As the Social Service Agency BCMW reopens the Project Bread Meal Sites on Monday, the replacement program in the Salem area led by the Salem Ministerial Alliance is looking back with pride on what they were able to accomplish.
Carol Ann Short helped lead the effort and says in their 50 days of delivering meals, 4,747 were delivered.
“It’s interesting because it fell together really quickly,” Short said. “I’m not quite sure what happened, but it was the community coming together, the churches coming together, and really all of us caring about the seniors being fed. As soon as we heard they weren’t going to be receiving these meals, it hurt us in our hearts, and we knew we had to do something about it. I’m excited that the community was so willing to just jump in however they could.”
Short credits the program coming together quickly with the help of the City of Salem and Salem Township Hospital who also saw the need. The effort ended with 102 senior adults at 84 addresses receiving meals.
The area covered 107 miles traveled a day in eight routes including Salem, Iuka, Kell, Sandoval, Odin, Junction City and Patoka.
The program is thanking St. Theresa’s Catholic Church for providing space for volunteers to put together the meals. Drivers, riders, and food prep volunteers came from area churches, including St. Theresa, First Christian Church, Community of Christ, Grace United Methodist, Evergreen Christian Church, New Life Church, Salem Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church, Salem Presbyterian and Grace Nazarene. There were an average of 25 volunteers per day for approximately 1,200 volunteer ‘shifts’. In addition, the Franklin Park JV and Varsity basketball teams joined to serve, resulting in roughly 30 additional volunteers.
The group is thanking Produce Plus, Farm Fresh Market, ABC Pub, Village Garden and Joe’s Pizza for making the food. Village Garden and ABC Pub provided two meals free of charge. NAL donated food left over from their holiday staff meal, allowing the group to provide an additional take-home meal at no charge. Additional supplemental food items were provided through an anonymous donor, Franklin Park BETA Club food drive and pantry donations. Monetary donations came from the city, local churches and the community.
One of the volunteers noted it was a blessing to all of us to come together each day, to meet new people, and to deliver lunches to those seniors who were so very grateful.
Meanwhile, Project Bread resumes with an initial three-day schedule on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 am to one pm. The Salem Project Bread site moves to the Grace United Methodist Church at 116 East Schwartz in downtown Salem. To join the congregate program or have meals delivered from the Salem location, please call BCMW at 618-532-7388 extension 111. The Centralia location remains at 308 North Locust. Call 618-533-1073 to be put on the list.
