Anna’s Place provides respite for those in need
CHESTER » “I love coming here,” exclaimed Edith Collier of the Toby Farms section of Chester Township. “When I don’t get to come for some reason, I feel sad. I love the Sisters. They are always so nice and polite to us and they’re caring and kind. I am just so thankful for them!”
Last Thursday, Collier was picking up an early Thanksgiving dinner at Anna’s Place, a Franciscan Hospitality Center sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. In its twelfth year of operation, the privately funded Anna’s Place, located on the grounds of the former Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, welcomes guests from in and around Chester’s West End, offering them hope and a helping hand. Anna’s Place provides an opportunity for both givers and receivers to feel grateful and blessed.
In better times, before the pandemic, Anna’s Place was a gathering spot where guests came to participate in activities like bingo and take classes in ESL, flower arranging, crocheting, art, and computer. They ate a hot lunch together on Thursdays. People in need could also pick up food, toiletries, and other necessities, while sharing fellowship with their neighbors.
On average, thanks to donations, over 200 bags of groceries were distributed each week. The Sisters’ mission at Anna’s Place is to serve God’s people and to promote their growth in mind, body, heart and spirit in the spirit of Jesus and the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi.
Once the pandemic hit in early 2020, the gatherings stopped, but the need did not. In fact, need grew.
“We worried about how we would still provide for our guests here at Anna’s Place, as people’s needs escalated over the past year,” said Sister Margaret “Maggie” Gannon, OSF. “We operate on belief in Divine Providence that God will provide and He most certainly has. It seems when we are running low there will be a knock at the door and someone shows up and we are in good shape again. We have been blessed by good people who either bless us with food or gift cards or other things we can use to help our guests. It certainly has taken the story of the loaves and fishes and brings it to life every day at Anna’s Place!”
Anna’s Place is being operated by the consistent core team of Sr. Cathy McGowan, SSJ, Sr. Libby Pepe, OSF, Sr. Elaine Martin, OSF, Sr. Antoinette Keiser, OSF, Sr. Virginia Spiegel, OSF, Sr. Maggie Gannon, OSF, and Gus Lugay. Although the core team has been helped through the years by many dedicated, compassionate volunteers, volunteerism came to a grinding halt last spring due to safety concerns.
“Since the pandemic began, we have not asked our volunteers to minister at Anna’s Place,” Sister Maggie stated. “We are waiting until things are a bit more certain and safe.”
Since March 16, when nonprofits and businesses, schools and, even some churches, began to close their doors temporarily, Anna’s Place remained open and continues to provide its guests with bags of groceries, toiletries, household items and whatever the Sisters are able to offer, thanks to the generosity of private donors. Anna’s Place serves about 80-100 guests each week.
“The numbers we serve have increased by 100% since we began,” Sister Maggie said. “Trust me, these are not just people who are taking advantage of free giveaways. These are people who are really and truly in need. We never know who is going to come through that door.”
Since March, Anna’s Place has distributed over 3500 bags of groceries, toiletries, and household items, to countless guests who visit on Tuesday and Thursday between 11 a.m. to noon.
“We don’t want to be known as a ‘super spreader’ place,” said Sister Antoinette, speaking about the spread of coronavirus stemming from people gathering together. “So we stopped our bingo and sit-down lunches, although people desperately miss the socialization and constantly ask when these events will begin again. We’re very cautious now. When we distribute groceries or to-go lunches, everyone wears a mask and keeps a distance apart. Guests come in one door and go right out the next.”
On Thursdays, a lunch is still provided to guests at Anna’s Place, but now it is a to-go lunch that must be picked up and taken off the site to eat elsewhere.
“We are very grateful for donations of food - either canned or fresh,” Sister Maggie said. “We are blessed with a freezer so we are able to store fresh food. Because of the pandemic, some of our guests are careful about shopping and going out in public, so we provide them with donated gift cards which allow them to shop for themselves.”
“We never know what people are going to donate to us,” explained Sister Libby. “But whatever we’re given, we pass along to our guests, whether it’s food, coats, gloves or household cleaning supplies. One woman recently told me that she’s always gratefully surprised by what is in the bag that she picks up here and often thinks after opening it, ‘ How did they know that I really needed that?’.”
Sister Antoinette said the entire team at Anna’s Place is always overwhelmed with gratitude for the generous donors. Although the Sisters of Saint Francis is the sponsor of the ministry of Anna’s Place, private donors are its lifeblood.
“As soon as our shelves get bare, God sends some
one along to fill them. I honestly don’t know how we would have ever gotten through these challenging times without support from The Connelly Foundation, the Foundation For Delaware County, the Billy Mock Foundation, and other generous friends of Anna’s Place, like Creative Financial Group.”
Founded in 1976, Creative Financial Group, led by managing directors Robert Hagenberg and Francis Naselli,. is an investment firm located in Newtown Square with offices also in New Jersey and Delaware. Within the firm, a “Make Someone’s Day” committee of eight employees led by Tara Scibello-Rickards is dedicated to doing things to make employees happy, from random giveaways to socials and charitable events. This year, being different due to the COVID pandemic, the committee searched for a local charity that employees could support and chose Anna’s Place.
Agents, employees and staff at Creative Financial, as well as the firm, have generously contributed to supply Anna’s Place with lots of gift cards for various food stores to help people in the community, Rickards said. Creative Financial also provided two hot lunch days this year, featuring Zac’s hamburgers, for 75 people each time.
“I discovered Anna’s Place while searching the internet for places locally that we could help,” Rickards explained. “It sounded like a great organization. We haven’t looked back. We are on a mission to help. Sister Maggie and the other Sisters have been wonderful to partner with and we all feel good about helping them in such a worthwhile endeavor.”
Last Thursday, Creative Financial provided Thanksgiving-style turkey meals with all the trimmings for 75
guests, prepared by Capozzoli Catering. From 3 to 4 p.m., guests, from infants to senior citizens, arrived at Anna’s Place to pick up the meals. Rickards, a resident of Holmes, aided by her co-worker Alaina Cannon of Swarthmore, cheerfully handed out the to-go meals to the socially distanced lineup of recipients, most expressing heartfelt gratitude for the gift of a hot meal.
“We also have a Christmas holiday fundraiser well underway in which we are compiling 75 gift bags for the people of Anna’s Place,” Rickards said. “Each bag will include sweatpants, sweatshirt, socks, blanket, gift
card and various holiday treats, We will be distributing these bags in early December. Again, all of the expenses for these fundraisers are paid for by generous donations from our agents and employees within Creative Financial and the firm itself.”
When the regular Thursday eat-in lunches suddenly halted last March, the Sisters had a kitchen full of food of which they had to dispose so it wouldn’t spoil. According to Sister Maggie, the Sisters put a table outside and placed the food upon it so those in need in the surrounding neighborhood could take it. People “came out in droves,” and
that is when the team at Anna’s Place realized the need was greater than ever and, in the spirit of Jesus Christ, they needed, and wanted, to be there for their neighbors.
“In the midst of so much uncertainty - places opening and then closing - we have remained a faithful presence at the West End of Chester and
no one is ever turned away,” Sister Maggie stated. “We have received private donations which allow us to have baby supplies available, toys and treats when children arrive with parents or grandparents, and gift cards which allow our guests to purchase what they need the most. At this time, we are not able to
safely accept donations of clothes or home furnishings, but we appreciate any donation of food or gift cards and we are always grateful to be remembered in prayer.”
Anna’s Place is at 226 Norris St., Chester. For more information, email AnnasPlace@comcast.net or visit www.annasplace.org.