July 11, 2022

Meals ministry at Longmeadow parish provides food, comfort, social contact

REGIONAL
Story and photos by David Martin

LONGMEADOW – Parish community members have gathered every Saturday morning through rain, snow and even a pandemic to pack up weekend meals for the needy as part of the Food for the Soul weekend meals ministry at St. Mary Parish in Longmeadow.

Mary Beth Bergeron, the initiator of the Food for the Soul ministry, said it originated 15 years ago when Father Francis Reilly, then pastor of St. Mary’s, wanted to find ways to better reach out to the community during the Year of Evangelization. Bergeron suggested that people need extra help at home when they have had surgery or are bereaving a death in the family, just as she had suffered the loss of her daughter the year before, so offering prepared meals as comfort could really make a difference to their situation.

“It got off the ground very, very quickly,” said Bergeron. “The main thrust of our ministry right now is delivering meals on Saturday to homebound elderly people or just people in need. We deliver to a lot of single men who never learned how to cook.

“This gives them homemade meals, fresh salads, and homemade desserts for the weekend. It is a pretty good meal each day,” she said.

Bergeron said during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic they went from delivering 80 meals for 40 people up to 150 meals for 75 people in a period of two weeks. She said the parishioners and the community stepped up, including many young people, to make it happen by volunteering to pack up the extra meals or bake more desserts.

Father Christopher J. Waitekus, pastor of St. Mary Parish, said his church community is very proud of all their ministries, but especially so of the weekend meals ministry, which he said is well supported by an abundance of volunteers, drivers, and bakers who come together to live out their Catholic baptismal vows of serving those in the community who are most in need.

Father Waitekus said he is glad to offer assistance to the project, including offering a second collection during Masses to fund the ministry. He added that most of the money comes from the volunteers’ own pockets and the donations of others who support the parish, so he is happy to see people keep giving back to their community.

“We see it now and then in the obituaries, in lieu of flowers please give to the Food for the Soul Ministry at St. Mary’s,” said Father Waitekus.  “When I think of the corporal works of mercy, and feeding the hungry and being there for each other, we are trying to be Christ’s hands, feet, voice, and action in this community of Longmeadow. Again, I am just so proud of these people.”

Bergeron said they will take and distribute whatever meals people want to prepare. Volunteers arrive at around 9 a.m. every Saturday at the parish center. They work in an assembly-line fashion to package up the meals in bags, which are placed in boxes for delivery drivers.

Diane Minalga began volunteering at St. Mary Parish five years ago, when she converted to Catholicism. She said the people she delivers to are grateful to receive the food, but are just as happy to have a visitor and someone to converse with. Minalga said volunteering has made a big difference in her own life and she is grateful to Father Waitekus and her parish for this opportunity.

“We have a great place here, a lot of ministries. I volunteer for all kinds of things and it makes you feel better inside,” said Minalga. “It is very helpful because it makes you feel like you are doing something for somebody.”

Many of the drivers will do wellness checks when delivering food. If the recipients do not answer the door, Bergeron will be notified and she calls the police to investigate. Bergeron said they also deliver food to people during the week if they are in crisis and need some extra help. On Saturdays they collect canned goods and other groceries for the parish’s food pantry.

A video version of this story will be featured on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS.