives and be touched at the same time - to have a mutual relationship and have them change me as much as hopefully I am able to change them."

She also sees the experience as something she will take with her for the rest of her life.

"It will make me a better mother, a better wife, a better member of society. I really think it will make a huge change," said Wilberding.

Her tentative date of departure for South America is Aug. 23. Before she leaves, Wilberding will be attending training sessions to prepare her for the experience.

"It costs approximately $12,000 per year for me to be a volunteer," said Wilberding. "This cost goes toward paying for my housing, insurance and transportation expenses. Currently, this is paid for by MVC International, however, I am trying to help defray this cost and asking those more fortunate to help me with my years of service."

Wilberding will be speaking at Masses at Holy Name in Marcus the weekend of July 7 and 8 and a collection will be taken.

She has sent letters to family and friends asking for help in raising $4,000. People can visit http://mvc.kintera.org/extendingthecircle/katiew?faf=1&e=1140511065 to make donations, find out more information about Mercy Volunteer Corps and to get updates on what is happening during Wilberding's two years of service.