UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) -- Goddard Riverside on the Upper West Side has a 30-year tradition of giving away free meals for the community on Christmas Day.
However, it's been three years since before the pandemic that there has been a sit-down meal of hot food served at Goddard Riverside.
There was a sense of community at Goddard Riverside on Christmas Day. Hundreds lined up at 88th Street and Columbus Avenue waiting for the doors to open at noon. The hot Christmas meal meant so much to many.
"To be here is a blessing because in 2023 a lot of people have passed on,” said Gwendolyn Mason-Tynes, a guest at Goddard Riverside. "This is my nephew Anthony. We’re here because we’ve been invited by a friend."
More than 1,200 members of the community received a free hot meal of turkey with all the trimmings, cider and pies. Some of the volunteers have been coming back for decades.
"It’s the sense of community. It’s the impact Goddard has,” said Jeremy Willinget, who's volunteered for 35 years. "When you look at it, there is such a need for these programs, and the volunteers derive a lot of meaning from it. It’s a wonderful experience."
"It started when they were younger, when they were in middle school,” said Sarah Horowitz, an Upper West Side mother who was volunteering with her husband, son and daughter. "It’s a way to be part of the community of the Upper West Side."
Her daughter, Emma Venarde, agreed. "Christmas can seem to be all about gifts and giving in a very material way, but that’s not the important message of it. It’s just lovely being with a lot of other people and my family,” Venarde said.
More than 30,000 people receive support services at Goddard Riverside.
"For those who experience food insecurity or for the older person who is alone, they have a place here,” said Rod Jones, the president of Goddard Riverside. "And the volunteers love to come here, some for four decades. It’s a big deal."
There are a lot of volunteering opportunities at Goddard Riverside -- not just on Christmas Day. To find out how to help out, you can call 212-873-6600 or go to Goddard.org
Article From:
pix11.com
English (US) ·