We touched some special souls and fed 75 guests during last night’s soup run. Our group made several stops in Manhattan around Penn Station and Macy’s and provided chicken and rice dinners, blankets, hats, toiletries and sneakers to those living on the street.
A young man, Troy, approached us asking for sneakers and pointing to the dirty socks on his feet. Fortunately, we had a new pair of Nike’s in his size. When we gave him socks and the sneakers, he was ecstatic and turned his head toward the sky, raised his arm and said “Thank you God”. Another man was laid out in front of St. Francis church, complaining about how much his feet hurt in the boots he was wearing. Fr. Augustine put new socks and sneakers on the man and he was so thankful.
We were struck by the juxtaposition of the homeless encampment in front of St. Francis and the bustling restaurants with outdoor seating directly across the street. It was a stark sign of the haves and have-nots and a reminder of “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
The monthly Soup Run is a meaningful experience. It is a hands-on, compassionate outreach to directly serve those who are most in need. We are blessed with support and generosity from so many. Throughout the month and all year long, we plan, gather items and organize for the day we have set aside to serve our guests. It is through the donations of those in the Holy Trinity community and beyond – including supporters and volunteers from across Westchester County, Queens, New York City, Stamford and Danbury, CT, those of various faiths and friends of friends, who make this important service a reality. This month we are grateful to the following supporters:
- Financial Support
- Minos Samoladas
- This month’s sponsor: Anonymous
- Philoptochos of Holy Trinity New Rochelle, NY
- Meals
- Manny Louros
- Kathy Papataros
- Clothing
- Deborah Farone, Angie Lambros – Fleece Blankets
- Suzanne Negrin – Crocheted Hats
- Sneakers – Maria Skiadas
- Melina Morris and Bombas (https://bombas.com ) – 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), new sneakers and new blankets (e.g., small fleece blankets) are the only items we are currently accepting. The next Soup Run is scheduled for November 18, 2021 – the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Please join us.