Search
-
November 20, 2019
Thousands of meal deliveries anticipated
WORCESTER – For more than 55 years, the Bishop of Worcester has hosted holiday dinners at Thanksgiving and Christmas provided by Catholic Charities Worcester County. This is done to assure a warm meal and fellowship to homebound elders, people with disabilities, and those who would otherwise be alone during this time of family celebrations.
Catholic Charities is still accepting volunteers to deliver and serve Thanksgiving dinner to those in need. Whether delivering meals or serving the noontime meal at St. Paul Cathedral, volunteers will have an opportunity to visit with people who would otherwise be alone this Thanksgiving.
“It is always a distinct privilege for me as the Bishop of Worcester to witness God’s mercy at work at the annual Holiday Dinners provided by Catholic Charities. Since the early 1960s when Bishop Bernard Flanagan began hosting these dinners, people who would otherwise be alone and often forgotten have been met with a hot meal and a warm smile so they could experience a bit of joy during the holidays,” Bishop McManus said.
Volunteers can register online at www.ccworc.org/volunteer-registration-bhd. They can also call the Bishop’s Dinner Hotline at 508-860-2232 to offer their help.
Volunteers are needed for both meal delivery from the Catholic Charities main office, 10 Hammond St., and to serve the sit-down dinner held at the Cenacle in the lower level of St. Paul’s, 38 High St.
Delivery volunteers should begin arriving at 8 a.m. to receive the meals and delivery route. Sit-down dinner volunteers should arrive between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m.
Catholic Charities provides buses to and from St. Paul’s for those wishing to attend the dinner. Buses will pick up individuals at: Lincoln Village, Booth Apartments, Seabury Heights, Green Hill Towers, Belmont Apartments, Green Island NOC, Greenwood Gardens, Canterbury Towers, Elm Park Towers, Pleasant Towers, Murray Avenue Apartments, Marble Apartments, and Webster Square Towers. (See bus routes with times.)
Sponsors for the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners include TD Bank, Bay State Savings Bank, The Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation, J.J. Bafaro Inc., Dauphinais Concrete Inc., Grantham Group, St. Francis Community Healthcare Inc., The Hanover Insurance Group, Fallon Health, Fidelity Bank, Worcester State University, Reliant Medical Group, Pagano Media, Thomas J. Woods Insurance Agency Inc., Cornerstone Bank, Anna Maria College Board of Trustees, Berkshire Bank, Machado Consulting, Atlas Distributing, and Hassett & Donelly P.C.
Last year, about 950 Catholic Charities volunteers provided more than 4,200 dinners (both home delivered and sit-down meals) at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Catholic Charities receives names of people needing dinners from local elder service organizations and other agencies which have a long-standing relationships with Catholic Charities. Staff and volunteers have seen this need steadily grow as elders continue to age in place, rather than move to assisted living or nursing home facilities.
