At Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York’s Holy Thursday food pantry on 182nd Street in Washington Heights, the organization received a very special gift — a donation of $1 million.

With Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, and Monsignor Joseph LaMorte, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New York on hand, Board Chair Brian O’Dwyer presented the gift on behalf of the Charles Lawrence Keith and Clara Miller Foundation on Thursday, March 28.

The Foundation provides support for institutions involved in the preservation of human rights and the elimination of human suffering. 

“I am delighted today to present to Catholic Charities a check for $1 million,” O’Dwyer said during a presentation ceremony. “Catholic Charities is the most efficient and loving institution that can take that money and use it in the maximum, maximum way. We are delighted to be able to partner with Catholic Charities in feeding the hungry in this town.”

“Monsignor Sullivan often says it’s not just what we do, it’s how, how we do it. We do it together, we bring people together to enhance the togetherness and solidarity of our people. I’m just so proud of Catholic Charities and for this community, and for all the good work I see. It’s so appropriate to celebrate that on this Holy Thursday as we anticipate Good Friday and Easter Sunday,” Cardinal Dolan said to conclude the ceremony. 

Catholic Charities operates a food pantry on West 182nd Street in Washington Heights every Thursday, not just Holy Thursday, from its Community Services and Youth Employment Office there. About 400 people would receive approximately 5,000 meals’ worth of food during the Holy Thursday event, Monsignor Sullivan estimated. 

“These days, there are two things that are happening: the price of food is just going through the roof, everyone who goes through the supermarket knows, just take eggs for example, or milk, how expensive it is. These people that are on line here, they can’t buy food at the end of the month, between paychecks, they don’t have enough money. Also, the food we buy at Catholic Charities, the money people donate to us, it doesn’t go as far, we have less food to give out, so it’s a real crisis,” Monsignor Sullivan told The Good Newsroom in an interview. He encouraged people who want to help to make financial donations, as Catholic Charities can make those contributions go further than an individual who might wish to give foodstuffs or household items.

“Last Holy Thursday the Cardinal asked us to be here [the Catholic Charities food pantry] and we were so impressed, just seeing the people and their needs, and how well Catholic Charities was doing with it, particularly with the volunteers, that all of the money was going to food and not to salaries,” O’Dwyer told The Good Newsroom as to why he and the other trustees of Charles Lawrence Keith and Clara Miller Foundation chose to make a significant donation to Catholic Charities.

Both Cardinal Dolan and Borough President Levine assisted volunteers with the distribution of food items to those in line. Included along with basics such as milk and eggs was culturally appropriate produce including plantains and yuca (cassava).