Heeding the Call to Volunteer
Tom and Rose Marano Reach Out to Those in Need
Tom Marano, CL&P Business Development Manager, had plenty of responsibility on his plate, but that didn’t stop him from taking on more so that others could fill plates of a different kind. Seven years ago, Tom and his wife Rose became “soldiers” in the Salvation Army and took on the operation of the Army’s Meriden soup kitchen every Sunday.
While CL&P awards small grants to help support the soup kitchen and Tom’s dedication has also inspired colleagues to volunteer on occasion, running the soup kitchen is a personal mission for Tom and Rose, who believe that they are answering the call to serve and care for the less fortunate among us.
“We get satisfaction from knowing the people who are invisible,” says Tom, “the people nobody knows. And everybody has a story.”
Due to bad circumstances, bad choices – and maybe even a bit of bad luck – the lives of those Tom and Rose feed have gone badly off track. “We give these folks an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on… and what we really want to give them is a little bit of hope.” Tom and Rose feed their Sunday crowd spiritually as well, through prayer and sermon. “As we like to say,” says Tom, “they get the Gospel before the grub.” In a few cases, Tom and Rose have seen progress, someone who has been able to dig themselves out of their bad situation and find work, or a healthy relationship.
In 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Tom and Rose’s work with the Salvation Army took them to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi where they spent two weeks driving through devastated towns serving meals from a mobile canteen truck. “It was hard to feel like we were putting even a small dent in the damage,” said Tom, “but the people we met were very appreciative. It was really a life-changing experience.”
Whether on the Gulf Coast or closer to home, the Maranos’ lives are enriched through the work they do to enrich the lives of others.
