Soup's on, for 50 years and counting. Emmaus Ministries celebrate with commemorative meal.
For 50 years the Emmaus Ministries Soup Kitchen has been serving meals to the Erie community. On a windy Jan. 9 the soup kitchen, located at 218 E. 11th St., hosted a special meal with the Benedictine Sisters to commemorate the 50th anniversary.
They first opened their doors in January of 1974 on East 16th Street at the Immaculate Conception Church in Erie.
On opening day only one guest reportedly showed up. On Jan. 9, the soup kitchen anticipated more than 200 guests.
Sister Valerie Luckey, the director of Emmaus, is hopeful that one day their services will no longer be required. She said knows there are those who have relied for decades on the soup kitchen, which will keep its doors open for as long as needed.
Guests on Jan 9. enjoyed a meal of pot roast, homemade mashed potatoes, vegetable soup made from scratch, ice cream sundaes and fresh baked bread made by the serving team.
The dining room was also decorated with photos from over the past 50 years, as well as the original gingham tablecloths.
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Three of the original Benedictine sisters who were there on opening day — Sister Carolyn Gorny-Kopkowski, who was the first director of the soup kitchen; Sister Rosanne Lindal-Hynes, who is a current staff member; and Sister Dianne Sabol — were also on hand to commemorate this anniversary.
The sisters are currently running Emmaus Ministries with the help of a small staff and dedicated volunteers.
Emmaus Ministries has grown over the past 50 years and expanded into a food pantry, kids café and urban farm.
When are the soup kitchen, food pantry open?
The soup kitchen is offering hot meals from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The food pantry is open on Monday and Tuesday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
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“Our guests who visit the food pantry struggle to put nutritious food on the table,” Sister Valerie said. “They may be dealing with health problems, unemployment or underemployment, as well as inflation at the grocery store. Often they are responsible for preparing meals for extended family, including elderly parents or young grandchildren, as well as themselves. Emmaus meets the needs of the city’s hungry through multiple outreaches.”
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Emmaus Ministries celebrates 50 years of serving Erie PA community