Meal Angels Ministry
Have you or a loved one been in the hospital or just got out and were told you should rest for a few days? Have a new baby in the house? Wouldn’t it be great to have a home cooked meal delivered to your house?
Meal Angels are volunteers who buy the food, prepare the meals and deliver them to your house. We fix meals for families, who due to health reasons of a family member, find it difficult or not possible to cook themselves.
HOW MEAL ANGELS WAS STARTED:
Meal Angels started in July 2009 with a couple whose wife had cancer and the husband could not boil water; she wanted home cooked meals. I got a call from our Parish Nurse, Bernie Madoch, asking if I could arrange meals for them. From there, it only grew. Eventually, we were asked to take over the Fishes and Loaves Ministry which fixed meals for families that just had a new baby.
Since that time Meal Angels has:
~ Prepared & Delivered 899 meals to 22 different families from June 2009 through June 2011.
~ Dec 2010 we began including families with newborns and prepared & delivered meals to an additional 3 families with 26 meals.
~ During Lent 2010 and 2011 the Knights of Columbus graciously donated meals from their Fish Frys to 3 families each week during both years ~ THANK YOU KNIGHTS, as usual ~ you go over and above the call of duty!
~ There are currently 340 people who receive the emails. Some receive them so they can include the families in their prayers. Of the 340 people, 125 to 130 have been "Meal Angels" preparing and delivering food.
Presently we are preparing meals for 7 families in the parish due to illness or in need of assistance.
VOLUNTEER INFO:
When information is received about a family in need, an email is sent to a list of volunteers with the dates meals are needed and info on the families in need (any allergies, # in family, etc.). We schedule a month at a time. Volunteers that can help email back the dates they are available to help. Volunteers are then emailed back verification that the date requested is still available and the directions to the family(ies) home(s). Family names are not given out, only the address.
The meal to be brought is asked to consist of salad, entree w/meat, potato, veggie and sometimes rolls, and a dessert. Meals should be brought in disposable containers. They are cooked and ready to eat. Each family has a cooler on their front porch that the meal is placed in during the time specified for each. If they do not have a cooler, we provide one for them. Volunteers don't have to ring the doorbell when delivering, just place the meal in cooler. The family knows to look in the cooler during specified times. This protects their privacy and does not make them answer the door if they are not up to it.
There are some volunteers, who due to jobs or other commitments, may not have the time to cook so they order a meal to be delivered. It is all prepaid, including tip, and delivered to the family. If they let me know they are doing that, I notify the family that a delivery is coming.
IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF MEAL ANGELS OR KNOW OF SOMEONE THAT IS
OR
YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER FOR THIS MINISTRY:
You can contact us one of two ways. Either by email: mealangels@gmail.com or call (815) 212-4837.
Call me and we can sign you up.
“Do not neglect to do good and share what you have,
for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16
