Local Spotlight: Carmen Gawronski
By Cally Gudroe
From left: Christine, Carmen Gawronski, and Dorothy—coordinators, board members, and long-time volunteers. PHOTO BY CALLY GUDROE
In the Church Hall of Most Holy Trinity Church in Saco, Maine, the smell of home-cooked food drifts through the air every Monday and Thursday afternoon. The sound of laughter mixes with the clatter of dishes as volunteers bustle between tables, serving steaming plates of food with a smile. For many guests, this warm, welcoming space is much more than a free meal, it’s a community.
And for Carmen Gawronski, it’s deeply personal.
“I got started in 2016, when I moved back to Maine to take care of my mom,” she said. “She used to tell me about this wonderful place she went to with her friends every Monday and Thursday to eat and socialize. When I finally went with her, I realized how special it was.”
Not long after, Gawronski and her family began volunteering. When her mother passed away, Gawronski decided to keep her memory alive by continuing to serve the community that had once welcomed her mother so warmly.
“She loved it here,” Gawronski said. “And I know how much it means to people, especially those who live alone or can’t cook for themselves. It’s more than food. It’s connection.”
The Saco Meals Program, which has operated for more than 30 years, serves free community dinners twice a week—on Mondays and Thursdays—entirely run by volunteers. Guests begin arriving around 4:15 p.m., where they’re greeted and seated restaurant-style by volunteers who take pride in offering a full dining experience, complete with salad, soup, an entrée, dessert, and friendly conversation.
“We always tell our volunteers: make them feel like they’re in a restaurant,” Gawronski said. “For some of our guests, this may be the only social interaction they have all day.”
The program serves many each night, and last month alone, the team hit a record of over 100 guests in one night.
At the end of each meal, guests get the chance to visit what’s known as the “Giving Table.” There, they can pick up free produce, bread, dairy, meats, and nonperishable items to take home. Leftover meals are often packed up and sent with them too. PHOTO BY CALLY GUDROE
When the program first reopened after its COVID-19 shutdown in May 2022, only 19 guests came through the door. But word spread quickly. “It’s just been growing ever since,” Gawronski said. “I think it’s a reflection of both the need in our community and the incredible generosity of people here.”
The program’s mission is built around two core goals: fighting food insecurity and social isolation. The pandemic, Gawronski noted, made clear how damaging loneliness can be.
“When we reopened, we realized that social isolation was just as harmful to health as food insecurity,” she said. “That’s why we make sure everyone feels seen, known, and cared for when they come in.”
Guests range from young families to seniors, and the volunteer teams are just as diverse. Middle school and high school students, local Rotary Clubs, community service groups like Learning Works and Thatcher Brook Center, UNE students, local churches and local businesses regularly rotate through to cook, serve, and clean.
“It’s community members helping community members,” Gawronski said. “And there’s not many people who leave here without saying, ‘That was such a great experience.’”
The Saco Meals Program runs entirely on volunteers, from the board to the cooks to the dishwashers. Gawronski currently serves as program manager, board president, and stepping in as Thursday Coordinator, helping organize meals, oversee operations, and recruit help.
“I wear a lot of hats,” she laughed. “But none of this happens without our amazing team.”
She’s quick to name the people who make the program thrive: Dorothy Schlueb, who coordinates Mondays and has volunteered since 2011; Christine Perrault, Monday and Thursday volunteer for more than a decade; Jackie Fontaine, a board member and one of the original program managers, has been involved for nearly 19 years. She now leads the Tuesday cleaning team.
“There are women here who’ve been part of this for 15 years or more,” Gawronski said. “They’re really the heart of it.”
Even the volunteers’ approach is intentional. The same people often serve the same tables each week, allowing friendships to grow naturally between guests and servers.
Each meal is sponsored by a local organization or business, which contributes $200 per meal to help cover food costs. PHOTO BY CALLY GUDROE
Many sponsors, such as Saco & Biddeford Savings (since the 90s), Maine Community Bank, Union Church-Biddeford Pool (over 15 years), and WEX, also send teams of volunteers to help prepare and serve the meals.
The program partners with the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Feeding America, and Shaw’s in Saco, where they pick up donated “rescue food” each week. Additional supplies are purchased locally through Hannahford, Sam’s Club, and Sysco.
Despite challenges with funding and space, the program continues to thrive thanks to community generosity, and the hospitality of Good Shepherd Parish, which provides the use of its hall and kitchen.
“We’re just guests here,” Gawronski said. “They’ve been so generous to let us stay and serve.”
The Saco Meals Program is about more than routine dinners. Holidays and special occasions are celebrated with themes, decorations, and even costumes. Halloween brings out witches and ghosts among both guests and volunteers, and Christmas is marked with festive décor and gift bags for everyone.
Each year, the program also hosts a pork pie fundraiser, one of its most beloved traditions. Last year, volunteers baked and sold 240 pies, made with dough from Reilley’s Bakery and pork from Market Basket. “We prep on Thursday, bake on Friday, and sell them that weekend,” Gawronski said proudly. “It’s a huge community event.”
Laughter and conversation flow as community members sit together to share a meal. PHOTO BY CALLY GUDROE
In 2024, Gawronski received the Spirit of America Award for her dedication and leadership, an honor that left her humbled.
“I didn’t want to accept it just for myself,” she said. “There are so many people here who make this happen. It’s really a team award.”
For Gawronski, the recognition also marked a turning point in visibility. “For so long, people in Saco didn’t even know this program existed,” she said. “Now, more people are finding out and helping.”
The program is always looking for volunteers, meal sponsors, and donors. Anyone interested can visit www.sacomeals.org or follow @SacoMealsProgram on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SacoMeals/) for updates and opportunities—the Thursday Coordinator position is open.
“It only takes two hours to make a difference,” Gawronski said. “Everyone leaves here feeling good. Not just the guests, but the volunteers too.”
For Gawronski, that’s what it’s all about: feeding her neighbors, honoring her mother’s memory, and building a community where no one eats, or lives, alone.
