Federal Association Grant Helps Philadelphia Area Food Cupboard
date:
1/8/2015
Five members of the newly revitalized Delaware Valley-Philadelphia region delivered a $25,000 check from a Federal Association Grant to Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput for the purchase of refrigerators and freezers for the Montgomery County Food Cupboard in Norristown. The Grant was approved by the Federal Association in October.
Clair Raubenstine, KM, Coordinator in the Philadelphia division of the region, and his wife Jeanne Raubenstine, DM, initiated the project and identified the Food Cupboard as a hands-on local service project for members of the Order. A group of the Order’s Members along with Archdiocesan seminarians meets every month and assists with stocking shelves and reorganizing food for visits by the following week’s clients.
Although much of Montgomery County, PA is comprised of comfortable suburbs of Philadelphia, the county seat in Norristown has a history of poverty. The Norristown Food Cupboard serves veterans, the elderly, the working poor, and immigrant families who aren’t able to meet their monthly food needs without this vital assistance. “The Food Cupboard’s program does great work on a small budget, so funds for this equipment will enable it to better serve its clients,” said Federal Association Board member John Hoy, KM, who sponsored the grant.
Liz Peteraf, Administrator of Catholic Social Services (CSS) in Montgomery Country, is overjoyed with what this donation will enable them to do: “Our plan for this donation is to arrange our space and purchase equipment that will provide our food clients with a dignified ‘shopping’ experience, offering them nutritional food and a meaningful interaction with a volunteer. With this grant, we will be able to offer more spacious areas with attractive glass door refrigerators to allow clients to choose the food items they are looking for, rather than being handed a pre-packaged bag of food.” Peteraf is grateful for the service commitment of the local members of the Order of Malta, who are among more than 50 dedicated monthly volunteers. The CSS Food Cupboard in Norristown distributes more than 30,000 pounds of food each month.
The Delaware Valley Region was created in April of 2014, and is made up of two divisions: Delaware Valley-Philadelphia and Delaware Valley-Wilmington. Each section has its own Coordinator with the same duties as a regional Hospitaller.
Pictured from left to right:
Amy Stoner, CSS Director of Community-Based Services
Jeanne Raubenstine DM
Clair Raubenstine KM
Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia
George E. Gunning IV, KM
John Hoy KM
Karen Hoy DM
Liz Peteraf, Administrator of CSS Montgomery County Family Service Center
Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta
Federal Association, U.S.A.
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