Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
What is the best-kept secret in Warsaw? Many people drive past it every day. There is no advertising for it and its existence is known solely by word of mouth. Give up? The big secret is Our Father's House, at 2234 E. Center St.
Our Father's House is a non-denominational charity that feeds the homeless as well as those who can't afford the food they need to survive.
Former restaurant manager and Warsaw resident Roz Morgan is the founder and director of Our Father's House, which opened in November 1997.
"I'm a working administrator, which means I clean toilets," Morgan said jokingly.
"Our Father's House is dedicated to serving the needs of the poor as a right rather than a privilege," Morgan said.
She also said she and other volunteers have approached the service as a journey into understanding what poverty really is.
"There are so many people in this community that have incredible hearts," Morgan said.
Two of those people donate their time to Our Father's House and have done so since it first opened.
Marve Neder, a retired teacher, and Violet Oest have worked at Our Father's House for almost three years.
"I thought I used to get a lot of self-satisfaction out of teaching," Neder said, "but it doesn't even come close to the self-satisfaction I get working here. It's wonderful. I love every minute of it."
Oest encouraged and pushed Morgan to open the charity.
"She (Oest) is the reason this place sits on this corner today," Morgan said.
Morgan wanted to help people in need. She wanted to be a good neighbor in the community.
"This charity is set up so that a family can visit on a weekly basis," Morgan said.
Morgan said she was amazed at the amount of food that was wasted every day in the restaurant business.
"I thought something could be done with this stuff," she said.
"The difference with Our Father's House, is Our Father's House is kind of like being able to go home," Morgan said. "If you need a loaf of bread to get through the week, that does not make you poverty stricken, it just means you need a little help, and that's what Our Father's House is all about."
Morgan said the charity is called Our Father's House "because it is founded in the truest appreciation for Matthew 25: 'That what you do to the least of my brethren you have done unto me.'
"Whatever the underlying cause, we at Our Father's House have been blessed to witness to what the willing can do," Morgan said.
Morgan has discovered that Warsaw has many "willing."
"We are grateful to this community because that's all we are - just a neighbor down the road," Morgan said.
Many restaurants and individuals donate leftover food, clothes, furniture and time.
"We'll even pick up a leftover garage sale," Morgan said.
"We have seen restaurants, institutions and food service companies contribute goods that have started turning things around."
For January, Our Father's House gave out 79,000 meals, 28,800 loaves of bread, 2,102 dozen diapers, 237,600 containers of milk, 4,992 dozen eggs, 1,246 pounds of baby formula and $8,720.71 in free clothing and merchandise.
"What a wonderful community we live in that can do this much with so little," Morgan said.
"The Scriptures tell us that you cannot give enough away and that God will provide. We have seen it, we believe it and we are blessed to have been part of it," Morgan said.
She believes people need to get back to the basics: "Be a good neighbor to each other."
The charity is funded solely by the thrift shop in the top floor of their building.
Those who purchase items, drop off items to sell and donate their time help keep Our Father's House running.
Warsaw resident Ann Sharra is one of those volunteers. Sharra donates some of her time helping with food drives.
"It's just a wonderful effort and it just keeps growing," Sharra said of the charity. "It's incredible what this one-woman dream has done. She's [Morgan] a saint among us and nobody ever hears about it."
This "best kept secret" reportedly has had a record year of providing for people in the community.
"We are grateful for your prayerful support, all the left-overs from your church sales, from your church dinners, but most of all, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve," Morgan said.
Our Father's House is supported largely by the community. Morgan said food service businesses donate leftover food and community residents bring canned foods and clothing for the thrift store.
"Most of what we get is actually cooked food," Morgan said.
Area businesses and service organizations donate cooked food, fresh fruits and vegetables, and equipment.
"This is charity as it was intended to be," Morgan said. "We are not federally funded here; we are not a United Way agency.
"I think this is how we were supposed to have done it a long time ago," Morgan said. "People here have made a personal commitment."
Our Father's House is "this community making the statement that we are going to be the poster people for recycling. No more! This is not junk; this is survival," Morgan said.
Morgan said she was told when she first tried to open Our Father's House that there were laws against donating food because of liability.
"That's not true. Indiana has state legislation protecting the donator who is donating food to a 501(c)3 corporation with the express purpose of donating food to the needy and the hungry," Morgan said.
"And on top of that, there's federal legislation called the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act that protects us," Morgan said.
Morgan also is working to open a shelter for women called Mary's House in Pierceton.
Mary's House is scheduled to open within the next few weeks and will be run with volunteer help.
Warsaw's best kept secret is also a good neighbor.
For more information, contact Morgan at 268-1800.
