SCRANTON, Pa. — Volunteers with the NEPA Aging Network Alliance (NANA) prepared salads and desserts inside the dining room of Morgan'z Pub & Eatery on Green Ridge Street in Scranton. Others packed hundreds of bags to be delivered to senior citizens in Lackawanna County.
The organization sold tickets for $10 over the last several weeks—anyone who bought a ticket paid for a meal to feed area seniors at no cost to them.
"We're packing up a complete spaghetti dinner with salad, the spaghetti with meat sauce, rolls, desserts, and they will personally be delivered at their lunchtime," Louise Ligi with the NEPA Aging Network Alliance.
Employees at Morgan'z manned the kitchen, cooking up the pasta and sauce and packaging it up.
Susan Cordaro said they jumped at the chance to help out and partner with NEPA Aging Network Alliance.
"She asked if we would help her and do the dinners for her, so, absolutely. We just did the cooking. Everything else was donated, so we just had to put it all together," Cordaro said.
Once the meals were ready for delivery, volunteers loaded them into vehicles and dropped them off at seven locations throughout the county, including the Lutherwood senior apartments in Scranton.
About 400 seniors in Lackawanna County got the free meals delivered, and residents we spoke with say they're thankful for the little extra help.
"You don't have to sit and wonder if you can afford your next meal or what's happening next. It's like a pick-me-upper," Gerry Plevyak said. "It just makes you feel good."
This was the first time the organization held this pasta for a senior event. Anyone who bought a ticket was entered to win gift cards for their donation.
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