Neighbor2Neighbor Needs Cooks

Will you help? Or do you know a parishioner who needs some help?

The St. Ignatius Parish Neighbor to Neighbor ministry is available for St. Ignatius parishioners, helping and being helped by other parishioners. One great way you can help right now is by providing a home-cooked meal when someone is sick or hospitalized. Contact [email protected] to volunteer or if you need help.

Here is a report from a volunteer who is currently cooking for Neighbor2Neighbor. Thank you, Mary! 

When Neighbor2Neighbor was re-introduced this year as a volunteer opportunity, I knew it was for me. The Neighbor2Neighbor program invites volunteers to assist fellow parishioners through making meals, driving to medical appointments or visiting for companionship. For me, who with my husband raised five children, cooking and feeding people is my happy place. When I had a baby, I recall with great gratitude and fondness meals that were made for us. All those meals allowed us to be nourished in body and soul. It lessened grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation. It was a profound gift that even now three decades later was impactful.

Since I became a volunteer, I have made meals for a few different families in San Francisco, the Peninsula and East Bay. These were all first-time parents with few family members living nearby. While providing meals, a special treat has been to meet their beloved babies and to get to know these families. I have learned about their careers, their connection to St. Ignatius and the Jesuits, and what they like to do in their free time (okay before the baby arrived). Recently at the Home4Dinner celebration, my husband, daughter and I sat with one of “my families”. What a joy! The baby is now almost 10 months old and the young couple has transitioned back to full time work. Neighbor2Neighbor has given me a deeper connection to my faith community. You do not have to be a great cook. There is a role for you whether you want to provide a meal, drive a “neighbor” to a medical appointment or perhaps make a weekly call to chat. Please consider joining me and others at St. Ignatius Parish in Neighbor2Neighbor.

Mary Hughes, parishioner