WILMINGTON — After two years of serving takeout meals for the hungry, Emmanuel Dining Room reopened the week of April 4 for dine-in meals. Now, however, the Ministry of Caring, which operates the three Emmanuel Dining Room locations, has a severe need for volunteers.
The takeout program began in March 2020 when the state began a state of emergency at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap., the Capuchin Franciscan priest who is the founder and executive director of the Ministry of Caring, promised not to give up on those in need. The dining room served 151,437 breakfast and midday meals that year.
To continue, the Ministry of Caring said, individuals and groups of volunteers are needed. They must be at least 18 years old, vaccinated and boosted. Help is needed for meal preparation, serving and cleanup.
The Emmanuel Dining Room West, 121 Jackson St., Wilmington, serves breakfast daily from 6:45-9:30 a.m. and midday meals from 9:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. The other locations, the Emmanuel Dining Room East, 226 N. Walnut St., Wilmington, and Emmanuel Dining Room South, 500 Rogers Road, near New Castle, serve midday meals from 9:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
To volunteer or for more information, contact program director ReeNee LaFate at (302) 652-3228. More about the Ministry of Caring is available at www.ministryofcaring.org.
For more information about Emmanuel Dining Room West, go to https://www.loc8nearme.com/delaware/wilmington/emmanuel-dining-room-west/7266887/
