PRESBYTERIAN COMMUNITY LUNCH PROGRAM
41 Years Of Service To Mt Holly
For over 40 years, the First Presbyterian Church at 125 Garden Street has served food to neighbors in need. What started in 1985 as local outreach at Thanksgiving has grown into a twice weekly Community Lunch Program with about 20 volunteers who serve 2000+ meals per month.
I visited the church today to view the facility and have lunch with Community Luncheon Director Jan Delgado and program staff. After introductions to various volunteers, I took a tour of the kitchen facilities, including a row of tall freezers filled with “Food Bank of South Jersey” [FBSJ] meats, fruit and vegetables.
As the 11 AM hour approached, Director Delgado called out “Are We Ready?” until all staff were assembled and lead in a prayer. The happy group served themselves from the buffet line and then gathered round tables to eat and chat just prior to the public serving at 12 PM. The buffet offerings were mashed potatoes, green beans, asparagus, meat balls and chicken breasts. The asparagus was particularly impressive, but everything was quite good.
Ms. Delgado explained that the program started with a realization: some locals didn’t even have a stove to cook a turkey. So, church members were moved to invite community members to a Thanksgiving dinner. The ethos of those early days was “other people are us” and that still serves as the foundation of the lunch program. Delgado says the lunch program “now serves meals to 60 - 80 people every Monday and Friday from 12 – 1pm. Our attendees are not required to provide any identification, but we know all of them by their first names.”
It was former pastor Phil Olson who connected the Presbyterians with the FBSJ about a year after that 1985 Thanksgiving. While other churches and Wawa make donations, Delgado said “The Food Bank of South Jersey delivers about 500 to 900 pounds of food per month, which is the majority of our donations.”
The FBSJ is a 501(c)3 nonprofit which received about $14 million in federal aid in 2024 designated for feeding those in need. It appears that this aid was slashed in 2025. The cuts are not a focus of this article but you can read more about it at the following link FBSJ
Delgado said the Lunch Program uses “frozen chickens, fish, ground beef, pork roasts, chops and vegetables. The Food Bank often offers fresh fruit and vegetables. We definitely have a 4-star soup kitchen which is run by a culinary college trained chef.”
Ms. Delgado noted that the program is “inspected by the Burlington County Health Department and we maintain a satisfactory rating. We are also inspected by the FBSJ to ensure proper food handling. My chef and I are required to attend annual food service and civil rights training sessions at the Food Bank.”
Delgado wants readers to know that if any would like to help, the best way to get involved is to “Come eat with us and chat with our guests. Any Monday or Friday at 12. Also know that we give clothing and toiletries and we’re always looking for donations. If you’re cleaning out your closets, please think of us!”
More information is available at delgadojan1@gmail.com or 609-865-3117.