St James the Apostle Parish in Glen Ellyn Illinois, 480 S Park Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, US

As the sun sets on a recent day, Ron Yurcus bends over in a 20-foot by 20-foot patch, tending to a personal garden of string beans and tomatoes, his hobby when he's not working or serving as the head of DuPage Ministries. His name is Ron Yurcus. A longtime Glen Ellyn resident, Yurcus calls himself a "one-man ministry." He says he started DuPage Ministries in 2000 as a non-profit organization that would serve as a kind of conduit for donations he had received to help people in the community. Yurcus, also known as "Chaplain Ron," has counseled police officers and offered comfort to those needing prayer and support, including those needing food and basic resources. Yurcus says he can pair a willing volunteer with a community organization that could use that person's services. A deacon at St. Petronille Church and a full-time chaplain with CNS Home Health and Hospice at Central DuPage Hospital, Yurcus also makes himself available to organizations that would like him to guest preach. "I'm not a big organization," says Yurcus. "But I'm able to do something." Reach Yurcus at 630-858-5499, ChaplainRon@DuPageMinistries.org or at P.O. Box 2413, Glen Ellyn, IL 60138.