Emmaus Ministries

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Help feed the hungry.

Emmaus Ministries

A commitment to the forgotten and the faceless of society – a Christian presence and outreach in Erie, Pennsylvania since 1974.

Mission

EMMAUS MINISTRIES: A Commitment to the Forgotten and the Marginal
— to the faceless of society who get left out and left behind without support at times of crisis

— to the single mother whose life is a constant struggle to provide simple necessities for her children

— to the child lost in poverty whose present is barely human and whose future is already lost

— to the elderly whose basic needs are too great for a check that is too small

— to the working poor who work in the lowest of low paying jobs and never get ahead

Read more about

Contact Information

Emmaus Ministries, Inc.
345 East 9th Street
Erie, PA 16503
Phone: 814-459-8349
Fax: 814-459-8066
Email:
Sister Mary Miller, OSB
Margaret Kloecker
Rita Scrimenti
Breanna Mekuly

Emmaus Soup Kitchen
218 East 11th Street
Erie PA 16503

Sister Gus' Kids Cafe
310 East 10th Street
Erie PA 16503
814-878-2922

Breaking the Bread

There are people
in the world so hungry,
that God cannot
appear to them
except in
the form
of bread.

Mahatma Gandhi

From the Director

Sister Mary Miller

The cover of this issue of The Companion with the image of a Saint Benedict house blessing door hanger protecting the soup kitchen reminds us that we are bearers of a beautiful tradition. As you know, Emmaus Ministries, though separately incorporated...

KFC

Verbal expressions of excitement were heard all throughout the Emmaus soup kitchen the evening of October 15th when each guest received a surprise meal box from KFC filled with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, a biscuit, and coleslaw.

For the second year in a row, KFC, owned by parent company Ampex Brands, donated 250 warm meals to the Emmaus soup kitchen. “We just want to donate and provide a free meal for those folks who need it,” said Scott Holke, area coach of Ampex Brands.

Emmaus is one of four local nonprofits – along with City Mission, SafeNet, and the Upper Room – to receive the full meal boxes from KFC...

For the third year in a row, the “Maple Donuts” golf team competed in the Erie Insurance Charity Challenge Golf Tournament in support of Emmaus Ministries. The tournament was held in mid-September at the Kahkwa Club.

The team, led by Maple Donuts CEO Nat Burnside, won two wager games – each attached to a cash prize. The Maple Donuts team took 8th place overall and, in total, won $3,740 for Emmaus Ministries.

The 20+ teams that participated gave $115,000 to 27 charities this year. And that’s on top of what they’ve raised in the past. Erie Insurance President and CEO Tom NeCastro commented: “This is our 10th year to host this...

Emmaus board member Sr. Ann Muczynski and Emmaus Food Pantry coordinator Sr. Lucia Surmik are two of three artists in an art show at Mount St. Benedict Monastery running from Sunday, October 13th through mid-November. Both Ann and Lucia are photographers and had many pictures of deer, birds, forests, and nature on display. The opening of the art exhibit Come to the Woods was celebrated with live music, sweet treats, and many appreciative viewers.

Click here to learn more.

Volunteers and Donors

Emmaus depends on many volunteers and donors at the food pantry, soup kitchen and Kids Cafe.Call 814-459-8349 if you would like to volunteer. Click here to make a donation.

Joan Martter

Emmaus staff member Breanna Mekuly interviewed Joan Martter about her time volunteering at Emmaus. This is what she had to say.

Breanna: How long have you been serving at Emmaus?
Joan: I first started serving at the soup kitchen in 2000. Initially, I came to the soup kitchen to deliver the proceeds of our Angel Tree for Sister Rosanne’s children’s Christmas celebrations.* I was working with Fairview High School and the Angel Tree was a part of our Key Club. Soon after, I started bringing desserts once a month to the soup kitchen.

Soup's On: An Emmaus Journal

By Breanna Mekuly, an employee with Emmaus Ministries

Months of July and August 2019

This morning I went with Sister Rosanne while she met with women in need of a little extra help paying their bills. One woman was there with her child – an 8-year-old boy. He was so excited telling me that he got a scholarship to go to camp this summer. “I’m going to learn how to swim and fish and boat!”
+++
“How are you?” I asked a woman who stopped by the food pantry. “I’m okay,” she replied, “but I’m struggling with some anxiety today. Sometimes that happens. I feel it in my chest – in the shortness of breath.” Unfortunately, quite a few guests of Emmaus struggle with different sorts of mental illnesses and emotional distress. And often these struggles go undiagnosed or untreated...

Remember Emmaus with a Memorial

We are grateful to family members who ask that memorials be made to Emmaus on the death of loved ones. Visit our secure site to offer a memorial.

+ Patricia DeCara Tullio

+ Winifred F. Kerstetter

+ Frances Grygo Somolani

+ Mary F. (Crowe) Kunik

+ Edward J. Gallagher

+ Elaine J.Boetger (vol)

+ LaVerne Carver

+ Mildred "Millie" Kuntz

+ Etherl M.Van Volkenburg

+ Carney E. Vensel

+ Alfonce A. "Al" Bucheral

Fulfill the Emmaus Wish List

You can always help us stock our shelves at the soup kitchen with ground coffee, instant tea and instant lemonade, jelly/jam, peanut butter, maple syrup, mayonnaise/miracle whip, soup, and canned fruit. We ALWAYS appreciate diapers (all sizes) and baby formula.

The Kids Cafe Store is in need of the following items:
School supplies
hand sanitizer,
Kleenex,
hair supplies (shampoo and conditioner, hair ties, brushes, picks, head bands, etc.)
Deodorant
Socks

Attention Bakers!!! We welcome homemade treats for our guests. If you're a baker, know that our Emmaus guests appreciate cookies, cakes, pies…sweets of any kind.

Call 814-459-8349 for more information or to schedule your donation.

Pray with Emmaus

Please join with the Emmaus community in reciting this prayer daily.

Prayer of St. Vincent DePaul

You will find that charity
is a heavy burden to carry,
heavier than the kettle of soup
and the basket of bread.

But you must your gentleness
and your smile keep.

Giving soup and bread
isn’t all that you can do.

The poor are your masters-
terribly sensitive and exacting
as you will see.

But the more demanding they seem
the more unjust and bitter
the more you must give them your love.

DONATE NOW.
Help feed the hungry.