PITTSTON — Fork Over Love, a non-profit agency, born as a result of the pandemic in 2020, was in the City of Pittston handing out 375 dinners from Callahan’s Café and Coffee House, The Red Mill, and Just Fred Catering valued at $10 each.
Fork Over Love was established on Jan. 8, 2021, when there was a need to feed people that lost jobs temporarily or permanently, as well as giving local restaurants a financial helping hand.
“We do one free community dinner per week just about every week,” Tracey Selingo, founder and chair of Fork Over Love, said. “This is our 56th free community dinner and as of tonight, we have served over 20,000 meals and reinvested over $200,000 back into our small local restaurant community.”
Selingo said there are no criteria to receive a meal and everyone is eligible to receive one.
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Fork Over Love is fully funded by donations and each meal is valued at $10.
According to Selingo, a restaurant is required to provide a protein and a vegetable and to cook, package and deliver the food, and restaurants are paid on the spot when the food is delivered.
“We are going to continue this forever and there are no requirements or eligibility, and everyone struggles for many different reasons,” Selingo said. “We get to help the restaurants and we get to help the residents.”
The Pittston giveaway started a bit earlier than the designated time due to parking restrictions, but in a matter of an hour or less, the food was all distributed.
Ruth Corcoran, Fork Over Love’s event planner and a member of the board of directors, said the event was the second time they came through Pittston.
“It’s very important to support the restaurants,” Corcoran said. “In the beginning we saw a desperation with the people and now we see it with the restaurants.”
“It’s an honor to host Fork Over Love,” Mary Kroptavich, City of Pittston’s Main St. manager, said. “They serve so many of our residents and residents outside of the Greater Pittston Area and it’s the second time in a year they served food Pittston.”
Kroptavich said she and the city look forward to Fork Over Love’s return in the future.
Benco dental took part in the giveaway by giving away toothpaste and toothbrushes.
There are 72 restaurant partners, 36 host sides and 171 volunteers for Fork Over Love throughout the region.
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