On Tuesday, November 25, Catholic Charities New York held its annual Thanksgiving distribution at Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Community Center in Central Harlem. The event was attended by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, along with Archdiocese of New York leadership, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Catholic Charities of New York CEO J. Antonio Fernández, and Executive Director Emeritus Monsignor Kevin Sullivan.
The distribution feeds thousands each year, and clients start lining up long before sunrise.
The event was attended by elected officials and faith leaders. Brother Tyrone Davis of the archdiocese’s Office of Black Ministry served as emcee, where Governor Hochul spoke before beginning the distribution.
“Today we’re helping some of our brothers and sisters. Life is sometimes hard for people. We have to make sure that we never forget them. Not just during the holidays, my friends, but year-round,” Governor Hochul remarked.
The press conference also had New York State Assembly members and Congresspeople in attendance to demonstrate their support for Catholic Charities’ largest annual food distribution.
“Every day, every week, Catholic Charities provides food for people in need. This week alone, over 3,000 families are receiving food from Catholic Charities and the agencies that we have, and we do it with love and respect,” said the organization’s CEO, J. Antonio Fernández.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan ended the press conference with a blessing and shared his interactions with those in need, saying, “When I visited some of the people in line, they said, ‘We love coming to Catholic Charities. They know us. They know our names. They know our families. They remember what we need. They ask about our kids and our grandparents. It’s personal.’ Jesus fed those who are hungry. We try to do what Jesus did. Catholic Charities does it very well.”
Filling the gaps for families in need
The speakers noted this year’s greater need this Thanksgiving, due to the distruption of SNAP benefits during the recent government shutdown. This distribution helps fill in the gaps created by this situation for many New Yorkers and reduces the pressure on many of the participants.
After the press conference joined the volunteers to help hand out food and provide a full Thanksgiving table for the people of New York. One of the volunteers, Fernando Ramos, from TD Bank, had this to say about the distribution: “I grew up in New York City, in the Bronx, so giving back to my community feels great. Everyone deserves a good meal on Thanksgiving.”
Along with the elected officials, Catholic Charities volunteers, and members of the faith, the distribution line had help from a local Catholic school, Dominican Academy. The Good Newsroom had a chance to speak with Emily, one of the student volunteers helping make everything run smoothly.
“We got here at 7 o’clock this morning, and we helped set up all the food. Some of us went out along the lines to offer food and hot chocolate to the people in the lines. I’m from the Bronx, and it’s nice and gratifying to see this distribution in person, and be like, wow, what we are doing is making a difference,” she said.
This turkey distribution also acted as another passing of the torch as the Executive Director Emeritus, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, was able to let the new CEO, J. Antonio Fernández, shine with this successful and well-attended distribution.
For more information about Catholic Charities of New York, please visit their website.