By Anne Marie Amacher
DAVENPORT — Easter food baskets for those in need will be replaced with a post-Easter dinner at St. Anthony Parish in downtown Davenport.
Dennis Flaherty, retired business manager, said the number of food basket requests at Easter time has dropped substantially over the years. For years the parish distributed about 1,000 food baskets at Easter, just as it does each Thanksgiving and Christmas. But in more recent years the number of Easter baskets has fallen to around 500.
With the parish dedicating its new parish hall March 28, the social action commission and Father Jack Gallagher, the pastor, decided to forgo baskets and offer a dinner for families instead. Because of the move, the dinner has been scheduled for April 17 — two weeks after Easter.
“We may have up to three serving times,” Flaherty said. “I think this will be real nice.”
Volunteers who normally assemble the baskets, load cars and deliver the baskets will still be needed to help serve the meal and to clean up. “People have been so generous with their time,” he said.
Although details are still being finalized, signup for the dinner will begin soon. Signs will be posted at McAnthony’s Window and people also may call the phone line for basket signup.
A decision concerning future Easter meals or baskets will be made later.
During the construction project, the Thanksgiving and Christmas food basket distributions were held, but the site was moved to the library parking lot.
