2022 Grant Recipient for the Week of August 14: Holy Apostle's Soup Kitchen

Our mission is to feed the hungry, comfort the afflicted, seek justice for people experiencing homelessness, and provide hope and opportunity to those in need.

Since its founding in 1982, the mission of the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen has been clear and powerful. Operating from the landmark sanctuary of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Chelsea, the Soup Kitchen is the largest in New York State, and serves daily without question or qualification over 1,000 nutritious, well-balanced meals to hungry guests from all five boroughs. In addition to its central mission, Holy Apostles’ team of dedicated staff and volunteers also provide social services support, as well as workshops to help those in need of achieving improved health, and of finding housing and employment. Holy Apostles also runs a pantry program, distributing over 47,000 meals-worth of groceries each week, and hosts a monthly Sunday Supper. Through a devastating parish fire in 1990, the attacks of September 11, a power outage caused by Hurricane Sandy, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen has never missed a single meal service to those for whom that is the only hot meal they will eat that day. In the words of Maurice, a Soup Kitchen guest, “It’s life-giving and gives me a chance to get away from being homeless.”

We are grateful to the Vestry for its approval of our grant to this longstanding and trusted community institution.

We also remember with gratitude the service of the late Eugene G. Mintz, who served on the Grants Committee and had also volunteered at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. We are also grateful for the service of the Rev. Dr. William Greenlaw, longtime parishioner of Saint Thomas Church, who served as Rector and Executive Director of Holy Apostles for well over two decades.