84: Rev. Mary Wolfe

Clergy

Mary has been in the ministry for 20 years and at this location for the past 15. She is on call 24/7. This was a much busier time than she has ever seen.

She runs the largest food distribution market in the Berks and Schuylkill County areas. Normally this was held inside, but due to the pandemic it was moved outside and held twice a month. The number of people serviced doubled! She partnered with other food banks and farmers to provide all she could for the needy of her community.

Every Tuesday she partnered with Cafe Esperanza. This is a “Pay What You Can” restaurant, across the street from the church. But during this time, they gave away every meal for free, for an entire year! Providing more the 12,000 meals. 

Of course, during all this time her regular duties never stopped. She continually attended to the congregation through zoom and in person when possible.

She told stories of kindness she witnessed like these: A man she knows that worked in a warehouse, would go in and pick up any chips or pretzels that may have regularly been thrown away after the work day ended. He then gave them to those in need, so they would have snacks. Or the man who was recently homeless, but now is helping so many others in various ways. He would go to a local dairy and pick up the chocolate milk that would normally be discarded. Then he delivered it to a local children’s home. The kids loved him. Always watching for him around 8:00 each night. Each of the children hand wrote him a thank you note and had the entire stack delivered to him. Mary said. “I saw so many people looking out for each other. Giving of themselves…and these are people are of very little means themselves.”

This time has shown her what is essential and what is not. Even how that relates to the church itself. “It’s not about a building. It’s about keeping people connected, that what matters to her.