When people hear the name Agape Meals for Kids they may not realize what the word “Agape” really means.

Agape is an Ancient Greek Word

Ancient Greek distinguishes a number of words for love, with three words being the most prominent: eros, philia, and agape. As with other languages, it is challenging to completely separate the meanings of these words.

Eros is passionate love and attraction including sensual desire and longing. It is love more intimate than the philia love of friendship. Philia means friendship and dispassionate virtuous love. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity.

“When the word “agape” is used in the Bible, it refers to a pure, willful, sacrificial love that intentionally desires another’s highest good. .Agape love is a love of choice, not out of attraction or obligation.

Agape is Deep Love Without Expectation

Agape could be defined as charity. However, we often think of charity nowadays as giving away money or things, which doesn’t encompass all of what agape is about. Agape love is unconcerned with the self and concerned with the greatest good of another. Agape isn’t born just out of emotions, feelings, familiarity, or attraction but from the will and as a choice. Agape requires faithfulness, commitment, and sacrifice without expecting anything in return.

Agape Love for the Children

The word Agape encompasses the mission of Agape Meals for Kids. Irene and her team are giving children agape love. Agape Meals for Kids directly addresses childhood hunger and food insecurity faced by children on Long Island. They provide kid- friendly food packs to children identified at risk for hunger during times when they don’t receive school meals, such as weekends and holidays. Every week, volunteers assemble ‘weekend bags’ consisting of 7 meals. Every Friday morning, they deliver these bags to their partner schools. The bags are then distributed to the children in the program,ensuring they receive them by the end of the day before dismissal..

Now when you hear the word ‘Agape’, know that there is a deep love being shared without any expectation in return.