Allen Schellack wears many hats, all of them serving his community in some way.
He coordinates Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries(FSCM), Bourbon County Salvation Army, and Care Portal.
Schellack is also a part of the Fort Scott Ministerial Alliance. He attends the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
“I don’t know how to say ‘no’,” Schellack told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee attendees on Jan. 16. FSCM hosted the coffee on that day along with the Senior Citizens Center.
“My wife bought me a ‘no’ button,” he said with a smile.
But it doesn’t seem to be working.
“Compassion is an important part of what we do,” Shellack said. “We are looking at how to be more effective in the community.”
“Our biggest need in the community is freedom from drugs and alcohol, and respect for each other and themselves,” he said.
“I can pray and give caring support or a place to encourage you that you are worth something,” he said.
His office, where he coordinates all the ministries, is upstairs at the Senior Citizens Center, 26 N. Main.
From here he oversees assistance to foster families, homeless individuals, and services through the other community partnerships.
FSCM teamed with CarePortal, an online church engagement tool that connects the child welfare workers to churches. The portal makes churches aware of needs and gives the opportunity to respond to those needs. There are about six churches in Bourbon County who help in this way.
He also provides services to homeless people, along with hygienic supplies, phone access and fellowship.
Last year, the ministry also helped with needed supplies to students and assisted families at Christmas time.
FSCM is the designated Salvation Army Disaster Relief and Services Extension Unit for Bourbon County.
This is where the annual Salvation Army bell-ringing fundraiser comes into play that Schellack coordinates.
At the Jan. 16 Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee, Schellack thanked all those who volunteered at Christmas, ringing the bells for the Salvation Army.
“We didn’t meet our goal but did raise over $7,000 to help the community for crisis times,” he said. Through SA, he can provide disaster relief assistance, rental/utility assistance, prescriptions, temporary lodging, gasoline for work or doctor, eyeglass help and other unspecified needs on a case by case basis.
The Fort Scott Ministerial Alliance gathers once a month and they have a hospitality fund that helps transients who are “stuck here in town, we help them get on their way,” he said.
Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin, a coffee attendee, thanked Schellack for all the services he provides the community.
FSCM is a volunteer organization, with no paid staff. The services are provided through local churches and community partners.
Schellack can be reached at 620.223.2212.
