SUPPER
SUPPER at St. Martin's
Who/how does this ministry serve?
SUPPER At St. Martin’s was launched on February 29, 2011 to bring neighbors and families together over a nutritious community meal, lovingly prepared by volunteers, twice a month, on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of every month. We have room at the table for everyone, no matter what.
The SUPPER program is a blend of direct service, advocacy and grantmaking:
- Direct service: providing 5 free & nutritious meals plus fellowship to individuals and families every month
- Advocacy: Educating St. Martin’s & the greater community about the devastating impact of food insecurity and isolation and highlighting the power of being a part of the solution to help neighbors by helping to underwrite the cost of providing SUPPER to the community and/or paying a SUPPER meal forward for a neighbor
- Grantmaking: SUPPER at St. Martin’s provided grants to each SUPPER site to help fund their initial and ongoing efforts, i.e., purchasing groceries, kitchen supplies, equipment, etc. Funding was provided by: The Episcopal Church, GreenTree Community Health Foundation, Triskeles/The Nana Fund, Patricia Kind Family Foundation and other individual and corporate gift
How do I get involved?
Sign up to receive updates! Though SUPPER is currently on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, our email list is the best way to stay up-to-date on upcoming SUPPER happenings. You can also contact Debra Roberts if you'd like to get involved with organizing or volunteering at SUPPER.
Who is involved?
Supper was founded by Debra Roberts and has since spread beyond St. Martin's as other churches have founded their own SUPPER sites. In 2016, SUPPER expanded to Grace Epiphany Church in Mt. Airy and Christ Church & St. Michael’s in Germantown. In 2017, SUPPER expanded to the Church of St. Alban’s in Roxborough. Prior to the pandemic, these sites offered one SUPPER meal per month.
Identify some successes
Between February 2011 and March 2020 when our doors were closed due to Covid-19, over 28,500 guests were served across all four SUPPER sites.
During the Covid-19 shutdown, the SUPPER at St. Martin’s program has continued to provide financial support to organizations whose doors were still open. In lieu of spending SUPPER funds to purchase groceries and supplies for SUPPER meals, SUPPER at St. Martin’s provided funding for the following:
- Discretionary Fund at Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields: $1,000
- Face to Face: $3,000
- NorthStar Community: $2,500
- Bethel Presbyterian Church's PBJ program: $1,200
- St. James School: $500
What are some struggles?
The pandemic poses the biggest challenge to SUPPER. Until March 2020, between our supper sites, we were welcoming hundreds of community members per week for a free meal. Our challenge in the pandemic landscape is to continue following safety guidelines and pandemic trends to strategize about how and when we could restart our SUPPER program. We welcome all who seek to strategize with us.
More information
Below, see the video made by the Office of Communication for The Episcopal Church about our SUPPER program. It features a introduction by the Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, Daniel Gutierrez, and includes each of our four SUPPER locations.
Other Locations
Note: SUPPER at other locations is currently on pause. Check back later or join our email list above for updates!
Among St. Martin’s, Grace Epiphany, Christ Church & St. Michael’s, and St. Alban’s there is a SUPPER nearby nearly every week! Each SUPPER location adds its own flavor to the offer of meal and community.
St. Alban’s
Roxborough
2nd Tuesdays @ 6PM
500 Fairthorne Avenue, 19128
215.482.2627
http://www.churchofstalban.com
Grace Epiphany
Mt. Airy
3rd Wednesdays @ 6PM
224 East Gowen Avenue, 19119
215.248.2950
https://www.graceepiphany.org
Christ Church & St. Michael’s
Germantown
4th Saturdays @ 3PM
29 W. Tulpehocken Street, 19144
215.844.7274
https://www.christchurchandstmichaels.org
News
Community Engagement Handbook
Organizing Neighbors for Food Collection
Report from the September 2021 Community Engagement Committee Retreat
Prayer List: July 29, 2021
Prayer List: March 25, 2021
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