Voice of a Donor: John
For John, a chef who grew up in a family of “foodies”, making sure others have enough to eat is important. “My grandmother, who immigrated here from Italy would always greet us with the phrase, ‘Did you eat?’ ” he recalls. “I grew up in the food business, my mom was a chef.”
John continued the family tradition by starting his own business, T.I.E. Professional Food Services, bringing restaurant style meals to private homes in the New York area. John’s clientele enjoy his culinary creations, but John’s deep-rooted belief that no one should go hungry led him to support Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen as a member of the Monthly Giving Circle, and as a generous guest at our From Farm to Tray fundraiser.
“I’ve been in need and people have come to my rescue,” John explains, remembering how hard his business was hit by the recession, when suddenly the man who fed others was unsure where his next meal would come from. “I never stopped donating, no matter how bad things were for me, it was so tough. Sometimes I would think, ‘Oh my God, this is it, I’m going be homeless!’”
John worked hard to build his business back up and today it’s thriving once again. “You can endure anything,” he says, “if you have a full stomach and you know where you’re next meal is coming from. I saw the scale of what you guys do, helping a thousand people a day, and, if I can help one person to have a lunch, I’m satisfied.”
