Pam Boshers

Text version of Pam Boshers' keynote remarks

My name is Pam Boshers and I am Assistant Director of Nutrition Services at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan, Inc. in Southern Illinois.
As a member of our Mission Team Spirit Committee, I feel Blessed not only by the opportunity to serve others in our organization and community, but also by the little miracles that I get to experience along the way.

I would like to share one such miracle that occurred during our Caring Tree for Children program in December of 2005. The program lets hospital employees extend their generosity at Christmas by providing presents to children whose families are experiencing financial difficulties. A Christmas Tree with paper ornaments is placed in our cafeteria. Each ornament describes a child.

While it’s mainly for hospital staff, visitors sometimes take ornaments from the tree and bring back gifts for the children.

One afternoon shortly before Chrismas in 2005, I was summoned to the cafeteria by one of the kitchen employees. I was greeted by a man, woman, and two teenage children whom I had never met before. They did not appear to be employees of the hospital. Each was holding a bag filled with items. The man asked me if I was the person to give their gifts to for the needy children, and I responded, “I am”.

As humans, we tend to judge others based on appearances. Based on this family’s appearance, I expected them to ask for help from our program. The man explained that his family had been very much in need last Christmas and had been blessed by help from others. This year, he said, he had noticed our Christmas Tree with the little paper ornaments. He had approached the tree to read the sign and was deeply touched. He wanted to help, so he and his family had bought gifts, which they held out to me. I was speechless (a rare occurrence) and deeply touched by their generosity. They were giving from their heart!

This story touches my heart just as does the story of Mother Odilia and the other sisters who at times were not sure where their next meal would come from. Instead of refusing others in need, Mother Odilia uttered without hesitation, “Give the poor man what he asks…The Lord will provide for us”.

I feel so honored to have the opportunity to serve in a manner that reveals the healing presence of God. And as Sr. Mary Clara proclaimed with such vibrant passion, so too do I: “What a blessing it is to serve those in need!”