Lacey Township School Cafeteria Workers Join To Help Homebound at Christmas

Between 30 and 50 regular recipients of Meals on Wheels in Lacey Township will be getting  visits on Christmas Day from volunteers bearing baskets of lasagna, meatballs, sausage, salad, desserts and little gifts, thanks in part to donations made by school cafeteria workers in town.

Nick Giovanni and his wife have been cooking meals for shut-ins on Christmas Day for the past four years, with the help of 14 or 15 of their friends, neighbors, and associates who deliver the meals.

Giovanni works as a part-time, substitute cafeteria worker, and found that his co-workers wanted to help him in his efforts.

"Cafeteria workers work so hard and they're so good with the kids," said Giovanni. "Some decided not to exchange gifts and instead gave us money to defray the costs of buying the meals."

In fact, Giovanni said a group from Lanoka Harbor Elementary School sent him a donation along with a note that read, "Merry Christmas, Sending Lunch Lady Love."

Giovanni said he and his wife will start cooking on Christmas morning at 3 a.m. and will have all the meal baskets ready to go by 11 a.m.

The meals will be delivered around noon and Giovanni said each volunteer will get three houses to visit and are asked to spend 10 or 15 minutes at each house. He said many of the recipients are in their 90's.

"Not all of them are in financial need but they're all sitting there alone on Christmas Day," said Giovanni. "It's great to see the community come
together to help their neighbors. It's beautiful."

Giovanni said he and his wife will again cook meals for the group on New Year's Day.