DURYEA — Ed Ameika counts his time volunteering with Meals on Wheels as a highlight of his retiree lifestyle.
“There were days that I didn’t feel good, aches and pains or something, but by the time I was done, everything was gone,” said Ameika, a resident of Duryea and member of borough council. “Whatever you got going on with you, you push to the rear-view. They look forward to you coming, I look forward to talking to them. It’s a good thing.”
Starting in April, Ameika and a group of concerned Duryea residents will take a version of that good thing and open it to all needy borough residents. Beginning April 10, food will be distributed on the second Monday of every month to residents who meet federal household income guidelines. Ameika has spearheaded a partnership with Weinberg Food Bank, a branch of Wilkes-Barre non-profit Commission on Economic Opportunity. The Pittston-based food bank will supply the goods for distribution.
The distribution, which will take place monthly from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Holy Rosary Church of Nativity of Our Lord Parish, 125 Stephenson St., will provide a supplemental supply of goods, meaning the amount provided won’t be enough to live from for a month but will pair well with other assistance programs to provide a necessary amount of food. Distribution is by pickup only, but arrangements can be made for a distributor to carry food from the church to a vehicle.
Ameika said there is an immediate need for a supplemental food service in his community.
“I was involved with the Duryea Rec Board. You could see a lot of the people that were coming to the different events we put on throughout the year were taking advantage of hot food we were putting out,” Ameika said. “They’d ask near the end of the night if there was extra.”
Weinberg Food Bank Director Rich Kutz said the items distributed will “usually be a mix of dry, boxed and canned foods.” When Ameika contacted the food bank, Kutz knew the organization had to extent its programs into the borough.
“There’s a number of seniors in Duryea and individuals in need,” Kutz said. “If we could do something closer to them it helps out those that actually need food it keeps them from having to travel into a neighboring community to receive service.”
Kutz said residents can visit CEOPeopleHelpingPeople.org to learn more about the food bank and its programs. Residents interested in the Duryea distribution can contact Lois Hanczyc at 570-457-2482 to sign up for the program. Residents must complete necessary paperwork by the Monday prior to distribution to be eligible for the month.
