Mary Jo Copeland receives presidential medal

A teary-eyed Mary Jo Copeland was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor, at the White House Friday.

Copeland was recognized for her work providing food, shelter and clothing to people who come to Sharing and Caring Hands, a non-profit she runs near Target Field.

A visibly emotional Copeland was comforted by President Obama, who draped his arm around her shoulder and rubbed her arm as her commendation was read to the White House audience.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. THE ORIGINAL STORY ABOUT COPELAND'S HONOR IS BELOW.

Mary Jo Copeland bends to her knee, opens her arms and hugs several smiling children who run to greet her.

"Come here, baby," Copeland says as their mothers look on and clap their hands in approval. "These are my little kids." The women and children -- most of them Somali refugees escaping war in their homeland -- are among the thousands of families Copeland has sheltered through Sharing and Caring Hands, the faith-based nonprofit she founded in 1985 to assist Minneapolis' poorest families.

On Friday, the women and children cheered on Copeland at the nonprofit's shelter near Target Field as news spread that she'd been awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor. The medal will be presented by President Obama in a White House ceremony next Friday.

For Copeland, 70, this is the second recognition of her lifetime of charitable work by a U.S. president. The Brooklyn Center resident also was the face of President George W. Bush's funding of faith-based initiatives in the early days of his first term.

The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their fellow citizens. She is one of 13 recipients from around the nation chosen from 6,000 nominations, according to the White House.

Copeland is being recognized for providing food, shelter and clothing to people who come to Sharing and Caring Hands.

The charitable organization started out in a small storefront downtown and has grown into a campus consisting of three separate buildings worth $19 million. It spends over $350,000 a month on the needs of those seeking shelter, according to its website.

The shelter is staffed almost entirely by volunteers, and Copeland receives no salary for her work. As a show of humility, she's known for washing the feet of those who come to the shelter looking for assistance.

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, who helped forge the connection between the Bush White House and Copeland, calls her "the Mother Teresa of Minnesota."

"Sharing and Caring hands was a model, and still is a model, for the nation, and it was certainly held out as such," said the Minnesota Republican. "Every time I see Mary Jo wash the feet of a first-time visitor, I get a lump in my throat."

The mother of 12 children [six boys and six girls], Copeland started volunteer work shortly after her youngest child began school. A devout, lifelong Catholic, Copeland volunteered at Catholic Charities for a few years before establishing Sharing and Caring Hands.

One of the shelter's buildings, named Mary's Place (named after the Virgin Mary, not Copeland), houses some 92 residential units where the homeless can stay while they try to find permanent housing, employment and long-term health care. Close to 400 children and 150 adults live there, said Copeland.

Among them is Hayat Omar, 34, a Somali refugee who lives with her husband Mohammed Ali and their eight children. Omar's family has lived at the Sharing and Caring Hands shelter since June. In that time, she and her husband have found jobs, and they're about to move into permanent housing, she says.

Omar is still learning English, but she knows enough to express her thankfulness for the help she's received at Sharing and Caring Hands.

Rob Wills, 45, a manager at the shelter who's worked there nearly 15 years, says a high percentage of the needy who come to Sharing and Caring Hands are refugees and immigrants. But many are also battling financial problems because they've been hit with a health crisis or lost their jobs.

He says Copeland deeply empathizes with and works tirelessly for those who come to Sharing and Caring Hands. She's at the shelter nearly every day and takes a hands-on approach to helping -- handing out food, clothing and lots of hugs to the children.

"She's the most amazing person I've ever met," Wills said. "This award to me is a good pinnacle to her career."

Copeland expressed humility at the award and thanked God for giving her the strength to help the needy.

rose.french@startribune.com • 612-673-4352