The Knights of Columbus Monsignor James S. Conlan Council #5329 spent the morning of Good Friday (April 19, 2019) helping out at St. Mary’s Outreach (180 South St.; Newburgh, NY). The outreach Center is located on the grounds of on the former Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. The Center operates independently and relies on private donations, as well as, grants to operate. The Knights helped to distribute food and clothing to needy in Newburgh throughout the morning.
Work began around 9a with the unloading of over two tons of food trucked in using a rental truck. The food came from various donations sources including the Hudson Valley Food Bank. The rental truck constitutes the major cost for the Center and all the labor is provided by volunteers who staff the once a month event. Some of those volunteers are actual participants in the Center’s Outreach program. Those individuals expressed that they did not want a hand out, but wanted a hand up and therefore wanted to make sure they worked for what they took home. There was a strong sense of work ethic and supporting the community among all these individuals. The volunteers as a whole were compassionate and dedicated to their mission. It was truly inspiring to see how selflessly all the volunteers were and how hard they worked.
Once the truck was unloaded it was onto sorting food, clothing, and other dry goods. The Knights had to sort meat and dry goods accordingly based on the master “station” plan. For example there is a food station for beef and a separate one for pork goods. After sorting through about hundred boxes of meat it was then time to move each sorted box to its appropriate station for distribution to the needy. For participants in the program this creates a market like shopping experience where participants check in at the entrance and then browse in an orderly line through each station taking what they need for the month along the way.
As the event proceeded through the morning some 200 families encompassing some 600 people came through the doors. As stations were depleted on food the Knights were responsible for bringing more food over to restock the stations. Over 300 families representing over a thousand people were expected by the end of the day.
Finally the last stop for Outreach participants is “check out” where they have to load their food, clothing, and other items into their own vehicle or that of others who car pooled with them. Many participants in the program are elderly or disabled. The Knights helped those individuals and any others who might need it, to carry their goods to their vehicle, as well as, to carry those goods up the stairs where the exit is.
The event carried on into the afternoon, but around noon it was time for the Knights to leave. All Brothers who attended expressed interest in returning in a few months to help out. It was truly a spiritually enriching way to serve the least among us on Good Friday.
Thank you to Brother Knights Matt Rommel, DGK Joe Ditizio, Keith Reynolds, Mike Fenick, Jerry Domingue, and FS Chris Welch for donating their time at this great Works of Mercy For the Poor event. It was truly a wonderful way to spend Good Friday by remembering our Lord Jesus Christ’s command to feed and clothe those who are the neediest among us as those poor individuals are just like Christ as he hung on the cross.
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