from St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish Newsletter — Apr/May 2023
by Catholic Stewardship Consultants
When a friend or family member is going through an overwhelming time in his or her life, we are called to reach out to our loved ones to offer them support. In the same way, we are also called to m ālama those in our parish ʻ ohana who may need our help. The Meals That Heal Ministry provides meals to those who are temporarily homebound while recovering from surgery or another major life event, such as illness, childbirth, or chemotherapy.
“I know from experience how much energy a caretaker gives while helping their loved one to recover from such events,” says ministry leader Cheryl Roderer. “We can supplement that assistance by providing meals a few times a week for up to two months. Having someone come and bring a home-cooked meal, or even a favorite meal from a restaurant is so helpful to the recovering patient and their family.”
Meals that Heal Ministry first began in 2018, after Cheryl and her husband moved to Kona fulltime and became parishioners at St. Michael.
“I met Shirley David and Cynthia Taylor while attending Mass,” Cheryl says. “The three of us had lunch and I was trying to get a feel for how I could volunteer at the parish. I inquired if there was a ministry such as Meals that Heal and there was not, so Shirley and Cynthia encouraged me to start a new ministry to fill this need. It was something I had been involved in at my previous parish in Anchorage, Alaska.”
The ministry provides each recipient with two to three meals per week for a period of six to eight weeks and sometimes longer if necessary. Recipients are determined based on referrals from St. Michael parishioners and staff who see a need for the meals. Currently, the ministry has 10-15 volunteers who regularly participate, as well as another 15 who participate from time to time.
Volunteers deliver meals to the recipients on mutually agreed-upon days and times. It’s not always necessary to make a separate meal — often, families will make double their own family meal and deliver that portion to the recipient, or bring them takeout from a local restaurant. After having to pause activities for almost a year due to COVID-19, Cheryl has enjoyed delivering meals again, and visiting with recipients when possible.
“I try to stay and chat with the recipient whenever possible, but we don’t want to intrude on the family, either,” she says. “If we are invited in then we are happy to engage. We still use caution when delivering depending on the recipient’s health status, and we try to ask if they just want us to leave the meal outside. Most want to see us, but we are mindful of those who are ill in any way, and may still be vulnerable to exposure to any airborne illnesses.”
Meals That Heal is enriching not only for the recipients but also for the volunteers, in that it allows them to grow in fellowship with their fellow parishioners through an act of aloha.
“This ministry allows me to be a more involved part of our parish community,” Cheryl says. “I meet new people and it helps me to be more connected to our church family. Whenever I hear that there is a person who has a major medical event, I always wonder what I can do to help out.
“How many times have you said to someone, ‘Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help?’” she adds. “Ninety-nine times out of 100, the person replies that they don’t need anything — it seems we are conditioned to not need others. But when I offer help, I really want to do something. In this way, I can offer my support and let them know that I am praying for them to heal.”
As Cheryl notes, ministry members have been very blessed to be welcomed into the lives of recipients and to kokua in this way.
“They are very grateful to have the support offered by our ministry,” she says. “Some of our recipients will join the ministry once they have recovered if they are able because it was so helpful to them. Some have said that they truly appreciate the meals that are made and delivered with the love of the volunteer.”
Meals That Heal is an opportunity to be the loving face of Christ to others, and all are welcome to participate!
For more information, contact Cheryl Roderer at [email protected] or 702-910-8140.
