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They whipped up dinner for 700
By JEAN JOHNSON SPRING HILL -- On Easter morning, volunteers gathered at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church to prepare food for delivery to 700 residents. Many had worked until midnight the previous night deboning 600 pounds of ham, opening 240 cans each of peas and corn, and wrapping 720 baking potatoes in aluminum foil. This is the fourth consecutive year that Helping Hands United, a relatively new ministry supported by St. Frances Cabrini, has cooked up the massive Easter dinner. The organization, headed by Fred Glass, supervises a similar event at Thanksgiving. "The first Easter, we delivered 150 meals, and last year we delivered about 450 to 500 meals," said Glass. "Each year, it grows dramatically." More than 600 meals were delivered for Thanksgiving. When the group needed more room last year, the Knights of Columbus donated its hall. "I'm sure in the future, if needed, there will be other places to help us out," Glass said. The large number of holiday worship services keep the church's fellowship hall filled, so the meals are delivered instead. The dozen people who work in the kitchen are also under stress to keep quiet because of the Masses being performed. Frank Colletti, 73, has attended Cabrini since moving to Spring Hill 16 years ago. He is a facilitator with the confirmation class and training to become a religious instructor. Colletti, a two-term Spring Hill fire commissioner, and his wife, Sheila, have been volunteers with Helping Hands United since it began. He worked in the kitchen deboning the hams. Colletti said his wife is always "right there beside me. We're a couple and do just about everything together." Another Helping Hands volunteer since the ministry's inception, Jack LaGala, has been a church member since arriving in Spring Hill from Ridge, N.Y., five years ago. "I worked the first Easter and Thanksgiving when Fred found out I was a butcher," said LaGala, "and I started to cook last year." LaGala, his wife and other volunteers washed, pricked and wrapped the potatoes and put them on racks the evening before Easter. He and wife Veronica attended the 7 a.m. Easter Mass before heading to the kitchen. When asked why he does it, LaGala said, "At first I thought I was giving a guy a hand, but because of the joy and peace and love I felt the first time we worked all day long, my wife and I decided God gave us a blessing when we helped." Quite an outpouringAll the food is donated. Glass depends on various church ministries and the three neighborhood Publix supermarkets, which donated four carloads of doughnuts and rolls (hamburger and crescent) and bread (rye, Italian and pumpernickel). Kash n' Karry, Winn-Dixie, the Hernando Beach Yacht Club and Pasco Food Bank also donated products. Heaven's Gate Christian Fellowship church offers help, and Glass hopes that more churches will join the effort. "I think it's important that all churches give back to the community," he said. The church also received 35 cases of soft drinks and 700 individual packages of applesauce. Three hundred volunteers drove their cars, trucks, RVs, vans and SUVs to deliver dinners to all men's and women's shelters in Hernando County -- Jericho Road, the Dawn Center, Holy Ground and the teen shelter. They also drove to a domestic violence shelter in Dade City. "Hospice offers the names of those who are housebound," said Glass, "and we advertise in our church bulletin. Also, members of the congregation usually know of a friend or neighbor who needs a meal." In honor of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, meals also were delivered to all Hernando County firefighters and sheriff's deputies. To give and receiveAbout 7 on Easter morning, the potatoes headed into ovens and the vegetables and hams were cooked. While the food was cooking, another group wrapped rolls and butter, plastic ware and napkins. The volunteers consisted of men and women of all ages and walks of life -- families with young children and the elderly. "Those with children were sent to feed those in shelters and the firefighters," said Glass. "They'll be able to see little children their age and will be thankful for what they have and what their families are providing them with, and the children will get a chance to meet the firemen." The teenagers of the church gathered and packaged all the items in the meal box: ham, potato, vegetable, bread and butter, applesauce, soft drink, a piece of pie or cake, utensils and a napkin. In addition to Easter dinner, the shelters received 2-foot crosses made of egg bread, and children received baskets made by children in the parish. Glass said he had a crucial helper: "If my wife didn't give up her time with me, this couldn't happen. "There are so many people to thank, I can't mention all of them," he said. "The amount of volunteers keeps growing, and 9/11 has pushed people further to come out and help someone else. "It's a nice feeling to see these people giving up an hour or a whole day to help someone else. It's just great." The day ended on an unexpected happy note. Monsignor John Cippel announced to the volunteers that Glass had been voted the Hernando County Citizen of the Year by the Nature Coast Unit of the National Association of Social Workers.
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