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What’s INSIDE
Hitting the stage for a magical performance Page 8
A beautiful first day of a new chapter Page 16
A lovely treat at the fall festival Page 18
DECEMBER 28, 2023 - JANUARY 3, 2024
Vol. 72 No. 1
HERALD PERSON oF THE YEAR ElE MElEndEz
A guiding light from someone who can’t say no By Charles Shaw
Ele Melendez makes sure nobody is left out in the cold. Throughout the year, the 71-year-old parish social ministries director and her diligent volunteers at St. Frances de Chantal Roman Catholic Church dedicate their time providing food and necessities to those in-need. People from all over the community stop by to drop off an item of clothing or a can of food, and Melendez — the 2023 Wantagh Herald Person of the Year — makes sure these items go into the hands of those who face challenges or hardships. “There’s a lot of good people out here,” Melendez said. “There really is a lot of goodness. A lot of people that care.” Melendez is one of those good people who cares. She strives to help here’s a the less fortunate, especially during lot of good very busy times like the holidays. Last month, for example, Melendez and her people out volunteers packed Thanksgiving boxes here. for nearly 150 struggling families. Inside each decorated box was a ElE MElEndEz turkey as well as enough food to cover director, breakfast, lunch and dinner for a family parish social ministry, of five. St. Frances de Maryanne Agricola, a volunteer at Chantal Roman the parish, says Melendez has “a heart Catholic Church of gold,” and is always making sure everyone has enough to eat. “Nobody will go hungry when they come to her,” Agricola said. On Thanksgiving Day, Melendez and her parish host a catered dinner for those struggling to afford food, complete with entertainment, such as a magic show and musical performances. This month, Melendez and her team will fulfill Christmas wishes for the less fortunate. Struggling families write out what they want, and Melendez will share those wishes on a angelshaped piece of paper. Each angel is displayed at the Wantagh Avenue church, where parishoners can come by, grab one of the angels, and fulfill the gift wish. Pants, pajamas, sweaters, pairs of shoes, even a blender, are some of the wishes families write down. She may have been doing all this work for 25 years, but that doesn’t stop Melendez from still becoming emotional after reading what people wish for. Each wish is precious to her
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For BrEAKING NEWS go to liherald.com
— simple items many others take for granted, but those less fortunate do not. “Some of the parents don’t put themselves down,” Melendez said, “but we’ll send them something.” Kathleen Cowden, a social ministry volunteer at the church for some 20 years, knows Melendez as someone who always finds ways to help someone. “She does fabulous work for everybody out there,” Cowden said. “She doesn’t know the word ‘no.’” Christmas is much busier compared to Thanksgiving because families receive gifts on top of a full meal. During this time, the parish social ministry offices are filled with bags containing gifts for each member of the family. And each family receives a Christmas meal with a choice of turkey or ham. While Melendez helps to organize these events, her volunteers work hard to make sure people’s needs are met. They help
Continued on page 2 Charles Shaw/Herald
Ele Melendez, the parish social ministries director at St. Frances de Chantal Roman Catholic Church in Wantagh, has spent 25 years feeding struggling families. It was those efforts that made her an easy choice for the Herald's Person of the Year.