Once again, the Mary Martha Guild of  St. John’s Lutheran Church of Sayville has stepped up to provide support to the Sayville Sharing a Meal organization. On April 1, Guild president Pam Kennard presented a check for  $585 from St. John’s “soup pot” to Sharing a Meal’s vice president Michael Dileo. The money is collected in a fundraiser that takes place each year on Super Bowl Sunday.

Dileo, vice president of the organization, said volunteers do the work to provide the nutritious dinners. Dileo credits president Jo Ann Rowland for her more than 15 years of service to Sharing a Meal. Rowland started out as a volunteer.

Dileo said, “We provide dinner to whoever needs it. Meals are served Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the gym behind the UCC preschool on Middle Road in Sayville.

“We serve about 10,000 meals a year with 70 volunteers and 19 cooks,” he said. The Sayville Community has been very generous. Fritzsches Bakery, for example, provides baked goods on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Butera’s Restaurant selects a particular day each month, say, Wednesdays, and provides dinner on all the Wednesdays of the month.”

Mary Martha Guild member Honey Pabst said, “The Mary Martha ladies would like to thank everyone for their generosity in helping Sharing a Meal, the soup kitchen in Sayville. We have been blessed... and those who are fed will be blessed, too.”

The Mary Martha Guild is named for two sisters who opened their home to Jesus as he traveled with his disciples. They provided him with a meal, like the volunteers do at Sharing a Meal.