Names in the News: A Willing and Eager Lifelong Volunteer

Rose Walsh was trained, in a way, to take care of people.

Born to a father in his 50s, the 40-year Orland Park resident helped care for him when he experienced ailments. She did the same for her husband Bill until he passed away in 2003, after 46 years of marriage.

But she didn’t stop there. Walsh started cooking and serving food to the homeless at St. Blasé in Summit, and joined the St. Vincent of DePaul Society through St. Michael Parish. The Eucharist Ministers who work through St. Mike are assigned different people who’ve expressed a need or a hardship to the church, and the ministers help the callers with their troubles. They meet face to face, and the ministers continue to check on them in subsequent weeks and months to make sure they get the specific help they need, whether financial, food, clothing, or they just simply want someone to talk to.

These efforts are on top of volunteering at Orland Township since 1983.

She believes in giving hugs, and gets excited quickly when talking about all of the different local volunteer opportunities in the area.

“I have a friend who says she can’t be with people who are sick,” Walsh said. “So I tell her she’s here for another reason. Maybe you can do something else for somebody. You may not even know it. It’s there. You just have to follow it. Don’t be scared. Just go ahead and do it.”

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