MINERSVILLE — Edward M. Butler remembers feeling uneasy about the sumptuous fare of an upcoming Christmas party in 1984.
“We were going to sit down to a steak dinner,” he recalled, “when there might be people who have no food at all.”
That tinge of guilt led to the formation of the Minersville Area Holiday Food Drive, which is currently under way 40 years later.
Because there is so much focus on distributing food for Thanksgiving, Butler said, the holiday food drive focuses on Christmas.
The Minersville Area Food Program, housed in the basement of the Ss. Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church school building collects and distributes food to a wide range of recipients during the holiday season and into the new year.
Included are senior citizens living alone, residents of halfway houses and families with young children — and pretty much anyone in need.
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“All you have to say is that you need a little help,” he said, “and we’re glad to do it.”
Drawing on values instilled as a youngster, Butler and a host of volunteers continue a tradition of giving around the holidays and throughout the year.
The home of his parents, Donald and Aldona Butler, was a gathering place for neighbors in a Polish enclave in Minersville, he recalls.
“People would come to our house, sit down and have food prepared by my mother,” said Butler, 64, who worked with disabled persons in a state agency.
Pattie Miller, a volunteer, recalled her grandmother inviting strangers to her home for a meal.
“She called them in and fed them,” Miller said. “That’s how it was years ago; people helped each other.”
Miller helps out at the program’s pantry with Peggy Butler, Edward’s sister-in-law, several days a month. They’re both Minersville High School graduates, Class of 1967.
Though it has been at previous sites, the program has operated out of SS Peter & Paul school for about four years.
Butler is thankful to Rev. Gregory J. Noga and the parish members for providing the space, a former classroom.
Tables are lined with nonperishables, canned goods, cereals and paper products, all donated or purchased with donations. The all-volunteer program has no paid employees.
Using cash donations, the pantry purchases some food from markets, including Aldi in Shamokin, which allows them to buy in bulk.
Butler, who’s been the guiding light for four decades, said the program operates primarily as an emergency food pantry during the year.
The Christmas distribution will be Dec. 13 at the pantry in the 100 block of S. Fourth Street, Minersville, at the rear of the church. Advance registration is required by calling 570-544-2739.
Monetary donations can be mailed to the Minersville Area Food Drive Committee, 529 Lytle St., Minersville, PA 17954.
Originally Published: November 21, 2024 at 5:18 PM EST