Mt. Calvary Community Supper Wishes You all Happy Holidays

MT. CALVARY COMMUNITY SUPPER of ACTON

At Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church 472 Massachusetts Ave. Acton, MA

As we live in a world of challenges, our Supper feels blessed and thankful to so many.

In April 2012, Mt Calvary Community Supper was established as the only local supper serving in Acton, to answer the needs of so many neighbors in need of a “home cooked” meal and friendship. Long tables with beautiful flowers and decorations were set each week while a multitude of volunteers worked to chop, heat, mix, cook and serve a nutritious meal to each individual guest. On March 18, 2020, our world changed and we were no longer able to welcome guests into the Fellowship Hall of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church on Mass. Ave. Many tears were shed by guests and volunteers. But we have prevailed. In light of the Corona Virus, Mt. Calvary Community Supper is working very hard to continue our mission of helping our neighbors with food insecurity. Our utmost concern is for the health and well-being for our guests and volunteers. Thus we have restructured our service to be a “drive-thru, take-out” supper every Wednesday evening, between 4 and 5 pm, in the back parking lot of the Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church at 472 Mass Avenue in Acton.

As a state approved essential service, we are following the recommendations of Governor Baker and the Acton Board of Health and will adjust accordingly as the situation changes. For now, we will continue with a reduced volunteer staff to abide by social distancing and continually be sanitizing before, during and after our prep, cooking, packaging and handing out of a warm nutritious dinner. Since March 18th, families with children, singles, groups of friends and seniors have all been rolling through to receive a meal and additional treats we may have for the night. Where we had been serving 85 guests inside, we now hand out 200 meals each week.

It is taking many to help us fight food insecurity. In the past 6 months alone, and now December, Lowe’s Meat Market of Northborough will have cooked 56 turkeys for our holiday meals Since May, Blackbird Café has prepared 1600 meals at their kitchen for our Supper. ABUW sponsored our Chicken Parm supper in their Halloween Costumes. ABRS students will be joining us outside to sing and play for our guests for our Christmas Supper. In addition, ABUW will join us for our 100 Holiday Meals event. Each week, Cumberland Farm of Westford shared deli items, and Panera Bread sent pastries. We have had ACC, WABC, Faith Evangelical Free Church, Congregation Beth Elohim, St. Elizabeth’s, Boxborough Minutemen, Acton Democratic Comm, Fidelity Investments, Danny's Place Youth Leadership and The Acton Lion’s Club support our mission through funding, food, and volunteering. Through sad hearts, we have helped several sponsors celebrate the life of loved ones lost in 2020, including our Chairman, Mike Tobia. We are all a family working together to support our neighbors.

It is through the kindness of neighbors, that we at Mt. Calvary Community Supper are all feeling the love during this challenging time of COVID-19. Each week our very brave volunteers dedicate themselves to making certain everyone still receives a hot nutritious meal and a brief bit of social interaction. Though we are not able to have a sit-down dinner or spend time exchanging handshakes and hugs, it is gratifying to know that everyone who drives by is having at least one healthy dinner every Wednesday and a sincere, "Hi, so good to see you today. Please, be safe. See you next week." “It is always so good to see you come through the parking lot.” Food and Friendship are still at Mt. Calvary Community Supper.

To all our neighbors, we wish you happiness and good health as we are continually focus on being safe and caring for each other. May you all find new ways to celebrate the Holidays and remember how fortunate we are to have one another. Be strong and have faith that this too shall pass. From all of us at Mt. Calvary Community Supper to all of you, we wish you many blessings during this Holiday Season. As our dear Chairman Mike Tobia always said, “Forever grateful for another Wednesday.” We are here for you.