Helping to feed those
in need for 10 years now

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Jack Marcus really counts on the Kosher Meals on Wheels program.
Marcus, an 84-year-old Rhawnhurst resident, depended on his wife Mona to do most of the cooking. The couple were married for 48 years before Mona Marcus died in 1999.
Now, Marcus visits the food program at the JCC Klein Branch, at Red Lion Road and Jamison Avenue. He picks up frozen meals and heats them at home.
"It’s very much appreciated," he said.
Anna Sokoloff, a 94-year-old from Oxford Circle, does not have the strength to shop for and cook her own meals. So, a volunteer driver for the meal program drops off the food at her house.
"It’s wonderful," she said of the service.
Local programs such as Kosher Meals on Wheels and Aid For Friends operate through the generosity of volunteers and donors.
One of their biggest benefactors is the PhillyMeals on Wheels Corporate Dineout. The 10th annual event took place last week at the fancy new Cira Centre, at 2929 Arch St.
About $130,000 was raised, bringing the decade-long total above the $1 million mark.
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging organizes the campaign to put food on the table for the city’s frail and homebound elderly, who often have empty refrigerators and bare cupboards.
The agency, mindful that Philadelphia has the highest percentage of senior citizens among the nation’s 10 largest cities, has funded 500,000 meals since 1998.
"Food is sustenance," said Joan Zaremba, PCA’s director of marketing and corporate relations. "They need nutritious, well-balanced meals on a regular basis."
In addition, PCA supports the agencies because their drivers provide a social connection for an isolated older person and are able to check on whether the individual is OK.
"Sometimes, the drivers are the only people they are going to see," said Nina Cohen, the emergency food coordinator at JCC Klein. "That’s their visitor for the week."
All senior citizens and individuals with chronic illnesses, regardless of religious affiliation, are eligible for the Kosher Meals on Wheels program. The microwaveable meals include meat, dairy and fish selections, along with soup, juice, bread and baked goods.
"Many of these seniors can’t shop or cook," Cohen said. "We’re a lifeline."
Over at Aid For Friends, at 12271 Townsend Road, the funding from the Corporate Dineout will help the charitable organization buy freezers and pay for its vehicles’ fuel, insurance and maintenance.
"PCA is very good to us," said operations manager Lynn Trombetta.
Aid For Friends, founded in 1974, provides home-cooked meals for shut-ins — or "client/friends," as the organization calls them — in Philadelphia and the suburbs.
Its mission is to help those individuals maintain their independence at home and offer outreach services as needed.
The group looks forward to the annual PCA funding.
"Each year, it’s one of our biggest grants," said executive director Steve Schiavone. "It’s very important to us. It enables us to serve a lot more people."
Likewise, Kosher Meals on Wheels wouldn’t be able to reach as many people without the money from the Corporate Dineout. This year, the program is looking to buy two freezers and a computer.
"We’re very thankful," said Barbara Shotz, director of senior adult programs at JCC Klein.
The oldest client in the Kosher Meals on Wheels program is 101. The majority of beneficiaries are 85 and older.
Last year, the program delivered 40,000 meals. In October, a luncheon will be held to mark 25 years of feeding the needy.
Senior citizens need the help, officials say, because of rising rents, prescription drug costs, utility bills and home maintenance. Social Security usually isn’t enough.
"They really depend on these meals," Cohen said.
Volunteers and benefactors have kept Kosher Meals on Wheels going for a quarter-century.
Program officials give a big thank you to the businesses, individuals and restaurants that make Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s PhillyMeals on Wheels Corporate Dineout a big success every year.
"We really couldn’t do the program if we didn’t have PhillyMeals supporting us," Shotz said. ••
Anyone who wants to make a donation can send checks to Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, 642 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130-3409.
The Kosher Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteer drivers. Call 215-698-7300, Ext. 197.
To volunteer at Aid For Friends, call 215-464-2224.
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com