Philoxenia, Inc.

May 2021 Soup Run

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
  • 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.

April 2021 Soup Run

We served 60 hot chicken and rice meals to those who seemed particularly, desperately homeless on the streets of New York City during last night’s soup run. We gave out hundreds of socks, underwear, hoodies and toiletries – but we only had one blanket and that was the request we heard the most.

The incredible appreciation for what we offered to our guests was a constant theme throughout the evening. Victor, who told us that his wife threw him out of their home due to alcohol and drug abuse, accepted all that we offered and ate his meal on the sidewalk while talking with us. He walked with us for several blocks as we made our way around the Penn Station area, saying “I want to follow you” and it was hard to say goodbye to him. We sensed he felt safe with us and grateful for the compassion and conversation we shared. Victor also told us he knows “what I need to do” to get his life back on track. We pray that he does.

As we walked down a busy block on Seventh Ave. and 34th St., we stopped to offer food and clothing to two men. Within minutes, several individuals gathered and asked for items. Right in front of us, one man showed us that he had no socks and took off his shoes to put on the socks we gave him. Another man took off his thin jacket, put on one of our hoodies, and told us how thankful he was for an extra layer of warmth.

Stops throughout the area included the Oliveri drop-in center and St. Francis church. Our guests at Oliveri were hungry and gladly accepted the food and clothing that we served them outside before returning to sleep on folding chairs inside. But our guests at St. Francis were cold, hungry and trying to settle into the makeshift “warm and safe” places they created for the night – inside cardboard boxes, wedged into steps in front of the church doors and under sleeping bags. As we were leaving, we gave a second meal to one man – which was our last meal – and a minute later, another man woke up and asked for food. The man gave his seconds to the other. Sharing and looking out for each other are actions we see so often with groups who share their space on the streets.

The Soup Run is truly a labor of love. Each month, we plan, gather items and organize the Soup Run. It is through the generosity of those in the Holy Trinity community and beyond – including supporters and volunteers from Westchester County, Queens, New York City, the Catskills region, Stamford and Danbury, CT  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
    • The Dos Santos Family in Memory of Maria Rokkas – Sponsor
    • Philoptochos of Holy Trinity New Rochelle
  • Meals/Snacks
    • Manny Louros
  • Clothing
  • Toiletry Kits
    • Georgeann Mavrovitis, Laurie Curtis, Alexandra Speres and Maryann Koutsis

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 May 27, 2021. Please join us. Wishing you a blessed Easter – Kalo Pascha.

March 2021 Soup Run

When we arrived at our first stop, a homeless shelter for families, during last night’s Soup Run, we came upon an accident that had occurred minutes earlier – a police car smashed into the first floor of the shelter. Thankfully, there were no injuries but the accident and related police activity added complexity to the distribution of 65 meals, clothing and toiletries to the residents. They were very appreciative of the individually packaged bags we organized for each family.

Only a half-mile away was our second stop at The Annex women’s shelter in Mt. Vernon. We set up our offerings, including 40 meals, T-shirts, women’s underwear, leggings, socks and sweatshirts, in the large room where women sleep on cots. The shelter is in a 1920 former bank building, which is very clean and well-maintained. Seeing the bank lobby, with its grand and elegantly decorated ceiling, as a shelter for those who have nowhere else to sleep, is quite a juxtaposition of our society.

We met women with medical conditions, women with mental health challenges, some who grew up thousands of miles from New York and our neighbors who were all just happy for a home cooked meal and clean clothing. One of our guests told us it felt like Halloween when she left with a bag of new clothes, socks and toiletries.

Throughout the year and from month to month, we plan, gather items and organize the monthly Soup Run. The generosity of those in the Holy Trinity community and beyond – including supporters and volunteers from Westchester, Queens, New York City, those of various faiths and friends of friends, make this important outreach a reality. This month we are grateful to the following supporters:

  • Financial Support
    • Minos Samoladas
    • Irene & Elias Pantelaros – Sponsor
    • Philoptochos of Holy Trinity New Rochelle
  • Meals/Snacks
    • Manny Louros
  • Clothing
  • Toiletry Kits
    • Georgeann Mavrovitis, Laurie Curtis, Alexandra Speres and Maryann Koutsis

Thank you to all 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 April 22, 2021 – a week earlier than usual.

February 2021 Soup Run

Our two stops during last night’s Soup Run were very different experiences and ones that left us knowing we made a small difference in the lives of women and men who are truly struggling to make it through one day at a time. We provided 100 meals of lemon chicken, rice, and vegetables to those who met us on the sidewalk in front of a Salvation Army location in New Rochelle and to women staying at The Annex homeless shelter in Mount Vernon.

In New Rochelle, Fr. Augustine’s affable personality shone brightly as he spoke in Spanish with our guests. We walked to the Library and found several individuals sitting on benches grateful for our hot meals. Others were too strung out to respond to our offers of food.

In Mt. Vernon, we were welcomed inside the once elegant pre-war building where, with tables in place, women awaited our arrival.  They greeted us warmly, but cautiously. The shelter serves a population of women who vary from one night to the next depending on what drives them to seek respite from the dangers of the homes they fled or life on the street. The women are frequent victims of rape when they spend the night unsheltered. They often arrive without any possessions or wearing little clothing.

We served a woman who is 7 ½ months pregnant who arrived earlier in the day, a victim of domestic violence. We served women who are mentally and emotionally challenged, fragile souls. Some were reluctant to approach us or needed assistance to walk to our tables while others were quite animated and had to be reminded to sit at the table and eat their dinners. Every woman, in her own way, expressed gratitude for the meals and all that we offered: underwear, toiletries, handknit hats and scarves, sweatshirts and gloves. We talked to each woman, looked them in their eyes, listened to their stories and treated them with dignity and compassion. Some moved us to tears.  As we were packing up to leave, the shelter employees were transforming the room in which we served into the night’s sleeping quarters with cots and room dividers.

We work steadily throughout the month to organize the monthly Soup Run. It comes together through the incredible generosity of so many in the Holy Trinity community and beyond – including supporters and volunteers from Westchester, Queens, New York City, those of various faiths and friends of friends. This month we are grateful to the following supporters:

Thank you to all for your continuing support and participation in this important outreach. Donations of new men’s and women’s underwear, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and gloves are the only items we are currently accepting. The next Soup Run is scheduled for March 25, 2021. 

January 2021 Soup Run

As the winds whipped up and the temperature dipped down, we were fortunate to spend most of our time indoors distributing hot meals and warm clothing during last night’s Soup Run. At the New Rochelle Community Action Program, clients stopped in for support services and picked up a few essentials and chicken souvlaki meals that we provided. Later in the evening, we moved our operation to Oasis Shelter where we were greeted by an enthusiastic group of men who immediately rushed to help us carry items from our cars. By the time we made the second trip to our cars, all meals, socks, gloves, hats, sweatshirts and jeans that we brought in the first time had been claimed. The men were incredibly appreciative. The staff also saved some items for the women from the Mount Vernon shelter who eat their meals at Oasis.

During our time at the Shelter, we talked with a few of the residents. One man was so excited to tell us that he just secured an apartment yesterday and pointed to the keys in his pocket. He told us that the items we gave him would save him money so that he could afford to buy a few things for his new apartment.

Another man told us he has lived at Oasis for nearly two years. He is a plumber on disability following a car accident. He continues to receive physical therapy, suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and had COVID several months ago. His fiancé, who will soon be on disability due to an aneurysm she suffered, lives at the Mt. Vernon women’s shelter. They hope to pull together their resources and move into an apartment soon.

This is just a glimpse into the stories of those we serve in our nearby community. The need for assistance is pervasive.

We work steadily from one month to the next to organize the monthly Soup Run. It comes together through the generosity and sharing of time and talent by so many in the Holy Trinity community and beyond – including supporters and volunteers from Queens, Connecticut, those of various faiths and friends of friends of friends. This month we are grateful to the following supporters:

Thank you to all for your continuing support and participation in this important outreach. Donations of new men’s and women’s underwear, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and gloves are the only items we are currently accepting. The next Soup Run is scheduled for February 25, 2021. 

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