Hosts of Lenten dinners seeking new ways to dish up the fish
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With Lenten season getting underway this week on Ash Wednesday, it's typically the time seafood buffets and fish dinners pop up to benefit local churches and other organizations.
It won't be quite the same this year because of the pandemic, but many groups are moving ahead with their fundraising efforts.
St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Newry is well known throughout the area for its large seafood buffet.
"We were going to try to do the buffet but received a directive from the bishop, which said sit-down dinners would not be permitted in the church halls, so we decided to try a different method. Will be doing it by drive thru," said event chairman Jim Weaver.
Last year, the church ran its buffet for two weeks before being shut down by the pandemic.
"We probably lost between $20,000 to $30,000 on the deal," Weaver said.
The buffet typically would attract a weekly crowd of about 800.
"We will start at 4 p.m. and go until sold out. We are shooting for about 500. We will prepare enough food for 500 to 600 the first week to see how it goes," Weaver said.
This year's dinner will run from this Friday through Good Friday, April 2.
Second Avenue United Methodist Church, Altoona, also has offered a seafood buffet for several years.
"It won't be a buffet, it will be takeout only. We are lowering the price since it is a single meal. We will do as many pre-orders as we can," said youth group treasurer Don Ferguson, who explained that people can call the church and arrange pickup.
"We will start Friday and run for six weeks, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. We will try and see what happens," Ferguson said. "Last year, we got three weeks in. We average about 160-170. We didn't lose money because we order every week, but we fell about $2,500 short. We usually take in $4,500 to $5,000."
Fire companies
Several area fire companies are planning to hold Lenten meals.
Excelsior Volunteer Fire Company in Bellwood started offering dinners on Jan. 29 and had a turnout of about 500 people, said Bob Whiteford, company treasurer.
"We do it for ten weeks. We had to make some changes. There is no eat-in, it is all to go because of social distancing and masks. We had to do it financially. This (pandemic) has hit the fire services hard. We haven't been able to hold our fundraisers; everyone is hurting. We typically make about $20,000 over the ten weeks. We are still hoping to reach that," Whiteford said.
The meals at Excelsior will be available from 4 to 7 p.m.
Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company of Hollidaysburg started serving dinners last Friday and its meals will run through Good Friday. They will be available from 4 to 7 p.m.
"It is a morale booster for the public. We are under state regulations and have to limit the number of people in the building, but people will be able to dine inside if they choose. There will also be takeout service," said secretary Bob Dilling. "Last year we only missed one week. We didn't totally shut down. We just ran it as a drive-thru and would take the food to the people's cars. It went pretty good; we did pretty well."
The Pinecroft Volunteer Fire Company restarted Lenten dinners last year after several years without doing it. This year's meals were started Feb. 5 and will run through Good Friday, from 3 to 7 p.m. each week.
"We are trying to support the community as much as they support us. Our hall holds about 200, so we will be offering dine in or takeout," said Lance Kustaborder, fundraising chairman and treasurer.
Unter Uns
Lenten meals will be available at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society, 1401 Van Buren Ave., from 5 to 7 p.m. this Friday through Good Friday, said Shari Arnold, president of the Almrausch Schuhplattlers, which holds the event.
"We will have takeout with very limited seating available on a first come, first served basis. We would usually get about 200 people on a Friday. People are starting to get anxious to get out, even for takeout," Arnold said.
At least two area churches that normally host Lenten dinners have decided not to hold them during the pandemic.
"We are not doing it this year because we didn't feel it was safe. We are not having it for safety reasons. God willing, we will have it next year," said Father James Dugan of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Altoona, which usually served about 700 dinners on a Friday.
The St. Gregory Knights of Columbus in Tyrone will hold off this year, too.
"We are not doing the Lenten dinners this year. I don't feel it would be safe in our kitchen. If we did, it would be takeout only. We've been doing this as long as I can remember. We usually do four or five dinners during Lent," said Tom Gavazzi, Grand Knight of St. Gregory Knights of Columbus Council 1218 at St. Matthew's Catholic Church, Tyrone, which hosts the meals.
"We could take a beating; you don't know how many would show up. By the time you would get stewed tomatoes and macaroni and cheese home they would be cold. We may consider doing it at the end of Lent, if things go right, and I could get vaccinated and my brothers want to do it."
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.