For Megan O’Halloran, taking on a new role as executive director of the Franciscan Peacemakers is part of her ongoing faith journey.

“My family was very dedicated to community service,” she said. “It influenced my career decisions and is what brought me here to the Franciscan Peacemakers.” 

The Franciscan Peacemakers, located at 3333 W. Lisbon Ave., is a nonprofit that provides services to female survivors of sexual exploitation. 

In 2023, the organization distributed over 4,600 lunches, admitted eight survivors to its Clare Community residential program, provided 1,215 nights of safe sleep and more than 2,300 hours of employment for women through its social enterprise program, according to O’Halloran.

“My goal, looking forward, is just to take this wonderfully strong foundation and listen to the needs of women and survivors and see how we can build more of the solutions they need moving forward,” she said.

O’Halloran replaces long-time executive director

O’Halloran replaced retired Deacon Steve Przedpelski in late April. Przedpelski had served as executive director of the organization since 2002.

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Jim Wesp, board president for the Franciscan Peacemakers, first became involved with the organization as a volunteer in the 1990s. He said he knew O’Halloran was the right candidate to replace Przedpelski because of her local connection, heart for social justice and background in fund development.

“To be able to put that combination of things together in a single person, we felt blessed that she was available to us,” Wesp said.

Before assuming the role of executive director of the Franciscan Peacemakers, O’Halloran served for two years as director of fund development and communications for Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center, 732 S. 21st St., and on the Milwaukee Board of School Directors.

Audra O’Connell, executive director of Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center, described O’Halloran as a servant leader whose qualities she said are a great fit with the mission of the Franciscan Peacemakers.

“It combines her deep Catholic faith, her commitment to social justice and her dedication to serve those with trauma and addiction in the most dignified way possible,” O’Connell said. 

Sexual exploitation a major issue in Milwaukee

Although sexual abuse has always been an issue in Milwaukee, the problem has grown since the organization opened in 1995, Wesp said.

“As a result, we’ve had to expand our programs to help women in the street suffering from sexual exploitation,” he said. 

Those services include the Clare Community, a two-year spiritually based residential program. The program is housed in a building that is part of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 128 W. Burleigh St.

Additional expansions include opening the Franciscan Peacemakers Hospitality Center and the organization’s social enterprise, an employment program, where women produce and sell all-natural homemade bath and body products. 

“It gives the women an opportunity for employment and job skills as they’re working through the program and an opportunity to have a more normal life,” Wesp said. “Meghan, with her business background, is a great fit to lead this work as well.”

O’Halloran said, in addition to expanding these services, another goal is to continue advocacy work to raise more awareness on the issues the women face, including housing challenges, addiction needs, mental illness and stigma. 

“Sometimes in the past, their issues might have been criminalized more than responding to women in need,” O’Halloran said. “That’s an area where we can continue to grow in the future.” 

Faith in action

Although there is not a requirement that women served by the Peacemakers be or become Catholic, there is a spiritual component to everything the organization does, according to O’Halloran. 

“What motivates us is what we perceive as God’s call,” she said.

O’Halloran said the same calling occurred for her after joining St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1937 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., in 2017. 

“That was part of what I would call a continuing conversion,” she said. “It is part of my faith journey.”

Now, she wants to utilize her faith and other personal experiences to help others. 

“It’s an intersection of faith and community service and women working to help other women,” O’Halloran said. “This is a tremendous opportunity, and I feel humbled and honored to be able to step into this.”