As the largest soup kitchen in New York City, we are so grateful to our volunteers, supporters, and friends who have kept us open throughout this pandemic. We would not be able to serve our community without the dedication of our volunteers and supporters, and the well-being of all those who visit the Soup Kitchen remains paramount to us. As New York City continues its reopening, we wanted to provide a status update on our programming and the current COVID19 policies in place at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.
We are currently assessing the feasibility of resuming indoor programming in the coming months, primarily our computer classes and certain social services that can be done in a socially distanced manner. While we are committed to resuming indoor dining for the daily Soup Kitchen meal service, the timeline remains uncertain, and our trademark meal program will remain an outdoor “grab-and-go” format throughout the summer.
In the meantime, we are working diligently to contribute to the City’s vaccination efforts and are working with partners to increase access to the vaccine in our community. We have joined the “Time to Vaccinate” campaign organized by the Greenwich Village and Chelsea Chamber of Commerce (GVCCC), pledging our commitment to encourage our employees to take time off to receive their vaccination. We are also assisting volunteers and our guests in accessing COVID-19 vaccines. Pending approval from City Hall, we may soon be co-hosting a pop-up vaccination center this summer. If you have not yet received a vaccine and would like to receive one, please contact [email protected].
We strive to meet the needs of our guests while offering compassion for all those who come to the Soup Kitchen. For this reason, and to ensure the health and safety of everyone in our community, we are still requiring all staff, volunteers, and guests to wear masks while at the Soup Kitchen in order to protect those who cannot or have not yet been vaccinated. We ask all those on site to wear a surgical or reusable mask to reduce the risk of exposure for themselves and others.
Many of the people who visit our Soup Kitchen are experiencing homelessness and are at increased risk of fatality from COVID-19 due to underlying health risks and other factors. At the same time, experiencing homelessness creates barriers to meeting social distancing guidelines and accessing testing and treatment. Even for those not experiencing homelessness – including our volunteers and pantry households – wearing a mask continues to pose life-saving benefits for people who may have:
A disease that weakens their immune system
Unvaccinated children at home
High-risk loved ones that they are protecting
Asthma and have realized that their symptoms are alleviated by a mask outdoors
Symptoms but are unable to stay home, and they may be protecting you from the flu or a cold
We will continue to monitor the ongoing pandemic and will announce updates to mask requirements as the situation changes. As always, we are grateful for our community and the dedication all those who support the Soup Kitchen give to New Yorkers in need.
