Aid for Friends began 43 years ago when Rita Ungaro Schiavone wrapped up an extra serving of her family's supper for an elderly Philadelphia woman who had no food and no family.

Today, the Philadelphia-based charity provides thousands of free meals and visits each year to our region's homebound, needy, ill and elderly. St. John's is a longtime participant in Aid for Friends; our meals serve our parish homebound as well as clients of St. Katharine Drexel's Food Cupboard and Catholic Social Services. The need for meals and visitors is constant.

To provide dinners as a cook, no special skills or extra time are required. Free trays and other supplies and instructions are available at the rear church exits and in the kitchen of the Lower Church Hall.

When you prepare a meal at home, simply place single portions of a balanced meal into the tray, cover it tightly with your own foil, label the contents on the sheet provided, bag the tray, and place the dinner in your freezer.

Return your frozen meals to the Parish House (rectory) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or from 10:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, or to the Lower Church Hall on Sunday mornings.

To serve as a visitor, you will see your client in his or her home for about one hour per week to deliver the necessary number of meals. Additional time and assistance to the client are at your discretion.

To refer someone who may need meal assistance, contact Lou Bachetti (below) or the Parish House (610.874.3418 ext. 106).

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