Over the course of four hours, we served 100 meals to women residents at The Annex shelter in Westchester County and our guests on the streets of New York City during last night’s Soup Run. The meals were perfect for a warm spring evening – large hero sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad, gazpacho and cookies.
In addition to the meals, we distributed socks, underwear, T-shirts, toiletries, personal care products and baseball caps. When we ran out of women’s underwear, the women we encountered on the street were happy to take men’s underwear. Aside from socks, this is the most requested item. At the shelter, we gave the women feminine hygiene products, which were collected during the Philoptochos’ recent Personal Care Items drive.
We stocked up a young mother with several meals and clothing items as she headed back to a NYC shelter with two small children in tow. We talked with Charmaine, a woman we’ve known for years and who is still on the streets and in the same Penn Station area. We were happy to see each other but we were sad to find her in the same state of chronic homelessness.
As part of our walk in and around Penn Station, we served meals to a man digging through a garbage can, groups camped out for the night in front of St. Francis church and the steps of the old post office, and individuals who approached us for food when they saw us walking with bags. They thanked us for the meals and all that we provided – some saying they didn’t think they would be eating dinner.
The monthly Soup Run is an act of love and compassion, supported by consistent generosity from so many. Every month and all month long, we plan, gather items and organize for the day we hit the streets. It is through the donations of those in the Holy Trinity community and beyond – including supporters and volunteers from Westchester County, Queens, New York City, Stamford and Danbury, CT, New Jersey and those of various faiths and friends of friends, who make this important outreach a reality. This month we are grateful to the following supporters:
- Financial Support
- Minos Samoladas
- This month’s sponsor: Kathleen Haverlack-Wasser
- Philoptochos of Holy Trinity New Rochelle, NY
- Meals/Cookies
- Steward of Holy Trinity
- Kathryn Papataros
- Clothing
- Dr. Lisa Coplit and Neighbors – Men’s and women’s underwear
- Melina Morris and Bombas (https://bombas.com/pages/giving-back ) – Socks
- Toiletry Kits
- Georgeann Mavrovitis, Laurie Curtis, Alexandra Speres and Maryann Koutsis
- Philoptochos members and GOYA – Personal Care Items Drive
With gratitude and much appreciation, we thank you for your continuing support and participation. Donations of new men’s and women’s underwear and T-shirts are the only items we are currently accepting. The next Soup Run is scheduled for June 24, 2021. Please join us.