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Dear Friends,
One of my favorite quotes comes from Dr. Martin Luther King, “Life’s persistent and most urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”. This quote exemplifies the goodness and generosity of so many of you who stand with and support Bread and Life. So many of you go about doing good in your communities, in your families and your places of business every day, without so much as a thank you for making your space a better place. So, to each of you I say thank you from the countless people whose lives you change daily. Just a few weeks ago Bread and Life took time to celebrate and honor individuals and corporations that have done so much for their communities. They have helped form the spiritual lives of some, encouraged and supported the dreams of college students and helped to ensure that no one goes hungry in their neighborhoods.
This year we honored Bishop Robert J Brennan with the 2024 Johnny’s Angels Award in gratitude for someone who embodies the spirit of Vincent DePaul and who lives by the words “to serve with joy.” Our Dr. Pamela Shea Byrnes awardee, Nunziatina Manuli, is not only a friend to Bread and Life, but the Chief of Staff at St. John’s University and a good friend of former board member Pam Shea Byrnes. Nunzia has spent her professional career supporting students as they grow in the Vincentian spirit and who go on to exemplify Vincent DePaul in so many professional fields, and Ed Suh and the team at Food Bazaar were recognized with the first Annual Community Service Award, given to an organization or business whose mission aligns with that of Bread and Life. All three exemplify the spirit of giving back to the community and working toward building communities where no one is left behind. What an amazing event and what amazing individuals! We thank them for allowing us to honor their life’s work.
In May we also celebrate our volunteers who give so much of themselves to ensure that no one goes hungry in the community. On any given day we have individuals and groups from all over come to spend time with us, bagging groceries, working the kiosks, distributing meals and doing whatever is needed to ensure our guests are welcomed and served with the utmost dignity and respect. We could never do what we do each day without them. A very big thank you goes to the committee that made each day special for our volunteers – Renelle Merstil and Danny Velez and the entire team at Bread and Life for recognizing the vital work that volunteers perform each day.
As we get closer to closing out another year, I am reminded of the incredible work we do here each day. Together we have already distributed more than 4.2 million meals and welcomed countless individuals and families to Bread and Life. I ask that you continue to pray for us and for the success of what we do, and I ask you to continue to petition your local elected officials to stand with organizations like Bread and Life and push for more dollars to be allocated to emergency food programs that are now being asked to do more with less. As the Mayor and other elected officials slash budgets, places like Bread and Life may become obsolete without the continued financial support of programs like the Community Food Connection, SNAP and other programs that help keep people fed, housed and healthy.
As I end this letter, I ask you, “What are you doing for others?” Please consider raising your voice with your elected officials, reach out to the mayor and other decision-makers on behalf of programs like ours that act as a safety net for those struggling in our communities and remember what Dr. King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
With gratitude,
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