Cooper's Gives Back This Holiday Season

Helping the less fortunate is important any time of year. But around the holidays, giving unto to others seems vital.

For the 16th straight year, Jake’s & Cooper’s Wine Bar in Manayunk will cook, assemble and deliver holiday dinners to housebound seniors.

“Giving back to the community is what is most important at holiday time,” said, Bruce Cooper, executive chef/owner of Jake’s & Cooper’s Wine Bar. “We have to remember to reach out to the people in need, who are our own backyard.”

Cooper partners with 50 volunteers from North Light Community Center, Journey's Way and the Manayunk Development Corporation Dec. 23 to cook up about 400 meals for those in need.

The turkey dinners will be delivered to seniors in Manayunk, Roxborough, East Falls, Germantown and parts of North Philly.

“We rely on the the support of civic minded business people, like Bruce and the volunteers who offer our community support and care,” Journeys Way Director Cyndee Wishkovsky said. “The letters we receive from seniors showing their appreciation remind us how important it is to reach out at this time of year.” 

The event is truly community driven, with the Manayunk business and development corporation partnering with the two local nonprofits. Each entity has its own role.

Cooper does the cooking. Journey’s Way, a division of Roxborough's Intercommunity Action, identifies the needy and assigns routes. North Light recruits and oversees volunteer efforts and the Manayunk Development Corporation lends a hand in the assembly and delivery of the meals.

“These are elderly folks who have spent most of their lives making holidays for others,” North Light Executive Director Irene Madrak said. “It’s important to think of these people now that they are alone and would otherwise not have a traditional holiday meal."

Visit Journeys-Way.org or NorthLightCommunityCenter.org for information.