Holy Family Warming Shelter recipient of major donation

The Rose M. Buckarma Foundation will help to ensure that Holy Family Catholic Community can serve those in need at the Holy Family Warming Shelter for many years to come.

Earlier this year, Holy Family Catholic Community received word that the Rose M. Buckarma Foundation had selected the parish as one of its beneficiaries. The foundation was created in memory of Rose Buckarma.

A lifelong resident of Fond du Lac and North Fond du Lac, Rose Buckarma attended St. Mary’s Grade School and was a member of St. Patrick’s Church. With a passion for creativity, she was the president of the Fond du Lac Miniature Club and owned the ceramic shop, The Seasons the Reason. She was married to Caral Buckarma, who preceded her in death in 2000. She passed away in 2018 at the age of 84.

In life, Rose was a supporter of multiple philanthropic causes, including the Salvation Amy of Fond du Lac and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. This generosity has continued after her death through the establishment of the Rose M. Buckarma Foundation, which has contributed to numerous causes in Fond du Lac County.

“We were greatly moved when we learned that the Rose M. Buckarma Foundation had chosen to support those in need at the Holy Family Warming Shelter,” Holy Family Catholic Community Pastor, Very Rev. Ryan J Pruess said. “Our mission as a parish and as Catholics is to live out our love for God, which calls us to love and serve one another, particularly those in need. Our Human Concerns Ministry, and the Holy Family Warming Shelter in particular, are integral to these efforts. We are humbled that the Rose M. Buckarma Foundation has entrusted us with this incredible grant to continue to do this work and carry on the legacy of giving that Rose began.”

With their support, the parish established the Holy Family Catholic Community – Human Concerns Endowment Fund. The fund will help to support the operations of the Holy Family Warming Shelter and its work to serve the most vulnerable in our area. The generous gift has been designed to ensure those cared for at the shelter will never have to go without their basic needs.

The Holy Family Warming Shelter offers up to 36 single adults a safe, warm place to sleep every night from November 1 to April 30. In the 2024-2025 season, the shelter welcomed more than 100 guests, provided 1,440 to-go meals, and served an additional 19,440 meals. Guests also can connect to local resources for assistance and utilize laundry and bathroom facilities to care for themselves.

On average, it costs more than $220,000 a year to operate the shelter when accounting for staffing and utilities. Although the gift will not cover all the shelter’s cost, the support of the Rose M. Buckarma Foundation will help to ensure that those served at the shelter will never go without their basic needs being met — and that the shelter can be sustained for many years to come.

If the Holy Family Warming Shelter would ever close, or it was no longer run by the parish, the endowment fund will then support programs and initiatives of the Human Concerns Ministry, which seeks to help those in poverty, who are hungry, and who are hurting.

“We never know what the future holds. The Holy Family Catholic Community Human Concerns Endowment Funds ensures that whatever happens, we will have the ability to continue to care for those in need, and that is such a blessing,” Holy Family Catholic Community Director of Human Concerns Erin Cobb said.

Those interested in learning more about Holy Family’s endowment opportunities are invited to visit hffdl.org/endowment