The Athol Congregational Church UCC, has met a need for meals in Athol as they provide drive-through meals near the uptown common in Athol.
The church’s slogan is “Small enough to know you, big enough to serve,” according to a press release. It must be true during the COVID-19 pandemic, too.
When they couldn’t have regular community meals in the church, it didn’t take long for church chefs Lisa Pollock and Matt Fontaine to come up with a plan. They would do the cooking to assure the safety of food preparation and packaging. Another crew quickly solved the issues for reservations, food distribution and delivery to those unable to drive to church.
With the consultation and advice of Athol Health Agent Deborah Vondal, the packaging, traffic pattern, and personal protection equipment all meet the suggested CDC guidelines. The meals are ready to heat.
According to Pollock, “Everything runs very smoothly — a fine-tuned machine.” The donations of local businesses and individuals have been very generous. “We are able to provide two meals in June, too. We are the church!”