Heart, Love & Soul honors the loving heart of Sister Beth
Sister Beth Brosmer recalled a day when a man who stood about 6 feet tall walked into Heart, Love & Soul in Niagara Falls wearing a thin nylon windbreaker on a day when the temperature outside was just 7 degrees.
Her instincts kicked in and she went to the Ontario Avenue food pantry's clothes closet to find the gentleman a proper winter coat.
When she handed it to him, tears welled up in his eyes and he asked her a simple question.
'He very quietly said, 'Can I give you a hug?' ' Brosmer recalled.
'With that hug, I felt like I'm good for another five years,' she added. 'I will always carry the memory of that hug close to my heart.'
Over the course of a decade serving as the executive director of Heart, Love & Soul, a hunger relief and social services agency that has served the Falls community since 1983, Brosmer had her share of memorable moments when her work and the work of the organization made big differences in the lives of those in need.
During a ceremony on Friday honoring her work with the organization, Brosmer confessed to a group of dozens of friends and colleagues that she had her share of doubts and struggles too. She admitted there were times when she found it difficult to overcome her own judgments while dealing with guests who were unruly, unable to follow rules or overcome by their addictions or other habits that prevented them from leading more productive lives.
'I found the best of myself and the worst of myself,' she said.
Through it all, Brosmer said she considered the fullness of her experience, with all of its ups and downs, to be a real blessing.
'Putting my judgments aside was a challenge but one that brought me closer to Jesus and to our guests,' she added.
Brosmer oversaw Heart, Love & Soul as its executive director from 2010 to 2020. She was instrumental in efforts to grow the organization's offerings through the development of Daybreak, a program that seeks to improve the quality of life for residents offering them increased access to services ranging from job and life skills training to free haircuts, shower facilities and laundry services.
Heart, Love & Soul's current Executive Director Mark Baetzhold said celebrating Brosmer's legacy on Valentine's Day was fitting as it was a perfect day to honor someone who dedicated so much of her heart to helping others. The day — Feb. 14 — also marked 21 years since the food pantry and social services center moved into its current location, 939 Ontario Ave. The move followed 21 years of service from the organization's previous site on Pierce Avenue.
'It was sister Beth's ability to love and make someone feel loved that won the hearts of so many people, from guests to donors to elected officials and non-profit partners,' Baetzhold said. 'We are grateful for you Sister Beth and thank God for the blessing that you have been for so many.'
During Friday's celebration, Heart, Love & Soul board members and staff unveiled a portrait of Brosmer that was painted by artist Maria Laurendi. Board President Suzan Ben read from the plaque that will accompany the painting inside the shelter, saying, in part: 'Sister Beth's example continues to inspire us to participate in ongoing work of peace and justice.'
A representative from the office of U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy was also on hand to read comments Kennedy read into the record on the House floor that honored Brosmer and recognized her years of contributions to Heart, Love & Soul. Mayor Robert Restaino presented a resolution in Brosmer's honor from his office and the Falls city council.
While he said it's common in professional and public life to find good people and not-so-good people, Restaino said it's uncommon to find someone as universally loved and respected as Brosmer.
'You very rarely meet someone that you can say is actually a great person and Sister Beth is one of those great people,' Restaino said. 'If you look around you here and you see what this institution does for so many, you would agree with me that her intuition, sense of place and drive made everybody realize that rowing in the same direction we can get there a lot quicker.'
Brosmer closed her remarks by crediting Baetzold and others who followed her in leadership and staffing roles at Heart, Love & Soul with continuing to meet the organization's core mission which is to nourish people in need — 'body, mind & soul.'
'They do this with faithful dedication, with gusto, with humor and with humility and this, my friends, warms my heart to the fullest measure,' Brosmer said. 'So to all of you, I say 'thank you.' Thank you for being here, for your ongoing support of the guests that come through our doors each day. You are a true blessing to so many,' she said.
'I do want to proclaim loudly that heart and soul remains in good hands,' she added.
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