ASHTABULA — A caring couple stepped out to fill a need and a community followed.
Dave and Bev Dallesandro decided to start a weekly Sunday meal for the Orwell area community with $100 and a dream. The dream grew during the past year as more than 120 people received a meal at their home or showed up to eat with others at the Orwell North Presbyterian Church.
The couple realized that many area residents received meals on wheels during the week, but wondered what happened on weekends.
“We are coming up on serving 5,000 dinners,” the Dallesandros said. While some people aren’t able to pay for meals, others are more than happy to pay and just enjoy the social part of the meal and some need someone else to prepare the food.
“Donations pay for the next week’s meal,” said Dave Dallesandro after the couple received a Community Impact Award from the Ashtabula County Chapter of the American Red Cross Sunday. “The sign out front (of the church) says free, but some (people) don’t want it free,” he said.
The Dallesandros said they don’t believe they deserved the award because it is a group of volunteers that make the event happen. “We have a nice crew at the Orwell Presbyterian Church. They come every week,” said Bev Dallesandro.
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