WASHINGTON — Mary Jo Copeland, the 70-year-old founder of Sharing and Caring Hands, spends most mornings in prayer, then at her shelter helping Minneapolis’ poor and homeless get food, or beds, or glasses or bus passes, or whatever else they might need that they wouldn’t otherwise have the means to afford.
Fridays are normally Copeland’s day off. She spent this one at the White House, receiving the Citizens Medal, one of the highest civilian honors in the United States from President Barack Obama.
Obama honored Copeland and her fellow medal winners in an East Room ceremony Friday morning, inviting each on stage for a handshake, a hug and a photo. When it was Copeland’s turn, Obama draped his arm over her shoulder while a soldier read her citation.
“Driven by her faith and a fierce commitment to her community, Mary Jo Copeland has spent more than a quarter-century lifting up the undeserved,” he said. “Alongside her husband, she grew Sharing and Caring Hands from a small storefront operation in downtown Minneapolis into a charity that provides thousands of men, women and children the chance to live in health and dignity.”
That’s when Copeland, thinking of the poor and “what God’s accomplished in me,” began to cry. Obama looked down at her and briefly rested his chin on the top of her head.
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Congratulations. Your city is fortunate to have her.
ReplyDeleteThere was a bit of controversy over her when they built the new ballpark and some people thought she should move to a different neighborhood.
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