Last night, three of us were able to provide 66 hot meals and toiletry kits to our brothers and sisters living on the streets of NYC. Our friends at the Drop-in Center were happy to see us, in fact one of them told us that “You made all the folks inside so happy tonight.” We were able to offer extra food to those who were going to be coming into the drop-in center for the night. While leaving, our friends waved to us and shouted, “thank you” and “God bless you”.
We ventured on to the streets and found many souls in front of the church of St. Francis. They welcomed us and were grateful for a hot meal and conversation. One woman was brought to tears when one of us climbed the stairs to hand her food and drink. Her legs were swollen and painful. It was difficult for her to walk, and she was so grateful that someone would climb the stairs for her.
The group pointed out others who needed to eat. We met Danny, who was 25 and from Costa Rica. He told us he was here for two years and somehow became homeless. Rafael, a few yards away, was listening to Celia Cruz, a well-known Cuban night club singer from the past. He reminisced about Havana in 1957. We danced salsa together and he sighed happily remembering the Cuba of his youth so very long ago. He welcomed us with smiles and enjoyed his meal while listening to his music. “Muchisimas gracias senora”, he said, as we left.
Just as we were driving away, we noticed a person lying in the street, seemingly having fallen along with all their belongings. We pulled over to help and noticed it was a woman and she was not moving. Others nearby told us she had fallen and was sleeping, but to us she appeared in distress. We looked to see if she was bleeding or had broken any bones. She was difficult to wake, and we noticed that she smelled of alcohol. We got her to her feet, placed her on her chair in a safe spot and discovered her name was Maxine. We called her by her name and spoke to her, trying to revive her. We helped her drink water and fed her some food. Maxine barely opened her eyes but was able to thank us and reassure us she was going to be all right. Before we knew it, more hungry souls surrounded us, and we were happy to have had enough food for all.
Whether we are a dozen or three, as we were last night, the Soup Run is an expression of love, in the purest sense. For a short time, we provide care to a stranger in need, without judgement and with humility and respect. We are truly blessed to have the support of our Holy Trinity community and friends from parts of Westchester, Connecticut, and New York. This month we would like to thank the following people:
- Financial Support
- Minos Samoladas
- This month’s sponsor: Eva & Harry Wilson
- Philoptochos of Holy Trinity New Rochelle, NY
- Meals/Cookies
- Manny Louros
- Kathryn Papataros
- Clothing
- Dr. Lisa Coplit and Neighbors – Men’s and women’s T-Shirts
- Melina Morris and Bombas (https://bombas.com/pages/giving-back ) – Socks
- Toiletry Kits
- Georgeann Mavrovitis, Laurie Curtis, Alexandra Speres and Maryann Koutsis
- Bags – FreshDirect (freshdirect.com)
With much appreciation, we thank you for your continuing support and participation. Donations of new men’s and women’s underwear, T-shirts (sizes LG and XL) and baseball caps are the only items we are currently accepting. The next Soup Run is scheduled for September 30, 2021. Please join us.