Feed the Elderly Poor Ten years ago, when Cindy Broyer began the Dinner Bell program in her parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Fryeburg, Maine, there was one obvious goal: to feed the elderly poor. Parishioners very quickly discovered that some of the people who came were more lonely than hungry; they needed fellowship with their food. And, in this small parish of 400 families, there were others who said, “I have plenty of food and fellowship, but I have a hunger to do something for others.” It is the hallmark of the Dinner Bell to attempt to feed all of these hungers. The Dinner Bell rings in Fryeburg once a week, on Wednesday evenings, at 5:00 P.M., from September to June. Donations of food come from local storekeepers. Other supplies come from an ecumenical food bank and from a federal government program. Volunteers prepare the meals in the parish kitchen. On any given Wednesday, there might be 20 to 22 volunteers, cooking, serving at the buffet, and summoning people from the tables to the buffet line in an orderly fashion. The number of guests hovers around 150, rising to 175 during the holiday season. Most of the guests are the elderly poor. But, as Cindy Broyer points out, “These people are not necessarily starving. One woman said to me, ‘I haven’t had dessert in I don’t know how long.’” All are welcome at the Dinner Bell. Click here for five steps to feeding the hungry in your community. Return to Great Ideas Home Page