Voice of a Volunteer: Linda Having dedicated her life to helping others, Linda began volunteering at the soup kitchen in 2009. As a young woman, soon after her son was born, Linda trained to be a certified nursing assistant, caring for both newborns and the elderly....
“And you know there are guests who start to volunteer. That’s always great to see happen.” – Bill
Voice of Volunteer: Bill After retiring from a full professional life as a massage therapist and vocational counselor, Bill knew that he wanted to stay busy and keep a sense of purpose in his life by volunteering. He learned about Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen at a...
“I want to spend my retirement giving back.” – Maria
Voice of a Volunteer: Maria Maria, who retired in January 2014, didn’t take a break from slicing bread on the bitterly cold February morning she spoke with us. She was eager to get through her task so that everything would be ready for our guests as they started to...
“What makes Holy Apostles special is the people – I really enjoy the conversations I have with guests when I come here.”
Joyce Sturges oversees community relations for KPMG’s New York office, which means that she’s always on the lookout for new volunteer opportunities for KPMG’s staff. “One of our core values is giving back to our community. By having these volunteer opportunities,...
“I believe my calling is to help.” – Ricky
Voice of a Volunteer: Ricky Ricky was homeless when he first came to Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen for lunch as a guest. “Drugs and drinking were taking a toll on me,” he says. “I was doing that because I was homeless. I had no hope. Everything was gone. When you’re...
“The guests spend so much time on the city streets – meditation is a great way for them to relax.” – Renate
Voice of a Volunteer: Renate Once a month, Renate holds up a sign in the back of the soup kitchen, reading “Meditation – Food for the Soul – Come & join us!” It's been over 10 years since she started a meditation class at the soup kitchen, two years after she...
“A humbling experience.” – Nicholas
Voice of a Volunteer: Nicholas When Nicholas first volunteered at the soup kitchen, he was in a dark place and came here to get back onto the right track. “I owned my own restaurant. We had a fire, and I went through a state of depression. A friend recommended that I...
Volunteers: the lifeblood of the soup kitchen
Volunteers make it possible at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.
“Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven – there is nothing Karen can’t play.” – Jinhua
Voices from our Community: Jinhua and Karen Jinhua Xie is a soup kitchen guest who has been coming here for a couple of years. A native of China, Jinhua and his wife saved up to legally immigrate to New York 13 years ago. They found a home and work here and began a...