Tom and Pam Frye, residents of PebbleCreek, holding their Meals of Joy hot meal. They are frequent customers and love the delicious meals delivered to their door around noon. They love the daily variety and the break from cooking every night!
John Pugsley
Mr. Larry Cervarich, resident of PebbleCreek and a former Oregon restaurateur, learned of the increasing hunger issues with seniors in 2016. Larry founded Meals of Joy, combining his restaurant experience and previous volunteer work with another meal program. He put together a senior meal program with the help of a chef, volunteers, and the free use of a local church kitchen. Larry was determined to serve freshly cooked hot meals directly from the kitchen to his clients, unlike other senior programs. Word spread in the West Valley, and meal volume grew to almost 36,000 meals in 2021, with 50,000 projected for 2022. Over 70 volunteer drivers and kitchen personnel deliver meals five days a week, and a second church kitchen, Church of Litchfield Park, has been secured to meet the growing demand. Volunteers pack the meals in insulated hot packs as well as fresh salads in cold packs. The selections are varied every week and range from turkey with dressing and mashed potatoes, roast beef in gravy with fresh vegetables, spaghetti and meatballs, to pork chops or chicken, etc. Homemade chili and cornbread are very popular during certain times of the year.
Meals of Joy is available to everyone in PebbleCreek—everyone. Whether you are busy, tired, just home from the hospital, dislike grocery shopping, looking for variety without doing the work—Meals of Joy will work for you. And while helping yourself, you are helping others! When you purchase the standard $10 meal (which includes a hot entry, salad, and fruit), about $2 goes to help subsidize a free meal program. Of the 36,000 meals delivered last year, one-third were provided free!
According to a 2019 U.S. government survey, over 21,000 households in the greater West Valley live on less than $20,000 a year. Those who may be struggling financially receive their meals at no cost. Grants, fundraisers, and sponsorships fund and support the essential, no-cost meal program.
So if you crave the comfort of a home-cooked meal delivered to your door Monday through Friday, peruse the flexible meal options and monthly menus that allow you to choose only the meals you want.
Call Meals of Joy at 623-594-9588 or visit www.mealsofjoy.org.