Call For Hope: History of the Poverello House

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the past 50 years, the Poverello House has been a journey of hope for those who pass through here.

"For many folks that live on the streets and have gone through that journey, you begin to lose self-worth, you begin to lose the idea that you are valuable," says Poverello House CEO Zack Darrah.

Mike McGarvin, affectionately known as "Papa Mike," wanted these people to feel loved.

In 1973, Papa Mike and his wife started handing out PB&J sandwiches to those living on the streets of Fresno.

A year later, Poverello House opened.

"Mike wasn't about creating a legacy, not at all," says former CEO Jim Connell. "It really was very simple. What do you need? What can I give you? That's all it was about."

Though he may not have intended to, Pape Mike's passion for serving others spread and has helped Poverello House grow into what it is today.

"What we were doing with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches -- now today, we provide over a million hot prepared meals to this community, three hot meals every single day throughout the year," Darrah said.

Programs have expanded to meet the needs of those eager to change their lives.

Thirty-five percent of the organization's workforce are graduates of the rehabilitation program.

Papa Mike passed in July 2017.

His wife, Mary and daughter Clare still live at the home constructed on the Poverello House campus.

"I remember Mike saying he just wanted to help people feel more human," Mary said.

"That was the worry when he passed was that possibly, we would lose that and it feels like that just hasn't happened over the last six years," Clare said. "It clearly is the love that the people in our community have is just overflowing, and so it continues to wash over the Pov even without him being here. So we're super grateful to see that going on."

Papa Mike's simple act of kindness has resonated in the hearts and souls of so many in the community as they continue to pay it forward.

Poverello House is excited to celebrate all the different milestones in the last five decades.

"We are not finished at 50 years, and we won't be finished beyond 50 years," Darrah said.

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