News

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"TWO RETIREES HONORED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE"

Reprinted from the Catholic Voice, Volume 41 Number 13
Diocese of Oakland
July 7, 2003

Written By Sharon Abercrombie, staff writer

The Catholic Community of Pleasanton has given its Rich Agular Social Justice Advocate Award to two men who are spending their retirement years volunteering with the St. Vincent De Paul Society and helping addicts to receive long-term residential treatment care.

Brian O'Reily of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Livermore and Richard "Rich" Malone of St. Raymond Parish in Dublin received their award last month. They included $500 for the justice organization of each awardee's choice. O'Reily was recognized commitment to hunger and housing issues, and Malone for his prison ministry at Santa Rita Jail.

The Catholic Community of Pleasanton initiated the award in1989 to honor individuals who tirelessly champion social justice causes. In 1995, the award was dedicated to the late Rick Aguiar, the first chair of the award committee and an advocate for many social justice issues, including affordable housing.

"Tireless" is an apt description for both of this year's awardees.

Brian O'Reily inherited the trait from hi smother, who was a community activist in Dublin, Ireland. In 1962. O'Reily joined Viatores Christi, a lay volunteer movement in Ireland .Individuals who affiliate with the organization find jobs to support themselves while they are helping the poor.
O'Reily went to Lima Peru, but because he could not speak Spanish, initially had a hard time lining up work. He eventually found a job as a parts checker for General Motors plant. The experience he says "helped me to understand the problem immigrants have when they come to the United States" 
The following year after contracting an eye infection the Lima doctors were unable to treat, he moved to Manhattan to receive medical care.

O'Reily said he really felt like and immigrant in New York. "I didn't know a soul. I rented a room with a kitchen privileges for $12 a week, delivered diapers, sold vacuum cleaners and tended bar. "The call to volunteer once again was strong so he linked up with the Legion of Mary and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The latter organizations sent him to the Manhattan House of Detention to do prison ministry. That was his first experience with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the United States. It was not to be his last.

O'Reily eventually found a good job as a claims adjuster for an insurance company, which transferred him to Sacramento. Several years later, O'Reily and his family relocated to Livermore, where he eventually joined Safeway as a claims adjuster, working there until his retirement. As soon as he moved to Livermore, O'Reily began volunteering in the St, Vincent de Paul Society's Oakland Soup Kitchen. From there he gradually moved into his present volunteer slot of collecting donated food from super market donations, which he delivers to several food pantries throughout the East Bay.

Last year, O'Reily racked up over 8,000 driving miles during his food deliveries.

Between trips he directs a group of volunteer who cooks at a homeless shelter from December through March. 

O'Reily also serves on the grant awarding committee of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at Catholic Charities of the East Bay, and is active in the Tri-Valley Poverty Forum a group which focuses on affordable housing He has been known to carry sleeping bags in his car to give to someone in need, said Helen Wirtenson and Bonnie Wilson, members of the Aguiar award nominating committee at the Catholic Community in Pleasanton. They noted Brian does all this (work) with such a spirit that he inspires those around him. We can't think of a more deserving person for this award.

O'Reily said he was a little nervous about all the publicity. I feel awkward with all this attention on myself. The outside of the award, however is making the St. Vincent de Paul ministry known to a whole bunch of people. He believes a lot of them would love to help out, but they've never been asked. 

Once they accept an invitation, though newcomers will quickly discover that volunteering with the Society can make such "a difference in the lives of the poor."

Rich Malone knows what it is to make a difference. Six years ago, after attending a Cursillo weekend. Malone realized it was time to go give something back to his community. His kids were grown. He had grandchildren. And he had retired.

So he began volunteering with St. Raymond Parish's prison ministry group at Alameda County Jail - Santa Rita. Malone learned that 20 percent of the 3,000 inmates who pass in and out of those cell doors each month are homeless. "That's 600 people with no place to go except back to the street.

There was more bad news, as well. The majority of Santa Rita inmates were addicts who were being rejailed because residential treatment centers were few and far between in the Bay Area. "So no wonder 80 percent of them come back to jail" he said.

Malone spent the next two and half years talking to the Sheriff's office, probation departments and welfare agencies searching for ideas on how to get these people some help.

Deacon Ned Quigley, now a chaplain at Avenal State Prison and a former parishioner at the Catholic Community of Pleasanton introduced Malone to Mike Shinkel, director of the Solidarity Fellowship program. Shinkel, a Catholic, founded Solidarity 20 years ago to help individuals attain sobriety and move into productive lives. It sponsors 43 residences for men and 15 for women, ten of which also make space for the clients' children.

Solidarity has a three point program for addicts - recovery from substance abuse, taking responsibility for finding and holding down a job and continuing their educations.

Solidarity clients must attend 90 AA or NA meetings in 90 days, and work the AA 12 Step Program.

After visiting one of Shinkel's homes, Malone recognized that Solidarity was just the program Santa Rita inmates needed. "At first I didn't believe this guy was not real. Here he was living in a basement of a ranch style home, with 12 clients upstairs in the house.

Malone learned that Solidarity is funded almost entirely by clients paying room and board. It accepts no funds from government agencies. The minimum stay is six months, and clients remain for anywhere from nine to eighteen months.

Rich Malone was impressed by this information. Since then, for the past three years he has interviewed over 100 potential Solidarity candidates per month at Santa Rita spending 45 minutes on each initial conversation. To date, Malone has placed over 425 men and women in the Solidarity Fellowship Program. The success rate is between 40 -45 percent, a high figure for this type of program, said Malone. In many other programs the recovery rate is 20 percent. Malone attributes Solidarity's success to the staff's dedication. "They treat people like human beings, and do everything in their power to help them succeed".

Malone recently recruited three volunteers, who help interview inmates, act as liaisons between the court systems and Solidarity and transport new clients from jail to their recovery program.

Because of Malone's ongoing work Alameda judges and public defenders have been strong Solidarity supporters, said George Fargis, a member of the Catholic Community of Pleasanton and Malone's nominator.

They like Solidarity because residences are located away from urban centers, have an above average success rate, and do not have the long five to sixth month waiting period other treatment center have. Solidarity director Mike Shinkel explains that he has about 20 percent of people graduating from his program each month, so there is space for new clients.

Both St. Raymond's and Catholic Community of Pleasanton have donated clothing and toiletries for the clients and made financial contributions to pay the initial room and board until clients are working and can afford the monthly $700 fee.

Malone has helped Shinkel get financing for a Solidarity house in Livermore. After seven banks refused to finance the venture Malone approached the local St. Vincent de Paul chapter. They loaned Shinkel $40,000 for a down payment. Since then the Society has agreed to finance a second Livermore house.

According to Fargis, "Rich has helped make it possible for alcoholics and drug addicts to change their lives and become productive members of society. I have had occasion to evaluate many charitable programs over the years and met anyone who has contributed so selfishly of his time and energy and had the impact that Rich Malone has".